Oh, the places you’ll go with a college degree. Well, it should actually be, oh the places you’ll go with a cybersecurity degree. With over 1.2 million U.S. professionals working in cybersecurity, and nearly 5 million people globally, cybersecurity is one of the best (and most profitable) degrees in the world. As cyber threats become more pervasive and pertinent to infrastructures, information systems, and networking databases, experts conclude that the cybersecurity workforce is growing fast, and the demand is growing even faster. This rapidly growing workforce and expanding demand is making jobs and the options for different workplace environments more and more available to aspiring cybersecurity analysts. Knowing this, many are cashing in on this flexible opportunity by finding places to work that appeal to their lifestyles and career goals including corporations, nonprofits, academic institutions, businesses, and contracting agencies. 

And with only a small percentage of universities offering a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (or related degree), the possibilities for work are almost endless for those who have the chance to gain such an education. 

Work For A Large Company

With over 100 companies being cited as the Best Places To Work by Forbes Magazine, you can rest assured that they all are mega-corporations and thus, all need cybersecurity support. 

Corporations hold more data and information than one can imagine. From private healthcare files to solutions for the government, to housing personal photos and memories of their clients, mega corporations’ number one issue is often cyber-attacks. These attempts can (and have) cost mega corporations millions of dollars in damages. Companies like Microsoft are prime examples of what can happen when hackers get a hold of internal emails and accounts resulting in a significant amount of data being stolen and used in national security breaches. As such, there is much room for improvement and employees who are interested in working for massive and collaborative companies. Plus, the benefits can be pretty nice too. From free memberships to gyms to quality mentors, working for a large company can be a great career move with a cybersecurity degree. 

Work For A Non-Profit

Like national corporations, nonprofits equally suffer from cybersecurity attacks and internal issues with their critical infrastructure. Many nonprofits collect and store sensitive personal information that is protected by law as confidential. When there is a breach of the confidentiality of those data, the risks are liable to individuals and the organization, as a whole. This, of course, has propelled many institutes to urge nonprofits to make cybersecurity a fundamental department or – at a minimum – a component of their organizational building. Whether big or small, working for a nonprofit can have its ups and downs especially financially. However, many believe that the rewards are worth it. Nonprofit organizations do have insurance policies that can cover the losses from breaches affecting their own information. However, more are interested in hiring in-house technological experts to assist in repairing, maintaining and/or restoring their networks in order to decrease costs and save their public image. With over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States and approximately 10 million worldwide, you can earn a position in the nonprofit sector seamlessly.

Work For A Third-Party Agency

Are you interested in working remotely or like the idea of travel? Then working for a third-party contracting agency could be the right fit for you. As an employee at a cybersecurity firm, you can automatically gain hands-on experience in incident response, systems analysis, and related efforts. In fact, to become a cybersecurity firm employee, most agencies would prefer if you could demonstrate expertise in current security methods and have a broad understanding of common threats and vulnerabilities as well as hold some form of advanced certifications such as CISSP or CNNP. When working at an agency, you can work in a multitude of settings including government agencies, universities, and software companies, and even become an independent contractor in the future. Currently, there are more than 39,000 cybersecurity firms in the world, with many more sprouting out as we speak. 

Why ACU’s Cybersecurity Degree?

With ACU Online’s Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree, your skills and knowledge will be enhanced through our 120 credit hour program, resulting in closing the job market gap and earning a sizable living wage post-graduation. Under the B.S. in Cybersecurity program, you will take courses like System Vulnerability Testing and Networks and Security Administration geared to helping you learn tools and methods to secure organizational data and communication infrastructures for corporations large and small. Alongside ACU’s top-rated faculty, our program offers courses ranging from basic understandings of data science to observing the latest trends and compliance policies required for modern-day networks and systems. 

With courses like Introduction to Computer and Information Security and Cybersecurity Policies, Standards, and Compliance, students like you can dive into the fundamental concepts of computer and information security, including cybersecurity policies and technologies used to achieve more secured networks, systems, computing facilities, and information resources for organizations looking to increase their database security as a whole. Adding the additional layer of cyber-focused electives like data mining, database management, web technologies, cloud networking, information security, operating systems, systems administration, IT/IS recent trends and compliance policies, and statistics, you can have your fair share of employment picks with this highly demanding career. And with courses like Cloud and Network Defense and Risk and Incident Planning and Response, you will learn even more about the tools and methods needed to secure organizational data and communication infrastructures while minimizing risk incidents and internal challenges. 

By taking these courses, you can be better prepared to take on jobs like becoming: 

• Vulnerability Assessment Analyst or Security Systems Administrator | $80K per year
• Cybersecurity Analyst or Information Technology (IT) Auditor | $70K per year
• Information Security Analyst or Cybersecurity Engineer | $90K per year

Learn more about this program and how you can start this next session by visiting our website.