Cyber security

Connor Craig

Mr. Alburger

English III

16 November 2021
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Connor Craig

Mr. Alburger

English III

3 November 2021

Cyber Security

The cybersecurity field is incredibly vast, filled with companies that provide amazing

opportunities for students fresh out of college and people who want to pursue the protection of

computer systems and networks from theft, information disclosure, and damage. Protection of

these systems is a vital part of a robust Information Technology strategy that is necessary for all

companies, from the Fortune 500 to the United States government and military and every

company in between.

While cyber security does not have quite as long a history as say, doctors or dentists, it

has had an incredible amount of important events and people in the almost 50 years it has been

around. Cyber security dates back to the 1960s, but the most significant era that initiated the

cyber security boom was the 1970s. In 1972, a project which was a precursor to the internet was

established. This project was called ARPANET, short for “Advanced Research Projects Agency

Network”(Britannica), and its purpose was to “link computers at Pentagon-funded research

institutions over telephone lines.”(Britannica). This was, in theory, one of the earliest examples

of a small-scale internet system. But with an internet system and the vagueness of the

possibilities of it, system intrusion or hacking was bound to happen. The first person on record to

“hack” a computer system was Bob Thomas, a researcher at BBN, which was an American

research and development company. He wrote a program that would move throughout

ARPANET systems leaving a trail that would read, “I'M THE CREEPER CATCH ME IF YOU
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CAN.”(History). This event inspired Ray Tomilson, the creator of email, to write a program

called Reaper, that chased Creeper and deleted it and all traces of it. “Reaper is easily the first

example of an antivirus software program. It was also called a self-replicating program. That

made Reaper the world’s first computer worm” (History). Reaper was just the start of computer

worms and self-replication programs.

It is amazing to see the advances in the cyber security field in the last 50 years but along

with good programs being created with the purpose of protecting software and hardware,

Malicious code is also being created just as fast, if not faster. According to DataProt, “560,000

new pieces of malware are detected every day” (Jovanović). With all that new malicious

software being made, it is inevitable that someone is going to try to do extreme things with it.

That is already happening now. An example of this is when the Colonial Pipeline was shut down

in May 2021 when “its corporate computer networks had been hit by a ransomware attack, in

which criminal groups hold data hostage until the victim pays a ransom” (Sanger). This is only

one of many attacks that have happened recently with technology improving at an exponential

rate. At its creation, a cybersecurity attack of this magnitude would have been unfathomable and

speaks to how far the field has progressed in such a short time.

A key factor for success in the cyber security field is education and it can be a deciding

factor when a company is hiring. It is a common assumption that the education requirements of

the cybersecurity field are rigorous and extremely challenging because cyber security experts are

the first and sometimes the only line of defense against people looking to do harm. However, the

requirements aren't as strict and rigorous as many people think. To enter the field of cyber

security, a degree in computer science with a concentration in cyber security is needed. There are

many amazing colleges for cybersecurity but some of the best are Stanford, Carnegie Mellon,
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Johns Hopkins, University of Texas, and Brigham Young University(USnews). Admission to and

graduation from any of these universities, with a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology or

Computer Science, will secure a good position in the field.

Whether it is a degree that was earned online or in a 4-year college, the degree is the only

thing that matters. “While it is possible to find certain entry-level positions without an advanced

degree, most job positions will require a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, with a

major related to information technology or computer science” (ECPI). While the place of study

can matter, the pace with which technology is advancing makes it so college will only teach the

basics for cyber security. In a perfect case though, a company will offer a job right out of college

and secure a full-time job.

Certifications are also a giant part of education for cyber security. There are hundreds of

certifications that are available, but realistically the only ones needed would be those required by

the employer. These certification courses are expensive to take and can be upwards of $500 or

more. Most often, employers will pay for these certifications when achieved. By getting these

certifications, it guarantees that the right knowledge is acquired for the job. Some certifications

that might be needed are the CySA+, CISM, CEH, CISSP, CISA, GSEC. All of these won't be

needed of course, but depending on what pathway is chosen within the field, some of them might

be needed.

The technology industry is booming right now, and the cyber security field is booming as

well. Because of this, companies are hiring at a furious pace and the opportunity for internships

and/or hiring is not all that difficult. There are an abundance of job opportunities waiting to be

claimed if the appropriate degree and certification are possessed. The United States Bureau of

Labor Statistics predicts that “Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow
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33 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations” (BLS). This

means that finding a job won't be a difficult task by any means in the next 10 years. Internships

are the first logical step to enter the field and when being contacted by a company or contacting

them, this will be the usual first step. Whether paid or unpaid, an internship will provide vital

work experience and upon completion and it almost guarantees a chance of getting hired. The

field of cyber security is an incredibly broad field with hundreds of roles and positions and every

position has its own responsibilities and tasks. When all of these roles come together and work

efficiently and well an incredibly strong team capable of defending systems against threats is

formed. Outside of technological skills, other skills that are vital in the industry are

collaboration, communication, inclusion, responsibility, research skills, and writing skills.

“Strong IT skills and knowledge including hardware, software and networks, meticulous

attention to detail, ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of

IT systems, a forensic approach to challenges, a deep understanding of how hackers work and

ability to keep up with the fast pace of change in the criminal cyber-underworld, ability to seek

out vulnerabilities in IT infrastructures” (Cybersecurity). All of these skills are important and if

lacking even one, it can make the difference between a system getting held hostage or even

destroyed. In addition “security specialists often work under tremendous pressure. If a

cyberattack, infiltration, or breach is detected, no matter the time of day or week, they need to be

present to deflect it, find the perpetrators, and perform damage control” (What education). This

means that being vigilant and on the lookout for intruders in network systems is incredibly

important.

Job setting is a big aspect of a career in cyber security. Many companies and firms offer

opportunities to work remotely or to work in offices. While this is the case, there is a limit to the
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flexibility afforded to employees. Most of the time, work will be able to be done remotely but

occasionally the team you are a part of will need to meet with clients, and worst case the whole

team meets together in the case of a breach that can't be fixed from a remote office setting (Cyber

Specialist). Work roles include people that securely provision, operate, maintain, oversee and

govern, protect and defend, analyze, collect/operate, and investigate. All of these roles together

make up a team of cybersecurity professionals that keep our technology and networks safe from

people that want to do them harm.

Once a job position is secured, the question of “What now?” presents itself. Well now

that a full-time job has been secured, the next step is to climb the cyber security ladder and

hopefully make it to a senior specialist, or a manager position. Cyber security is an outlier in the

job workforce because most people don't stay with the same company forever. Since the

competition for cybersecurity personnel is so fierce, often other companies will outbid each other

for candidates with solid experience and skill. In conclusion, cybersecurity is an amazing field to

get into and the opportunity and wealth that is held in it is incomprehensible. Cyber security has

a very important impact on everyday life whether it is seen or not. Without it, no company would

be able to operate and pipelines would all be shut down. Cyber security experts are the backbone

of our society as a whole and without them, almost everything we know today would collapse.
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Works Cited

Dawson, Jessica, and Robert Thomson. “The Future Cybersecurity Workforce: Going beyond

Technical Skills for Successful Cyber Performance.” Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers

Media S.A., 12 June 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6005833/.

Malvik, Callie. “Everything You Need to Know about Becoming a Cyber Security Analyst.”

Rasmussen University, 7 Dec. 2020,

https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/technology/blog/becoming-cyber-security-analyst/.

Middleton, Michael. “What Certifications Do You Need for Cybersecurity?” Flatiron School,

Flatiron School, 11 Mar. 2021, flatironschool.com/blog/cyber-security-certifications.

ECPI University. “What Does a Career in Cyber Security Entail?” Ecpi University, ECPI

University, 10 Nov. 2020,

www.ecpi.edu/blog/what-does-a-career-in-cyber-security-entail-today.

“Curriculum for a Cyber Security Bachelor's.” Cyber Security Education, 15 Sept. 2021,

https://www.cybersecurityeducation.org/degree/bachelors/.

“What Education Do You Need To Be A Cyber Security Specialist?” MyComputerCareer, 22

Oct. 2021,
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https://www.mycomputercareer.edu/news/what-education-do-you-need-to-be-a-cyber-sec

urity-specialist/.

“Cyber Security Specialist: Job Description.” Targetjobs,

https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/job-descriptions/cyber-security-specialist-job-desc

ription.

“History of Cyber Security.” Cyber Security Degree, 23 June 2021,

cyber-security.degree/resources/history-of-cyber-security/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2021.

“ARPANET | Definition, Map, Cold War, First Message, & History.” Encyclopedia Britannica,

www.britannica.com/topic/ARPANET#:~:text=The%20Advanced%20Research%20Proje

cts%20Agency. Accessed 10 Nov. 2021.

Jovanović, Bojan. “Malware Statistics - You’d Better Get Your Computer Vaccinated.”

DataProt, 22 Nov. 2019, dataprot.net/statistics/malware-statistics/.

Sanger, David E., et al. “Cyberattack Forces a Shutdown of a Top U.S. Pipeline.” The New York

Times, 8 May 2021,

www.nytimes.com/2021/05/08/us/politics/cyberattack-colonial-pipeline.html.

Usnews.Com, https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/computer-science/cybersecurity.

Accessed 10 Nov. 2021.