What does an average day look like for somebody working in cybersecurity?
That isn’t an easy question to answer when you consider the vastness of the field. Somebody who works in cybersecurity needs to stay constantly abreast of industry changes – especially new attacks cooked up by cybercriminals – and help their employers create and tweak their security plans.
However, thanks to Tom , who has developed the Open Institute of Technology’s (OPIT’s) Master’s Degree in Enterprise Cybersecurity, we can provide some insight into what your average day may look like.
Who Is Tom ?
Serving as the Program Chair of OPIT’s upcoming Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity, Tom brings a vast amount of practical experience to the table. His work has spanned the globe. Tom has been employed as the Chief Security Officer for a major Croatian bank, in addition to serving as the Chief Information Officer for a company in the United States’ manufacturing sector.
His practical experience spans other industries – including technology and finance – and he’s currently completing a doctorate while running his own practice. Tom’s specialty is the behavioral aspect of cybersecurity. His deep understanding of the “culture” that surrounds the field has been shaped by his work on development strategies, policies, and frameworks for his past employers.
The Importance of Trends
The first thing Tom highlights is that a cybersecurity professional has to follow the trends in the industry. As he points out: “We are living in an era where digital transformation is accelerating, and with it, the complexity and frequency of cyber threats are also increasing.” To demonstrate this, he points to an ISACA report published in 2023 showing that cyber attacks have increased 48% in 2023 compared to 2022. More worryingly, 62% of the organizations that experience these attacks underreport them – an indication that many simply don’t have the talent to truly understand the threat they face.
As a cybersecurity professional, your role is to provide the expertise such companies are sorely lacking.
Thankfully, many business leaders understand that they need this expertise. Tom points out that 59% of leaders say they’re understaffed in the cyber department, leading to a rising demand for people with the following technical skills:
- Identity and access management
- Data protection
- Cloud computing
- DevSecOps (development, security, and operations)
Furthermore, Tom says that artificial intelligence (AI) is completely transforming the cybersecurity industry. While AI is often beneficial to professionals in the field – it can enhance threat detection and response – it is also a danger. Malicious entities can use AI to conduct a new wave of attacks, such as data poisoning, for which you need to be prepared as a cybersecurity professional.
Tom’s discussion of these emerging trends highlights one of the most critical aspects of a day in the life of a cybersecurity professional – learning is key. There is no such thing as static knowledge because the industry (and the attacks your company may face) constantly evolve.
An Average Day Broken Down
Now that you understand how important staying on top of the ever-changing trends in cybersecurity is for those in the field, it’s possible to break things down a little further. On an average day, you may find yourself working on any, some, or even all of the following tasks.
Developing and Maintaining a Cybersecurity Strategy
Given that such a large number of business leaders are understaffed and have minimal access to appropriate talent, you’ll often be tasked with creating and maintaining a company’s cybersecurity strategy.
This strategy is not as simple as creating a collection of actions to take in the event of an attack.
Tom emphasizes not only the importance of proactivity, but also of integrating a cybersecurity strategy into the wider business strategy. “It becomes part of the mission and vision,” he says. “After all, there are two things that are important to companies – their data and customer trust. If you lose customer trust, you lose your business. If you lose your data, you lose your business.”
As a technically adept professional, you’ll be tasked with building a strategy that grows ever more complex as the threats the company faces become more advanced. New technologies – such as AI and machine learning – will be used against you, with your main task being to ensure the strategy you create can fend off such technologically-empowered attacks.
The Simpler Day-to-Day
Now, let’s move away from the complexities of developing an overarching plan and go into more detail about daily responsibilities. A cybersecurity professional is usually tasked with dealing with the day-to-day maintenance of systems.
It’s all about control.
Tom says that much of the role involves proactively identifying new protective measures. For instance, software patching is key – outdated software has vulnerabilities that a hacker can exploit. You’ll need to stay up to date on the development of patches for the software your company uses and, crucially, implement those patches as soon as they’re available.
Creating regular backups is also part of this day-to-day work. It’s an area that many businesses neglect – perhaps assuming that nothing bad can happen to them – but a backup will be a lifesaver if a hacker compromises your company’s main data stores.
Tending to Your Ecosystem
It’s not simply your own institution that you must maintain as a cybersecurity professional – everyone who interacts with that institution must also be managed. Vendors, external software developers, and any other part of your supply chain need to be as risk-aware as your business. As Tom puts it: “If they don’t care about vulnerabilities in their system, and they work for you as a company, then you’ll have an issue because their risk suddenly becomes your risk.”
As such, managing the cyber security aspect of your company’s relationships with its partners is a vital part of your duties. You may engage in planning with those partners, helping them improve their practices, or cooperate with them to create strategies encompassing your entire supply chain.
Continued Education
Tom goes on to highlight just how important continued education is to the success of a cybersecurity professional. “It’s always interesting. And if you’re really passionate about it, cybersecurity becomes your lifestyle,” he says. “You want to see what’s new. What are the new attack methods, what are your competitors doing, and what is new on the market.”
He points to a simple example – phishing emails.
These emails – which were traditionally laden with spelling errors that made them easier to spot – are becoming increasingly hard to detect thanks to the use of AI. They’re written better. Failure to understand and adapt to that fact could make it harder to educate yourself and the people in your company.
Your average day may also involve educating your colleagues about upcoming threats and new attack methods they need to understand. The phishing example Tom shares applies here. Any email that looks somewhat legitimate is a threat, so continued education of your colleagues is essential to stop that threat from having its intended effect.
An Example of a Typical Project
Given how vast the cybersecurity field is, the range of projects you may work on will vary enormously. However, Tom provides an example of when he worked in the banking industry and saw the rise of the Zeus Botnet.
In this case, his responsibilities were twofold.
First – finding a way to defend against botnet attacks. That involved researching the malware to figure out how it spread, allowing him to put protective measures in place to prevent that spread. The second task involved creating educational programs, both for employees and his bank’s clients, to make them aware of the Zeus Botnet.
Here, we see the education part of the cybersecurity professional’s “average day” coming into play, complementing the more technical aspects of dealing with malware. We even see supply chain risk coming into play – each client is part of the bank’s supply chain, meaning they need to understand how to defend themselves just as much as the bank does.
The Qualifications Needed to Work in Cybersecurity
With a multitude of cybersecurity qualifications available – many covering specific niches – it’s tough to find the appropriate one to make you attractive to an employer. That’s where Tom’s work with OPIT comes in. The master’s degree that he’s developing not only focuses on the technical skills a professional needs but places those skills in a business context.
The upcoming course will offer electives in subjects such as AI, cloud security, and IoT security, granting students flexibility to pursue a specialization within their degree. The overall program is also closely aligned to industry certifications – such as those offered by CISSP – to ensure graduates are as industry-ready as they are academically qualified.
The intention, Tom says, is to fill the skills gap that 3 million businesses say they have in cybersecurity. The program provides the right blend of knowledge between technical and managerial skills, in addition to allowing students to pursue subjects of particular interest to them.
Ultimately, it doesn’t teach absolutely everything that you could learn about the industry. No course can. But it does equip you with key foundational knowledge aligned with industry certifications that make you more employable. That, combined with your continued education and completion of relevant certifications once you’re employed, means you have an enormous opportunity to build a successful cybersecurity career with OPIT.
So, the qualifications needed for the industry start with a relevant degree. They then blossom out. Professionals focus on courses that meet the specific requirements of their roles so that they learn the cybersecurity techniques that are most effective for their needs.
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Life is unpredictable. While many of us have specific hopes and expectations of how our futures will turn out, things don’t always go as expected. There are many variables and unexpected incidents that can interfere and force you to alter your plans, and this is particularly true when it comes to education.
For instance, you might have had plans to study a specific subject, but had to deviate from those plans due to unforeseen circumstances. Or you may have had to enter the workforce in an occupation different from the one you sought in an effort to earn an income, a move that may not provide you with the time or opportunity to achieve your desired educational aims.
In short, every individual’s career pathway is different, and very few go exactly as we expect from the outset. Fortunately, even if you experience a few false starts or sudden twists in your pathway, there are always options available to help you get back on track.
The Unpredictable Nature of Education
In theory, the educational process seems simple. You select a course of study that interests you from the vast array of subjects and prospective professions, select the appropriate classes, acquire the knowledge and skills you need to succeed, and then embark on your profession.
In reality, however, as many people know from firsthand experience, the road to education is often far from straightforward. Here are just some of the many challenges that can take your educational path in a completely different direction:
- Life’s Curveballs: As touched on in the introduction, life is impossible to predict. Financial hardships, health issues, and family emergencies are just some of the unfortunate occurrences that might derail even the most perfectly planned educational regime.
- Changing Interests: People’s desires and preferences don’t necessarily stay the same throughout their entire lives. As you grow, learn, and have new experiences, your interests may change, and so, too, may your educational objectives.
- Pressure and Burnout: Some academic paths are particularly challenging, demanding intense levels of study and hard work. This can sometimes prove too much to bear, even for the most resilient students.
- Failures and Setbacks: Conventional education largely builds around tests and examinations, requiring students to demonstrate their competencies repeatedly. It’s a system that doesn’t suit everyone, and test failures can lead to setbacks and delays.
- Inequality: People can be born with very different privileges and levels of access to education. Those in certain parts of the world may find it much more challenging to complete their education path for financial, cultural, or even political reasons.
- Late Bloomers: People develop at different paces. Some may struggle educationally early on in their lives, forcing them to make certain concessions or sacrifices related to their studies, only to find their feet later in life once they’ve entered the world of work.
Whether you’re a late bloomer, have had your educational aspirations delayed by personal problems, desire to learn new skills and try something different, or want to begin a fresh chapter in your professional life, the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) may be able to help.
Introducing OPIT
OPIT is an online teaching platform, making high-level technological educational programs accessible to all, no matter their age or background. Offering education in fields like computer science, artificial intelligence, and digital business, OPIT provides a curated collection of degrees. In addition, they offer classes taught by world-leading tutors imparting the wisdom and skills students need to achieve their goals and become the tech leaders of tomorrow.
Meanwhile, for those who have had somewhat tumultuous or unpredictable educational paths, OPIT offers the perfect course corrector: the OPIT Foundation Year.
The OPIT Foundation Year
OPIT’s Foundation Year is a Pre-Tertiary Certificate in Information Technology, fully aligned with MQF/EQF Level 4 standards and valued at 60 ECTS credits. Lasting just one year, this program essentially serves as a comprehensive yet accessible springboard towards higher-level education, creating a path towards degrees and careers in dynamic, flexible fields, like computer science and digital business.
Like other OPIT programs, the Foundation Year is delivered entirely online via the OPIT Virtual Learning Environment. Combining live lectures, asynchronous content, and interactive assessments, students enjoy diverse and dynamic study experiences, acquiring core skills like academic writing, mathematics, and computer literacy, and building a bedrock of knowledge and confidence before taking their next steps.
Who Is the Foundation Program For?
The Foundation Program is designed to provide a solid base upon which to build the technological education many students need. It’s the perfect choice for those who are eager and ambitious to enter professions in AI, data science, and computing, but don’t feel that they have the necessary core skills and knowledge needed to dive straight into a degree.
Entry requirements are relatively relaxed in order to allow as many students as possible to enjoy the benefits of this program. With that said, applicants should ideally hold an MQF/EQF Level 3 or equivalent qualification, with the intention of pursuing a bachelor’s degree. A minimum of B2 level of English proficiency is also required, as this is the working and studying language of the institution.
What the Foundation Year Provides
Perhaps you’ve recently graduated, are considering a career change, or finally have the opportunity to return to education after initial delays or unexpected disruptions to your original plans. Either way, the Foundation Year can help you enjoy:
- Greater Self-Confidence: Foundation Year graduates gain the fundamental skills they need to enter degree programs with much more self-belief and assuredness.
- Superior Tech Knowledge: Lasting two terms, this course explores mathematics, academic reading and writing, and provides an introduction to computer hardware and software.
- Foundational Mathematics: Mathematics literacy forms a large part of the study focus for the Foundation Year, helping students feel more comfortable with numbers and formulas.
- Flexible Learning: Unlike more rigid, conventional education environments, OPIT gives you the freedom and flexibility to study at a pace that suits you best, all from the comfort of home.
- Global Community: OPIT is an international institution, with staff and students from all around the world eager to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and help one another.
Take Your Next Steps to Success With the OPIT Foundation Year
If you’re curious about a career in technology or have always wanted to work with AI, data, and computers, but struggled to find the time and opportunities you need to acquire relevant skills and knowledge, the Foundation Program was made for people like you.
It’s the ideal entry point into the exciting world of online education, and the perfect first step towards a prestigious degree from an innovative and increasingly successful institution. Download the brochure to learn more about it, or start your online application, today.
Students today have a broader range of fields of study to choose from than ever before, but with the world becoming increasingly technological and computers increasing in influence and importance, pursuing a career in computer science often proves a smart, strategic choice.
There are numerous benefits and career paths associated with studying and working in computer science, and we’ll be listing just a few of them in this guide.
High Average Salaries
With the rising cost of living in many parts of the world, it’s unsurprising that many students are thinking several decades ahead to determine what level of starting salaries they could obtain in different career fields.
Many are also seeking professions that offer the opportunity for growth and the ability to advance up the ranks over time, thus increasing their salary and their quality of life in the process.
If a strong, stable salary with the opportunity for improved income is one of your top career priorities, computer science should be at or near the top of your list of prospective careers.
According to recent data, computer scientists earn an average of over €65,000 per year, with certain jobs, like IT project leader and data scientist, paying ever higher. Starting salaries are strong, too, with graduates earning anywhere from €46,000 to €60,000, depending on their chosen profession and level of qualifications.
There are similarly high average salaries reported around the world in computer science and related fields such as data science and AI/ML engineering. These numbers are projected to increase in the years to come, pointing to computer science as a way for graduates to get off to the best financial start of any career.
Unrivaled Flexibility
A common problem with some subjects and courses is that they only provide graduates with a narrow set of skills and a similarly narrow range of potential professions to which they can apply those skills.
That’s not the case with computer science. Graduates in this field can enjoy instant access to a remarkably diverse array of career opportunities, with even newer opportunities being created all the time as technology evolves and innovations emerge.
A few of the many industries and roles you might choose to enter in the field of computer science include:
- Healthcare: As a software developer, data analyst, or cybersecurity expert
- Finance: As a fintech engineer, blockchain developer, or security analyst
- Media: As a graphics programmer, AI developer, or game developer
- Education: As an analyst, software developer, or machine learning engineer
Guaranteed Opportunities
Some career paths are more limited than others, with relatively low numbers of opportunities, recurring risks of job loss, or difficulty obtaining employment in the first place.
Again, with computer science, this simply isn’t the case. At a time when 75% of companies plan to embrace AI and other technologies by 2027, and businesses of all sizes and industries are now relying on computers more than ever before, computer science graduates can enjoy almost unbeatable job security.
Opportunities will continue to grow for people with good computing knowledge, whether that be in the obvious fields like software and web development, engineering, and AI development, or more niche sectors.
With so many options, you’re effectively guaranteed a long, rewarding career if you put in the necessary time and effort needed to establish a strong foundation of computing skills.
Rapidly Expanding and Evolving Industries
It’s no secret that the world of technology is a dynamic and fast-moving one. In the past 20 years alone, we’ve seen the proliferation of the internet, the rapid advancement of smartphones and wearable devices, the emergence of AI, and so much more.
In the years ahead, engineers and developers will continue to explore the boundaries of modern technology’s powers and potential, driving new innovations and improvements and opening more exciting job opportunities for those already established and experienced in this field.
Getting into computer science now could therefore provide a solid foundation for a career filled with excitement as you uncover and explore new ways of working with computers in fields as diverse as healthcare, finance, education, entertainment, manufacturing, logistics, and beyond.
Start Your Computer Science Career at OPIT
We’ve discussed some of the many benefits associated with careers in computer science, from the high starting salaries to the rapidly growing array of job options available to graduates. By now, you may be eager to follow this particular career path and take advantage of the wealth of opportunities.
If you’re wondering how to start, the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) may hold the answers you need. As an exclusively online learning platform, specializing in computer science and digital business, and staffed by some of the world’s leading tech experts, OPIT is producing the tech leaders of tomorrow.
Some of the many advantages of learning with OPIT include:
- Accessible and flexible online education that matches your learning style and schedule
- Heavy focus on real-world applications of the skills you acquire
- An international community of like-minded students from around the globe
- A top team of tutors and lecturers from varying fields and industries
- Progressive assessment of skills and understanding – not constant exams
OPIT offers a small, curated selection of courses for those seeking to gain the technological skills and knowledge to succeed in their chosen areas of expertise. That includes a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science – a six-term program, worth 180 ECTS credits.
Numerous IT industry leaders and experts helped develop this fully accredited undergraduate degree, which is online and accessible to all. Like other OPIT courses, it offers a flexible learning program, with progressive assessments, fast-track options, and the opportunity to be part of a growing community of learners and tutors.
If the benefits of doing a career in computer science interest you, download the OPIT BSc in Computer Science brochure or fill out an online application today and take your first step toward a rewarding and fulfilling profession.
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