You may have heard the buzzword “cybersecurity” and been unsure what they mean. Cybersecurity is the application of technologies and controls to protect ICT systems, networks, devices and data.
The average cost of one data breach in the UK is $3.88 million, with up to 88% of UK companies suffering breaches in 2020.* It’s a rapidly expanding industry, and there’s a global skills shortage meaning that there’s not enough trained and experienced people to provide the support needed. In the UK alone there will be 100,000 unfilled roles in 2022.+
And that’s where you can come in.
Choose to enter the industry, and the average salary will be on average about £42,000 a year.#
What cybersecurity jobs are available?
There’s a wide range of jobs available, including both defensive cybersecurity roles and ethical hackers, such as:
- Forensic Computer Analyst
- Information Security Analyst
- Penetration Tester
- Security Architect
- IT Security Engineer
- Security Consultant
How can I gain a job in the industry?
As the industry is fairly young, the career paths aren’t as set as other industries. You can either choose to start in a junior role to build your experience, or develop your technical skills at College or university. Why not consider a cybersecurity apprenticeship too?
You’ll need to gain a lot of relevant experience, and keep up-to-date with your training regularly – after all, hackers are continually evolving their ways of infiltrating networks so you’ll need to be able to keep up! There’s a lot of core industry training too.
It’s also worth looking at security university courses too, and using an ICT A level or a College ICT or Esports course as a stepping stone.
What skills do I need?
You’ll need lots of transferable skills from communication and time management through to teamwork, balanced with core ICT skills such as hardware, software and networks. You’ll also need a keen eye for detail, and be able to meet a challenge quickly, calming and efficiently.
Thinking about studying cybersecurity? Talk through your options with our course enquiries team on 01634 402020 or send them an email. You can also book an appointment with our impartial careers advisers by sending them an email here.
Find out more about our Level 3 in Information Technology or our new Level 3 in Esports here.
