The ever-increasing number of data security breaches and threats by cybercriminals has created a big demand for qualified professionals in information security. According to https://www.isc2.org, the global shortfall in information security professionals is expected to reach 1.8 million by 2022. With such a huge market gap, pursuing a career in IT security can be a really smart move. For those who still need convincing, here are a few more good reasons for considering this career option:
Excellent Job Prospects
With the all-round digital transformation of our society catalyzed by cloud computing, Big Data, IoT, and more, it is quite evident that there will be massive amounts of data that will be collected, stored, and shared. This will make every organization involved in the process vulnerable to cyber breaches and threats. Leakage of personally identifiable information and other confidential and sensitive information can bring organizations to their knees and jeopardize financial and national security. Cybersecurity experts are in great demand not only for countering data thefts but also for building security walls around data that are most valuable to criminals. With data volumes growing, cybersecurity professionals will see consistent demand for their skills.
Lucrative Remuneration
The answer to the question of how to choose an IT career path becomes easy when you consider that according to a Payscale.com estimate, the salary of an entry-level IT analyst falls in the range of $49,188-$92,293 with $65,605 being the median. The median according to BLS is a heftier $95,510 for all levels with as many as 10% earning more than $1, 53,090. Continuing in the same line, a Mondo 2018 salary report reflects a high of $172,500 for network security engineers and $182,500 for application security engineers. While not everyone will earn this kind of salaries, it is quite evident that you will end up earning far more than your counterparts in other professions.
Highly Portable Jobs
Every organization, irrespective of the sector and the industry it is working in, needs to have adequate security of its data. This means that information security professionals can literally take their pick of employers depending on their fascination and familiarity with the sector. There are very few occupations that give this kind of flexibility. A career in IT security also gives you the freedom to choose your job location. Of course, there is a huge concentration of jobs in Washington due to it being the seat of the government, IT security jobs are available wherever an organization is based. With advanced connectively, you can even operate remotely and not have to bother about the location of your employer or client.
Conclusion
If you are one of those who prefer to be in sectors that are evolving rapidly, information security is a wonderful choice. Our complete dependence on digital information makes it necessary that all the data is collected, stored, and shared in a secure manner without giving mischievous elements that chance to infiltrate and tamper with the systems and records and causing damage beyond estimate. Of all the jobs in the world, it is reasonable to assume that information security will continue to be in very high demand in the foreseeable future.
