Cyber attack incidents are on a constant rise, and organizations feel the weight of the increasing cost of these attacks. For instance, in 2020, the cost of cyber attacks on the health sector alone was billions of dollars, according to a study by Campritech.
As if the financial drainage caused by these attacks is not enough, lives are also being lost. Take the case of Teiranni Kidd, who lost her baby due in part to a ransomware attack at Springhill Medical Center’s facility in Alabama, which brought down the hospital’s computer systems and obscured the visibility of vital information that could’ve saved the baby’s life.
Whether to make a monetary gain, disrupt systems, or make political statements, the increasing rate of cyber attacks is highly concerning. Cyber attacks can cause severe economic hardship if they continue unchecked, especially now that we are transitioning into the digital economy.
The demand for cybersecurity professionals has skyrocketed as businesses scramble to protect their IT systems and online presence. This need has cast a ray of sunshine for those passionate about pursuing a career in this field. They get to solve one of the world’s biggest challenges while ranking among the highest paid in tech.
In this article, we explore the growing opportunities in cybersecurity and point you toward bootcamps that can equip you with the right cybersecurity skills to propel you toward rewarding careers in less than a year. So, let’s get right to it.
Why Consider a Cybersecurity Career?
Like every endeavor, you probably need a compelling reason to pursue a career in any field. A reason strong enough to make you look beyond the enduring process of acquiring the required skills to set your career in motion. If that is the case, we have compiled some of the best reasons why a cybersecurity career might be worth considering.
Cybersecurity Professionals Are in High Demand
Colonial Pipelines suffered a cyber attack in April of 2021, which led to a shortage of gas supplies on the entire east coast, not to mention the $4.4 million ransom paid to the attackers. A month later, chemical distribution company Brenntag had to cough up a $4.4 million payment for ransom after suffering a similar attack.
In July 2020, when the global pandemic ravaged the entire world, CWT Global had to pay $4.5 million in ransom after being hit by a ransomware attack. A year before that, on the eve of 2019, Travelex was battling to secure its IT systems from cybercriminals but lost the fight eventually and had to pay $2.3 million in ransom.
There is a litany of information regarding the endless cycle of cyber attacks on the Internet. So it’s easy to understand why there is a growing demand for cybersecurity professionals. Hiring cybersecurity professionals is a better economic decision for companies than losing money to cybercriminals.
According to Cyberseek, only 68 percent of cybersecurity openings are currently filled in the US. Following the trends in the last decade, Cybercrime Magazine predicts 3.5 million cybersecurity job openings by 2025. At the same time, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 33 percent growth in cybersecurity jobs by the end of the decade.
Cybersecurity Professionals Are Among the Highest Paid
When you think about the effort to ward off cybercriminals, you will realize why cybersecurity professionals earn so much. According to Glassdoor, cybersecurity specialists earn an average of $94,794 a year. And we have yet to mention the flexibility and work-life balance that comes with it, a perk commonly seen in most tech jobs.
To take advantage of the challenges present in cyberspace, you will need to gear up with the necessary skills to fight the endless cyber warfare. To help you do this, we have curated a list of some of the best cybersecurity bootcamps to get you started.
3 Cybersecurity Bootcamps to Prepare You for the Future of Work
The following university-backed cybersecurity bootcamps are delivered online and comprise two phases. First is an Introductory Course, which requires at least 30 hours of study and walks you through basic commands and security protocols. The Introductory Couse also allows you to get a sneak peek into the second phase: the more rigorous Extended Program, which requires 370 hours of study.
CU Boulder Cybersecurity Bootcamp
What will you learn from this program? The Cybersecurity Bootcamp at the University of Colorado Boulder helps you build advanced skills in Linux, computer networking, Microsoft security, ethical hacking, and more—such that you will be able to apply to cybersecurity jobs in less than a year.
To further boost your chances of getting hired, the program also offers personalized career services, which include the following:
- Interview coaching
- Custom resume planning
- Internship placement assistance
- LinkedIn profile building
- Professional networking
- Career path advising
Loyola University Cybersecurity Bootcamp
What will you learn from this program? Loyola University New Orleans Cybersecurity Bootcamp offers the opportunity to help you become a full-fledged professional in as little as 10 months. You will learn how to identify vulnerabilities and defend virtual platforms as you face real-life simulations of cyber threats.
You will also build three main projects throughout the program:
- Fundamentals Final Project. Design a vulnerable business infrastructure and gain practical experience in cyberattacks and digital forensics.
- Cybersecurity Infrastructure Final Project. Use the infrastructure you built to prove your defense skills. Identify the infrastructure’s vulnerabilities and demonstrate how you’ll contain a breach or respond to a given cyber threat scenario.
- Advanced Cybersecurity Final Project. Design an attack against the infrastructure you secured from your previous project and conduct a full forensic analysis. This should document evidence of the cyber incident, the damages caused by the breach, and the recommended course of action to recover any deleted, stolen, or compromised files.
NC State Cybersecurity Bootcamp
What will you learn from this program? This program is packed with hands-on practical projects and real-life simulations of cyberattacks. In addition, you will master tools such as AWS, Python, Microsoft Security, and others currently used in the industry.
The program also helps you build knowledge that you can apply to industry-standard certification exams such as the following:
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
- EC-Council CSA – Certified SOC Analyst
Train Today for the Future of Work
There you have it, a complete exposition of the opportunities in a cybersecurity career. Since cybersecurity bootcamps have become one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to earn professional digital skills, a university-backed bootcamp seems like a sensible alternative for those who admire the prestige of college education.
Consider enrolling in any of the university-backed bootcamps above and become a cybersecurity professional in less than a year.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
