Information Security Specialist.

Reese, Susan

INFORMATION SECURITY SPECIALISTS HELP KEEP COMPUTER AND networking systems secure and protected from security breaches and cyberattacks. Their duties may include installing software, like firewalls and data encryption programs, as well as testing, preparing reports and documentation, and managing the security systems that will protect their organizations from attacks such as hacking, viruses and malware. They may help plan and create the emergency plans that will be needed to recover and restore data in the event of disasters or cyberattacks. Information security specialists will need to stay up to date on the latest information on security analysis, so they will continually be researching data, trends, methods and new security technology.

The Workplace

Information security specialists work for computer and IT companies, consulting firms, and business and financial companies. They may also be employed by government agencies. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies notes that the federal cybersecurity workforce is continuing to grow.

Education

A bachelor's degree may be most often required, but according to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), "Formal education opportunities for students are critical to help build and shape Americas future cybersecurity workforce. This applies to students at all levels, including K-12, two-year community colleges, [as well as] undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students." NICE also notes that not only are there are an increasing number of cybersecurity degree programs, but there are also many other degree programs that can lead to careers in the cybersecurity field, including those in computer science, computer engineering, information systems, IT and software engineering.

Earnings

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wages for information security analysts were $86,170 in May 2012, with the top 10 percent earning more than $135,600.

Job Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook projects that demand for information security specialists is expected to be very high due to the growing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks in recent years, and many organizations--from IT companies to businesses to health-care facilities--will need these professionals to devise solutions to prevent hackers from stealing information or bringing down computer networks. The federal government also is expected to greatly increase its use of information security specialists to protect the nation's IT systems. Moreover, a study by NICE found that the majority of the federal civilian cybersecurity professionals were over the age of 40, so those who will be retiring will need to be replaced.

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By Susan Reese

EXPLORE MORE

For more information about the career of information security specialist and the education and training it requires, here are some places to turn.

Association for Computing Machinery www.acm.org

Computing Research Association www.cra.org

Cyber Security Education Consortium http://cseconline.net

National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies

https://niccs.us-cert.gov

National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education http://csrc.nist.gov/nice

National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense

https://www.nsa.gov/academia/ncae-cd/index.shtml