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
Too Many Opportunities for Hackers В
“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.”В В – Nichole Schmitt, CCI Information Technology instructor.В В
Hackers and cybercriminals are taking advantage of security gaps at a rapid pace, requiringВ moreВ trainedВ IT security professionals to fill them.В ToВ stopВ the “bad guys,”В employersВ need trained,В motivatedВ IT professionalsВ inВ this exciting,В fast-paced,В andВ high-techВ career. To protect the American people, weВ allВ needВ moreВ “good guys.”В В В
IT Security Professionals Needed NowВ
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. В
Information Security vs. CybersecurityВ В
When researchingВ this career field, you might ask yourselfВ “what’s the difference between information security and cybersecurity?”В Here isВ one explanation fromВ a bookВ NicholeВ referencesВ in her interviewВ (for full interview see link below).В
“Also,В as manyВ [people]В on Twitter regularly point out to me, nobody in cybersecurityВ actuallyВ uses “cyber” anymore.В It isВ ‘information securityВ or,В preferably,В ‘infosec,’ …as it turns out, introducing yourself asВ ‘cyber’В anything is the quickest way to the door,”В saysВ NicoleВ Perlroth, author ofВ This is How They Tell Me the World Ends.В
Whether you useВ the termВ information security or cybersecurity,В it isВ important to knowВ they areВ essentiallyВ theВ same. IT professionals inВ this fieldВ are charged with planning andВ implementingВ security measures thatВ protect an organization’s computer networks and systems.В В
Become One of the Good Guys (IT Security Professionals)В
If protecting the cyberworld from “bad guys” and keeping up with the latest technologyВ and softwareВ trendsВ sounds interesting and exciting, this careerВ pathВ might be for you.В В
CCI offersВ anВ Information SecurityВ trackВ as part of theВ Computer Network AdministrationВ program.В It helps to haveВ a basic understanding of computer systems before starting this track,В however,В it is notВ required. CCI’s Information Technology instructors, like Nichole, are ready and willing to help guide youВ throughoutВ your time as a student.В
В “[Information security]В isВ a fundamental basic for anyone trying to get into any kind of a technology space.”В В – Nichole Schmitt, CCI Information Technology Instructor.В В
В 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. В
