Wed 19 Nov 2008
Information Security Degree - High Demand - Great Salaries
Posted by bigcassgbr under E-LearningNo Comments
Do you know where your sensitive information is or more importantly who is responsible safeguarding it? In all likelihood your personal, sensitive information is sitting in various computer databases throughout the country.
In all types of organizations hopefully being guarded over by diligent and educated information security professionals. Their mission in life is to ensure that this information does not fall into the wrong hands.
As you may have ascertained, the work that information security specialist perform is critical to our economy, our businesses and our government. It is really a great time to get involved in this career.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, those who work in information security will see rapid job growth and greater demand for skilled technicians over a 10 years.
This trend will generate a greater demand for information security experts and lead to increases in earnings.
Furthermore, according to Payscale the current median salary for a computer security specialist is $70,943.00 annually. Salaries are expected to trend upwards in the foreseeable future.
The salary prospects are strong because unlike many IT jobs, outsourcing data integrity or information security work will likely remain ill advised.
This is due to the various limitations placed on those organizations whose business it is to have access to such sensitive information.
Education and training will of course remain vital to this industry. Those who have attained the proper credentials will not only be in the highest demand but also are expected to see the highest paying jobs.
If you are considering a degree in information security, try to begin with the end in mind. What level of degree do you wish to attain? An associate’s, bachelor’s or even a master’s degree?
An associate’s degree will likely impart a good amount of technical knowledge and allow for an entry level position to the graduate. Fortunately an associate’s degree can be acquired while working towards a bachelor’s degree.
A bachelor’s degree is generally considered the standard foundation from which a professional career is built and will of course open many more doors than what would be expected from a two year degree.
Finally, a graduate degree would best serve those who already have a healthy amount of industry experience. A graduate information security degree can also be beneficial to those seeking management positions or a career change.
In addition to earning a degree a student may also earn various vendor neutral certifications in information security.
Most notable are the Certified Information Systems Security Professional or the Systems Security Certified Practitioner offered by ISC.
The ISC is largely regarded as a standard in the industry. The Security certification offered by CompTIA is also be a good credential to attain.
There are of course specific certifications which are designed to capitalize on technologies provided for by vendors such as Symantec or Cisco Systems. Fortunately, some degree programs may require or at least provide training specific for these certifications.
Such degrees will look great on a resume and demonstrate that you are serious about your career. So seek out a stringent information security degree when you are evaluating your options.
The career prospects and competitive salaries are just icing on the cake. With terrorism and hacking on the rise, information security is one career where potential students can feel that there are making a difference.
If you want to seriously boost your salary and promotion prospects check out Select Courses where you’ll find all the free information you’ll need on distance education computer degrees and many other degrees in fast growing industries