Careers in Cybersecurity

1. Select four other majors offered by ODU and explain how those majors relate to cybersecurity.
   

According to CyberSeek, there were 122,000 job opportunities for information security analysts in 2018, but only 105,000 people are now working in such jobs, resulting in a 17,000-person yearly skill shortage in the United States. Cybersecurity is a new, fast-growing discipline that aims to solve challenges in the fundamental knowledge of safe information system design, development, implementation, and life-cycle support. Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary undergraduate major that will equip students for careers in government, business, and research while also laying the groundwork for graduate school success.

ODU provides four undergraduate degrees with blend courses from many areas into a unified academic experience, in addition to a traditional cybersecurity major. These majors entail extensive coursework in two distinct subjects, all of which must be incorporated into a marketable program. Moreover, the purpose of these majors is to approach cybersecurity in a way that responds to real-world complexity and issues, bringing together academics and students from all backgrounds to confront cybersecurity from their various points of view.

1. Cybercrime (IDS)

Cybersecurity (IDS): According to ODU’s School of Cybersecurity (n.d), “this program prepares graduates with the skills necessary to protect computer systems, networks, and online data from attack and compromise. Throughout the program, students will learn to troubleshoot and to identify potential security lapses through classroom instruction, hands-on computer lab sessions and opportunities to take part in research projects. Courses focus primarily on computer science, computer engineering and engineering management, information technology and decision science, information assurance, wireless networking, criminal justice, philosophy and psychology. Students will learn how to collect forensic evidence in prosecution of cybercrime or maintenance of network security”.

2. Cybercrime (IDS):

Cybercrime (IDS): “The cybercrime major prepares students for occupations in law enforcement and information technology. Students in the cybercrime program will be required to develop strong written and verbal communication skills, as well as skills in mathematics and logic. Students will take courses in criminology, cybersecurity, and information technology. Through these courses, they will learn about technology-related criminal justice issues, including cyber laws and computer crime investigations. They will also gain the technical skills that employers ask for, including knowledge of cybersecurity, digital forensics, computer networking, and common programming languages like Java and C+” (ODU’s School of Cybersecurity (n.d).

Careers:

Computer User Support Specialists. Median Salary: $54,150

Forensic Science Technicians. Median Salary: $61,220

Criminal Investigators and Special Agents. Median Salary: $83,320

Intelligence Analysts. Median Salary: $83,320

3. Cyber Operations (SCY)

Cyber Operations (SCY): “Cyber Operations is an interdisciplinary major encompassing the entire scope of cyberspace and related operations that are both technical and non-technical (i.e., ethical, legal, human-centered, etc.) in nature. Cyber Operations is a complementary discipline to Cybersecurity. Cyber Operations places a particular emphasis on technologies and techniques applicable to all operational and system levels. Coursework in Cyber Operations balances theory, practice and hands-on labs inspired by real-life scenarios. Skills and competencies emphasized are in system attack, infiltration, exploitation, defense, mitigation, and recovery” (ODU’s School of Cybersecurity (n.d).

• Careers:

• Information Security Analysts. Median Salary: $99,690

  Network and Computer Systems Administrators. Median Salary: $86,340

  Computer Systems Analysts. Median Salary: $92,740

  Security Management Specialists. Median Salary: $75,740

4. Enterprise Security (IT):

Enterprise security involves the various technologies, tactics, and processes used to protect digital assets against unauthorized use, abuse, or infiltration by threat actors. Enterprise security includes the protection of data as it flows across networks, including those connecting satellite offices and those that tie data into the general internet. Enterprise security systems also cover the people and policies that organizations used to secure their network infrastructure, including assets such as devices and various endpoints. Because enterprise security needs to focus on maintaining the security posture of a company within the confines of the law, it also takes into consideration the legal structures that apply to an organization’s data (Fortinet, n.d).

• Top careers in this major:

• Web Developer. National average salary: $72,040 per year

• IT Technician: National average salary: $74,664 per year 

• Network Engineer. National average salary: $87,919 per year

• Database Administrator. National average salary: $92,194 per year

• Systems Analyst. National average salary: $78,587 per year

• Computer Scientist. National average salary: $100,945 per year

• Software Engineer. National average salary: $105,090 per year

• IT Security Specialist. National average salary: $115,819 per year