Achieving a Degree in Cyber Security

In a world dominated by high tech machinery making solutions to our problems just a tap away via internet, it would seem to a layman that our lives are treading towards easier paths. This however, is a major misconception. Just like greater power brings along more responsibilities, modern solutions bring about even more challenges to be addressed.

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Cybercrime is one such challenge, which basically acts as a threat to the data and integrity of computing assets belonging to various organizations. Any companies’ assets and personal information is highly private, and if the wrong kind of people gains access to them illegally, the company will suffer major losses. Cyber security is a system which defends these companies from cyber attacks, making their information secure and inaccessible to hackers.

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The world is not going to move back towards Stone Age any sooner, which means technology is going to get only more advanced. Thus cyber security is going to be one job the importance of which will only increase with time. Pursuing a degree in cyber security has become easier with the introduction of online courses. Some of the benefits these online courses offer includes:

• Are Cheaper:

Online courses are considerably cheaper than traditional colleges, considering the fact that you are going to be saving on transportation costs as well as books and meals. US News reports, online courses cost around $11,040 only, as compared to a standard college’s fee of around $25,290 to $50,900 according to a survey by Collegedata.com.

• Are Convenient:

Breaking out of the very formal 9 to 5 routine means you can basically learn at your own leisure. Pick a time which suits you, and learn while still in your pyjamas! You can even choose between synchronous and Asynchronous programs.

Synchronous programs have set schedules and time frames, with the students and the professors coming online at a fixed time, holding proper class discussions. This is ideal for students who don’t want to miss out on a classroom like feel and would want to receive instant feedback to their queries.

Asynchronous programs give students the leisure to complete their work in their own time. Ideal for people who have a busy schedule, these online courses give them time to frame their thoughts, and often have a timeframe within which they need to respond.

• Offers Variety:

Online courses offer a wider variety of courses than you will find in the traditional colleges and universities.

• Offers diverse career paths:

Every company contains some sensitive information which if passed into the wrong hands would cause catastrophic results for the former. A cyber security specialist or expert is thereby needed by the companies to prevent the sensitive data from leaking out and fend off any cyber attacks. A cyber specialist’s job would be to install firewalls, make security plans and monitor the networks at all times in order to prevent a security a breach from happening. However, within the cyber security jobs, there are multiple other career paths that you can opt for. Some of them are:

• Cryptographers:

With a median salary of $103,010 according to U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, cryptographers use their math skills to encrypt data and develop new algorithms which make the sensitive information more secure and difficult to steal.

• Forensic Engineer:

A forensic engineer is needed in time of a security breach, when they are expected to not only rebuild a more secure system, but also to investigate the causes of the security failure as well as to look for security threats to other networks or systems. Cyberdegrees.org reports a forensic engineer to earn anywhere around $55,700 to $119,000 annually.

• Security Analyst:

With a pay of around $67,790 to $99,000, a security analyst would survey your security system, analyze the system for weaknesses and help you in making your systems more secure.

This extremely dynamic and a very secure job needs your expertise, so simply start your research today and pick an online course as per your convenience.