It’s Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week! 3 Reasons to Work in Cybersecurity

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and October 18-23 is Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week!

Combating data breaches has never been more important for businesses. In January of this year, social media management company, Socialarks, suffered a data breach, exposing account details of at least 214 million social media users from Facebook and Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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.

The coronavirus pandemic presented interesting in that more positions will be created to ensure both in-office and remote networks are secure.

Salary Potential
Emsi Labor Market Analytics data found that cybersecurity professionals can start in positions at about 53% higher salary per hour compared to the national top target occupation starting salary.

Challenging and Impactful Work
According to a survey done by CIO, 44% of cybersecurity professionals found that their work was important and meaningful, and 56% found their work was challenging and exciting.

University of Denver’s University College can prepare you for a successful career in the cybersecurity field via its top-40 ranked online and evening Information and Technology Communications program. Pursue a graduate certificate or degree in Information Systems Security and gain hands-on experience analyzing security needs and providing effective solutions (curriculum aligns with the Common Body of Knowledge for CISSP certification). Or, be prepared to take on a leadership role that handles cybersecurity needs with a certificate or master’s degree in Cybersecurity Management. Learn more at universitycollege.du.edu/ict.