Information Security Analysts plan, upgrade, and/or monitor the security measures for the protection of computer networks and their information. They install firewalls in computers to protect against security breaches and viruses. This is the career I chose because it involves problem-solving and dealing with the security of private information. I personally enjoy doing anything with technology and solving problems. For, Information Security Analysts their responsibilities are always expanding due to the increase of cyber attacks (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Employees develop security standards that would be most beneficial for their organizations to prevent breaches.
I would be well suited for this job because I have good communication skills, and the ability to visually understand different ways to solve problems. The typical entry-level education is a bachelors degree and would need to have knowledge about computers and technology. One of the important features of being an Information Security Analysts is being able to understand the biggest security flaws and being able to minimize them. One would have to know the best approaches in resolving security issues and implementing methods to stop it from occurring again. Being able to update the program to make sure the same break does not happen again.
The nature of the job would be to understand how information security works and knowing the best ways to mitigate breaches. One of the many responsibilities Information Security Analysts have is to develop security standards and the best practices for the organization they’re working for. Keeping up to date with all the types of software, viruses, attacks, attack patterns, and detection prevention methods. To protect sensitive information they would have to install and use software such as firewalls and data encryption programs.
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One would also need to have the ability to pay attention to detail and make sure they don’t miss where it is being breached. They would need to understand the mainframe that they would be working with and making sure it is being updated. The minimum qualification is to at least have a Bachelor’s Degree in computer science, computer programming or in any related field. Employers look for people who have experience in a related occupation. For some employers, they look for someone who has certifications that focuses on the program, applications and/or network security (The Challenges and Benefits). One would need to be proficient in encryption and decryption to be able to design, monitor, and test complex firewalls (The Challenges and Benefits).
It is also beneficial to have an advanced knowledge in math and computer science. In pursuing this career, a challenge that could occur is being able to make the right judgment call while also being able to handle the situation. Another challenge would be able to listen to everyone’s ideas and come to the consensus of the best approach. One last challenge is having the right understanding of what the job consists of and the responsibilities can be challenging. As the world is progressing more rapidly with technology, the employment of Information Security Analysts is expected to grow 28 percent from 2016 to 2026 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). If pursuing this career and one does not have the right amount of requirements, certifications or experience, the difficulty of finding an employer will be high.
The increasing number of cyber attacks are causing analysts to innovate new ways to keep private information private from hackers. Since, the future is becoming more about technology the demand for managed security services will increase. More and more businesses are putting private information in databases and on the cloud, which will increase the number of cyber threats. With the right qualifications and knowledge about the job, it will be rather easy to find placement. One would need to dedicate themselves to hours of learning the job, and the programs used.
Typically, they’re hired on full time and 1 in 6 people work over 40 hours a week (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Employers look for people with a master’s degree in cybersecurity, or computer science. The more education and experience one has the better chances of finding a job in this field would be. The salary potential can range from $55,560 to $153,090, the median pay to be around $95,510 (Information Security Analysts). Having skills in the programs used in math and computer science will help with the responsibilities given with the job.
Having good communication skills would complement the responsibilities due to the fact that most of the job is a team effort. Getting an early experience, and talking to people in this field to get familiar with the working environment will help with learning the responsibilities. Taking introductory computer science courses will complement one’s responsibilities (Information Security Analysts Careers). This particular career looks more appealing than the rest because all of the problems solving required. The idea of having to protect private information from hackers by building firewalls is really intriguing to me. Most of the job is working as a team to choose the best approach to solving the problem.
I personally enjoy communicating and sharing ideas on figuring out the best approach. Another reason is the involvement with technology and having to learn and keep up with all the new advances. Computer science would also be very interesting to study. What is also very interesting about this job is the pay, being paid a really good amount, for doing what-what one truly wants to do is incredible. Shortcomings that might come in my way is the lack of motivation to get what is needed. To help with the lack of motivation I would have to remind myself what I will get out of it, and how it will help me in the long run. There will be a lot of programs to learn and master to get the required experience. Time management will be an obstacle I would also run into.
To tackle this obstacle I would make time to get everything done and make sure I know it well. Another shortcoming would to not understand or see the biggest security flaws. To tackle that I would keep going to school to get an understanding. Another shortcoming is being abe to keep up with all the work handed to you. Being able to stay on one’s toes and to notice the defectives in the program. One last shortcoming is getting used to all the changes and becoming accustomed to that, and being able to work around it without letting it become a major setback.
A typical day as an Information Security Analysts starts off reviewing the violations of the computer security procedures, then discuss with violators to make sure the violations are not repeated (A Day In The Life of Information Security Analysts). They’re usually monitoring their programs and making sure there are no places where hackers can breach. Information Security Analysts typically work 40 hours with a regular schedule. They check, and monitor reports of computer viruses and determine when to update the virus protection system (A Day In The Life of Information Security Analysts). Monitoring the safeguard information in computer files and the use of data files is another task they tackle in their typical day (A Day In The Life of Information Security Analysts).
Even with the best job in the world, there will be the negatives and the positives. A positive to becoming an Information Security Analysts is how interesting the career is where one is always learning. Constantly working on understanding all types of vulnerabilities with the programs and the information. A con to the job is the challenging portion that comes with it. As there are people who do more bad than good, so one is always busy researching. Having to research and create new things to stop attacks, and then having to do it all over again as technology is always changing and advancing.
One last con is an Information Security Analysts would always need to be on their toes to identify and solve the problemed areas. There will always be complications and negatives to this job, but it is best to be positive and do what one does best. In conclusion, an Information Security Analysts have a very busy but interesting job. When considering the advances that are currently happening with technology, the number of jobs available in this field will increase over the years. Having the right qualifications and certifications when looking for a job it will not be as difficult. I would be well suited for this job because I am a good team player and I communicate well with others. I also enjoy solving problems, and I would look at every angle to visually understand what is happening. Typically people enter the field with a bachelors degree, and/or with a background in computer science. There are some employers that will hire someone and train them to get a better understanding of what the job consists of.
Works Cited
- “A Day In The Life of Information Security Analysts.” OwlGuru.com – Find A Career and College That Suits You, 8 Dec. 2015, www.owlguru.com/day-in-life-of-information-security-analysts/.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Information Security Analysts, on the Internet, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm (visited November 12, 2018).
- “CollegeGrad.” Jobs, Career, Salary, and Education Information – CollegeGrad.com, collegegrad.com/careers/information-security-analysts.
- Information Security Analysts at My Next Move. National Center for O*NET Development, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2018. .
- “Information Security Analyst Careers.” ComputerScience.org, www.computerscience.org/careers/information-security-analyst/.
- “The Challenges and Benefits of Working in Cyber Security.” HuntSource.io, 4 Sept. 2018, huntsource.io/challenges-benefits-working-cyber-security/.
