Detailed Analysis: Benefits of a Career in Cybersecurity

This essay delves into the compelling benefits of pursuing a career in cybersecurity, addressing the increasing demand for skilled professionals in an era marked by escalating cyber threats. It highlights the diverse career options within the field, from web security to forensic analysis, and emphasizes the competitive salaries and lucrative remuneration packages that reflect the high demand and skills shortage. The essay underscores the fulfilling nature of cybersecurity work, emphasizing its impact on safeguarding digital and physical assets, and the job security afforded by the continuous growth in technology and the need for robust security measures. Furthermore, it discusses the potential for personal growth, including the development of a security-focused mindset, and the unlimited opportunities for career advancement within the evolving technological landscape. The essay concludes by positioning a cybersecurity career as a promising and rewarding path, offering peace of mind in terms of job security, personal growth, and fulfilling challenges, supported by references to industry statistics and insights.

Benefits of Cyber-Security
Surveys in the market are showing a recurring trend in the field of cybersecurity citing low
supply of professionals with hands-on experience, low awareness of the potential market for the
cybersecurity job market, and a rapidly widening gap in the workforce due to the increasingly
connected world, thanks to IoT.
Cybersecurity as a domain is meant to protect the information technology and assets of an
organization against the increasing number of threats and breaches on sensitive data. Therefore,
businesses of all kinds, governments and organizations need to employ information security
professionals who are capable of mitigating and preventing cyber-attacks.
The shortage of professionals to fill vacant positions in cybersecurity are brought about by the
increasing number and sophistication of attacks on information systems and little uptake of
cybersecurity as a career. This widens the gap in the available talent for information security as
businesses and organizations compete for the already little talent available.
Considering the trend in which young professionals are seemingly overlooking cyber-security as
a career option, here are a few reasons that might help shift the trend to a more secure future of
technology:
1. Several career options to consider
Cyber-security is used as general term in referring to the efforts applied to protect an
organization’s information assets. However, there are several career options that an individual
can choose from in the field of cybersecurity. Options range from Web Security professionals
dedicated to developing security mechanisms for websites and web application, to Forensic

Experts who follow the trails of attacks and Penetration Testers who are employed to test the
defense mechanisms employed on a system by developers.
These roles have several responsibilities that vary with the industry a professional is employed
in, but the fundamental responsibility is to maintain the security of important data. These duties
require one to be able to assets the value of information systems, understand the vulnerabilities
of each system, take notice of the threats poised against these systems and develop appropriate
mechanisms to prevent attacks or reduce the impact of breaches on information systems.
2. Competitive salaries and remuneration packages
Simply making use of the supply and demand equation, the low supply of cybersecurity talent
means that companies are willing to pay more to have security professionals. As there are few
highly-skilled professionals to counter the increasing number of dangers against security of
information, the talent market is strained by organizations looking to improve their stance against
security threats.
The average starting salary for cyber-security position is stated to be just below six figures, with
some positions having a starting salary of $86,000 annually, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics mentioning $103, 590 median pay for Information Security Analysts as of 2020. This
can be a lucrative pay for young professionals just starting out their career which might be a little
more motivating in the job market.
3. More fulfilling and rewarding work
Attacks against sensitive data and information assets are growing more frequent and impact
organizations heavily. Therefore, as information security professionals, individuals in this career
will have more impact on the physical world by working on problems that makes the digital and
physical world safer for everyone.

Due to the digitization of every aspect of human lives, there is increasingly more information
that needs to be protected from falling into the wrong hands. From protecting heart pacemakers,
to financial data and health information, and even national government’s information systems,
cyber-security professionals might be excited by the idea of being involved in a challenging and
engaging field.
The responsibility comes with several surprising challenges each new day owing to the
unpredictable nature of the security landscape. As a security expert, one is bound to face new
threats every day and are tasked to improve the defenses of the organization.
4. Solid job security foundation
Similar to the case for low supply of cyber-security experts, professionals in the cyber-security
field are guaranteed job positions and opportunities. The increased dependency of businesses on
technology to automate service provision and processes means that the market is creating more
job opportunities for security experts.
Employers continually look out for qualified professionals to fill the increasing number of
required security experts. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 32% growth for the
number of positions requiring Information Security Analysts. This gap in the number of job
positions and available personnel is not seemingly going to reduce in the foreseeable future.
5. Growth as a more security-focused individual
With the increased number of threats posed against the security of sensitive personal
information, a career in cyber-security might be helpful in molding an individual into developing
a more security-focused mindset. By developing skills in protecting information, individuals are
bound to develop habits that will ensure their information is always protected.

A security-aware culture also goes a long way in improving the security of an organization as
individuals employed into business will be more proactive in their interaction with information
assets. Through this awareness, a company will be able to enhance their security defenses by
gathering valuable data from employees such as phishing attempts and risks that are encountered
in business processes.
6. Unlimited potential for career growth
Technology advances every day and more organizations need security professionals. New
systems and technologies are being developed each new day that will need security mechanisms
to be integrated. Businesses also adopt new technologies that need to be integrated into processes
and therefore existing defense mechanisms will have to be adjusted to accommodate the new
technologies.
This provides unlimited opportunities for cybersecurity professionals to advance into more
challenging positions and more rewarding. The change in technology also creates new
opportunities that result in new careers having different responsibilities. There are also more
learning opportunities developed by organizations to provide the necessary basic training for
individuals on various platforms. This makes the cyber-security career prospect more exciting.
Conclusion
A career in cybersecurity seems to be more promising and fulfilling as compared to other career
options in computer technology fields. Coupled with the high pay and unlimited potential for
growth, individuals interested in a cyber-security career are bound to have peace of mind when it
comes to job security and growth as an individual. The field is lined with more opportunities for
improvement and more fulfilling challenges.

References
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Information Security Analysts : Occupational Outlook
Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-
information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm
Morgan, S. (2015). Cybersecurity job market to suffer severe workforce shortage. CSO Online.
https://www.csoonline.com/article/2953258/cybersecurity-job-market-figures-2015-to-
2019-indicate-severe-workforce-shortage.html
Emsi. (2021). Cybersecurity. https://economicmodeling.com/cybersecurity/
Sayegh, E. (2020). As The End Of 2020 Approaches, The Cybersecurity Talent Drought Gets
Worse. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilsayegh/2020/09/22/as-the-end-of-2020-
approaches-the-cybersecurity-talent-drought-gets-worse/