Cybersecurity Career Opportunities are at an All-Time High for Women

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness month, and this year’s theme “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart,” aims to empower individuals and organizations to own their role in protecting their part of cyberspace. Combating data breaches has never been more important for businesses. This August, defunct social media data broker, Deep Social, was found to have been breached, exposing the account information of 235 million Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube users. As data breaches continue to make headlines, businesses understand it’s critical to prevent data breaches and protect consumer data. Here are three reasons to consider working in cybersecurity to ensure the world of data is cyber smart.

Booming Field
According to Forbes, there are more than 200,000 cybersecurity-related positions unfilled, and the number of positions available will grow by 37% in the next few years. In fact, Cyber Defense Magazine projects 1.8 million cybersecurity professionals are needed by 2022 to fill the demand, which is nationwide.

Salary Potential
Emsi Labor Market Analytics data found that cybersecurity professionals make around $46.01 to $57.23 per hour compared to the national top target occupation salary, which ranges from $30.16 to $57.23 per hour.  

Challenging and Impactful Work
Many cybersecurity professionals find their work rewarding beyond the pay and feel a sense of integrity in their profession. According to a survey done by CIO, 44% of the respondents found that their work was important and meaningful, and 56% found their work was challenging and exciting.

If you are interested in learning more about cybersecurity, join the Information and Communications Technology program, as well as partner, Women In Technology International (WITI), for a panel of women in cybersecurity at 5:30 p.m. MDT on October 27 titled “How COVID has Affected Cybersecurity: Lessons Learned and a Path Forward.” Learn more about security risks you never had to consider before, how to protect your own data in the new digital age, and how excellent career opportunities for women in cybersecurity are at an all-time high.