Wild West Environment for IT Security Professionals

In today's world, IT security is more important than ever. With the myriad of devices out there, hackers can gain access to your information through everything from smart cars to smartwatches. The chaos this causes in people's lives cannot be understated. In a digital 'wild west' scenario, we are living in a time where it is the "good guys" (IT security professionals) versus the "bad guys" (hackers).В 
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Too Many Opportunities for Hackers

“Now we’re coming to a point where everything is connected, not just our computers but our entire lives, all of our devices, our homes, our cars everything is connected. This is the Internet of Things (IoT) now. So, that introduces new potential security holes on the internet, places for hackers to get in and do mischief and nuisance.”
– Nichole Schmitt, CCI Information Technology instructor.

Hackers and cybercriminals are taking advantage of security gaps at a rapid pace, requiring more trained IT security professionals to fill them. To stop the “bad guys,” employers need trained, motivated IT professionals in this exciting, fast-paced, and high-tech career. To protect the American people, we all need more “good guys.”

IT Security Professionals Needed Now

IT security is not only a worthy career choice, but it is in high demand right now. Currently, there are more than 100 job postings for Information Security professionals in the Dallas and Arlington areas alone, according to a local Google search.

Potential IT Security Professionals Can See The Desired Level of Expertise Wanted By Hiring Managers

Information Security vs. CybersecurityВ 

When researching this career field, you might ask yourself “what’s the difference between information security and cybersecurity“Here is one explanation from a book Nichole references in her interview (for full interview see link below).

“Also, as many [people] on Twitter regularly point out to me, nobody in cybersecurity actually uses “cyber” anymore. It is ‘information security or, preferably, ‘infosec,’ вЂ¦as it turns out, introducing yourself as ‘cyber’ anything is the quickest way to the door,” says Nicole Perlroth, author of This is How They Tell Me the World Ends.

Whether you use the term information security or cybersecurity, it is important to know they are essentially the same. IT professionals in this field are charged with planning and implementing security measures that protect an organization’s computer networks and systems.

Become One of the Good Guys (IT Security Professionals)

If protecting the cyberworld from “bad guys” and keeping up with the latest technology and software trends sounds interesting and exciting, this career path might be for you.

CCI offersВ anВ Information SecurityВ track as part of theВ Computer Network Administration program. It helps to have a basic understanding of computer systems before starting this track, however, it is not required. CCI’s Information Technology instructors, like Nichole, are ready and willing to help guide you throughout your time as a student.

“[Information security] is a fundamental basic for anyone trying to get into any kind of a technology space.” – Nichole Schmitt, CCI Information Technology Instructor.

For more information contact us at our Dallas (972) 846-8796 or Arlington (817) 668-3556 campuses. To listen to the entire interview with Nichole click the play button below.

Written By

Martin Zandi

A committed leader in the career education industry, Martin enjoys working with the community and colleagues in further improvement and expansion of education programs to improve outcomes.

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