Cyber Security - An Emerging Field of Study

Ever since the beginning of the internet, cybercrime has been an issue. What is cybercrime? Have you ever gotten a virus, or even gotten hacked? These are very common cybercrimes. Cyber criminals hack into networks, create virus, and can even steal your financial information. Though we are all aware that this is a possibility when housing our information on computers, we often think that it will never happen to us.

Though cybercrime could potentially be financially devastating to the average person, it is possible to cause catastrophic repercussions by political extremists that could misuse the Internet for acts of cyber terrorism. What exactly is Cyber Terrorism? It is when a person or persons use the anonymity and global reach of the internet for their own personal gain, such as, terrorist attacks on U.S. information infrastructure in attempts to seal money, identities and classified data. They can also use the internet as a tool to find like-minded extremists to help them attempt to hack their way into corporate and/or government networks.

Michael Alcorn, Branch Chief in the State Department's Office of Anti-Terrorism Assistance had this to say about cyber terrorism, "The problem we're all facing is a global borderless problem, where attacks can occur anywhere in the world and originate from anywhere else in the world."

Though he said this in 2005, it still rings true today. Attacks could happen at any time, in any location, against any person or institution. The only way to combat this is to have individuals that have cyber security education which are specialized in fighting against cyber terrorism and cyber criminals. These people are known as cyber security professionals.

What does a cyber-security professional do? They coordinate an organization's information security preparedness, educate users on computer security, respond to sophisticated cyber-attacks, gather data and evidence to be used when prosecuting cybercrimes such as credit card fraud, auction fraud, intellectual property theft, pedophilia, terrorism, hacking and they monitor the network for any security breaches. Normally they are employed by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. At times cyber security professionals may be called on to engage in computer crime investigations this is known as Cyber Forensics. This is an emerging field, and because of technology advances, this filed will ways be changing along with technology. Cyber security professionals must keep up to date with changes and technology and be lifelong learners within their field.

Cyber-Security Consultants: Who Are They and What Do They Do?

A cyber-security consultant usually has a background in either computer security or information security standards. The kind of expertise required is highly specialised and currently not particularly widespread. The services provided by cybersecurity consultants can make a real difference to an organisation's overall security posture, and may prevent or at least mitigate future incursions by hackers or real-world fraudsters.

Cyber security education is just one part of the wider field of information security, which also covers physical assets and threats, and people-related factors. However, in the current context of growing threats to critical national infrastructure (such as power plants) from certain countries, it is the "cyber" part of the term that is taking an increasingly high profile. It is true that most organisations will not be at risk from incursions by state-sponsored agents. However, they may still be the target of an opportunistic amateur hacker, and it is here that cyber-security consultants can play a part.
The consultant may audit the organisation's existing level of IT security, pointing out areas where there are high-risk vulnerabilities (for example, web pages where a username and password are transmitted unencrypted). Many vulnerabilities stem from old software that has not been updated to the latest patch level. In this case, simply updating the software will resolve the situation. In other cases, while the software may be completely current with the latest security patches, there may be a need to reconfigure it to change the settings. The vulnerability scans and penetration tests carried out by cyber-security consultants will unearth these situations and more, enabling the organisation to fix the vulnerabilities before they are discovered by hackers.

A cybersecurity consultant can offer a great deal more than vulnerability assessments, offering also highly specialised consultancy services to develop a plan for overhauling an organisation's information security. This kind of service is fully tailored to the client rather than relying on off-the-shelf methods and documents, and takes into account the client organisation's attitude to risk and business priorities. It can include not only computer security, but also education and awareness measures to raise the profile of security among employees or partners. Many cyber-security consultants can also assist in the process of certification to ISO 27001, the international information security standard.

On Earning A Degree In Cyber Security

As technology becomes more prominent in today's modern world, protecting the information in software and other databases is of vital importance. Some of the jobs available to those who work in cyber security include information systems security professionals, system administrators, and senior system managers. These professionals are typically responsible for information systems and the security of these systems.

Some of the course topics students can expect to discuss include ethics in cyber security degrees, psychology of criminal behavior, and security policy analysis. Course work may also include advanced mathematics classes, such as statistics, calculus, and discrete mathematics. These classes are designed to show students how to protect and secure digital information.

Other courses, such as criminal investigations, computer forensics, and criminal evidence, are designed for those who are more interested in investigating and tracking down those who have been committing cybercrimes. Cyber criminals are usually very computer-savvy, and have advanced knowledge of the field in which they are committing a crime. Investigators must also be very experienced in a variety of computer areas, and should understand both the side of the investigation as well as the mind of the cybercriminal.

Sometimes internships can open the door to new opportunities, or help students hone already learned skills. Places like the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or NASA have coveted internships that are also a great addition to a future resume. Internships also allow students to work alongside experts in the field, and learn more about malicious code, incident handling, forensics analysis, and other STEM-related areas.
Many students find they are more qualified for a job in cyber security if they have a few of the following additions to their resume:

• Being certified in showing a master of a body of knowledge, such as a being a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

• Have experience in law enforcement or the military
• Have some IT experience, either through internships, volunteering, or a job
• Understand IT security topics.
Some of the certificates that will further demonstrate qualification of certain focused areas include cyber security policy, digital forensics, cyber investigation, cyber security technology, information assurance, and homeland security management.

One of the biggest employers in this field is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In an interview conducted by U.S. News, the former secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, explains that "billions of dollars of intellectual property" is being stolen every year and "resulting in job losses and damages to our economy."

Contact Details:
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