Many freshmen students start out college undeclared; they aren’t sure what they want to major in and hope to use their first year to find something they want to study. Unfortunately, many students take up to 2 years to decide on a major, and they may even switch majors several times up into their junior year. This wastes a lot of time and money, and can significantly delay graduation.

If you have no idea what you want to major in, one option you might consider is taking time off from college. If taking a break isn’t an option for you, doing your research and finding a major you can be passionate about should be your number one priority. The sooner you declare a major that you want to stick with, the more you can focus on taking the classes you need to graduate, allowing you to stay on track to graduate on time.

This cyber security feature is one in a continuing series of “Undeclared” posts. Other majors that have been explored include Education, Linguistics, Data Sciences, Communications, and Accounting.

A Degree in Cyber Security

Today, with the advent of technology and rapid developments in the IT field, cyber security has become a prominent field. From small businesses to multinationals and even governments moving their processes online, securing information and data has never been of more importance. While businesses and other entities might have the knowledge to detect hackers, they don’t often have the talent to defend themselves from them — and that’s why cyber security professionals are so much in demand today.

In fact, earning an advanced degree in Cyber Security often leads to an increased skill set such as forensics skills. These new skills in turn lead to better pay and more opportunities for advancement in the field. Even though the benefits of a career in cyber security do go beyond a paycheck, it’s nice to know what salary professionals in this field can anticipate. Cyber security professionals report an average salary of $116,000 a year, or $55.77 an hour — nearly three times the national median income for full-time salary or wage workers.

Thus, cyber security is poised to be a lucrative career option in the years to come.

The ability to balance the hard sciences within larger spectrums such as economic policies, business management, ethics of privacy, politics, and others is valued in the cyber security field. Those with a knack for mathematics, science, and information technology are especially well suited to further pursue this path.

Depending on the particular career, you may need to get a master’s in cyber security to further supplement your undergraduate education. However, there are many cyber security careers that are open to those even with a bachelor’s degree.

Cyber Security Specialist

A cyber security specialist is a great entry level position for those looking to pursue cyber security. A security specialist works with their employer to build secure computer systems. While specific duties may differ depending upon one’s place of employment, a security specialist will commonly be required to monitor security administrations, ensure accurate security tools are functioning properly, implement basic cyber security training to colleagues and develop system specialized security requirements. In this way, starting out as a security specialist gives you a good overview of various cyber security niches.

Depending upon your employer and the nature of your job as a specialist, earning potential will vary. For instance, specialists who have more managerial duties such as the security officer or manager tend to earn more, while those in relatively technical roles such as a security engineer or web security analyst earn slightly less.

Penetration Tester

Another of the many cyber security paths you can choose is penetration tester. Pen testers are also known as ethical hackers. Usually, penetration testers look for weaknesses in the security of IT systems, networks and applications of a company. They are given permission by their employers to try and infiltrate the security of the system. Penetration testers do so using the same methods black hat hackers would use, to eventually determine whether systems are protected against cyber threats. If they are successful in infiltrating a company’s system, then major security upgrades are an absolute must.

Pen testers have a variety of responsibilities. Some of these include:

• Uncovering security holes and pinpointing methods attackers could use
• Documenting and discussing findings with management
• Designing and implementing new penetration tools and tests.

For this sort of career, it is integral to keep up to date with changing hacking patterns and behavior. To become a penetration tester, you will need to master specialized ethical hacking skills with requisite training and certifications. You might start off as a security specialist and then move up to this role within your organization.

Cryptographer

Cryptographers, or cryptologists, employ codes to protect information from unauthorized viewing. Essentially, they are tasked with writing code hackers can’t hack. Conversely, cryptographers also use their knowledge to decode sensitive information that might otherwise remain hidden.

All industries, from the banking sector and financial services to telecommunications and health care utilize encryption technology developed by cryptographers. Cryptographers also have the potential to work for the government within the military, or at large universities. A cryptographer’s duties and responsibilities may change depending on the employer.

Having a strong penchant for mathematics and logic is useful on the journey to becoming a cryptographer. According to experts at Cyber Security Education you will also need to possess skills in number theory, programming languages, algorithms, and data structures to succeed as a cryptographer. Depending on the type of entity you aim to work for, you may need additional skills outside of cybersecurity to become a cryptographer. For instance, a cryptographer who works for the military might need to be fluent in a foreign language so as to accurately intercept foreign communication signals.

A career as a cryptologist demands strong dedication and a willingness to take on new challenges. Since the field of cryptography is continuously changing, you must be willing to independently study so as to stay ahead of the curve.

Chief Information Security Officer

A Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) might well be the pinnacle of the cyber security profession. The path to get here is not always an easy one, but hard work and a willingness to continually learn will get you there. The CISO is in charge of many functions and needs to not only have an excellent cyber security knowledge but to also possess a sharp business acumen. It should go without saying that at all levels, business leaders need to pay attention to cyber security, but it is the CISO who ensures that all security standards are met across various functions of the business and are in line with company decisions.

Cybersecurity Education outlines the general duties of a CISO. Some of these duties include:

• Overseeing company-wide security policies and procedures for your company. ‘
• Staying current with the latest trends and technologies in cybersecurity
• Staying up to date with developments in new cybersecurity software
• Examining and assessing how cybercriminals are behaving, so as to effectively prevent a security breach

The CISO differs from the CIO (Chief Information Officer) in that the CIO mainly works with general technical issues that a company might face. On the other hand, a CISO is more concerned with the security of the corporation’s computer systems and databases.

To become a CISO, you will have to supplement your knowledge of cyber security with additional training and courses. Sometimes, depending on the nature of the company you work, you might even have to get an MBA with an IT/security focus, so as to properly hone your leadership skills and prepare you for management. While all this requires efforts, reaching a top position like CISO is definitely worth it.

These are just a handful of the careers you can look into when you study cyber security. With continuous developments in technology, the cyber security field is one that is ever-changing, and thus, sure to stay exciting. If you gravitate towards dynamic work environments with interesting challenges, be sure to take some cybersecurity classes next semester – you might just find your calling!

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 Jori Hamilton is a writer and journalist from the Pacific Northwest who covers social justice issues, healthcare, and politics. You can follow her work on twitter @HamiltonJori or through her portfolio.