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5 Top Paying Jobs in Information Security
- October 30, 2017
- Posted by: iNurture
- Category: Blogs
The computer and communications world has been revolutionised by the internet. As per a statistics report, there are at present 3.74 billion internet users in the world as on March 2017. Out of this, India alone has 400 million internet subscribers. In this increasingly networked world, the vulnerability to threats has also risen.
A Corporate Specialist from Allianz Global, South Africa predicts that cyber-attacks are likely to increase to 17 million by 2020. It was also predicted that cyber breaches may grow by 40% a year by 2019. This numbers may be a bad news for business but could be a blessing in disguise for anyone looking to make a career in Information Security or Cyber Security.
What is Information Security?
Information Security or simply InfoSec, is the safeguarding of digital and non-digital information against unauthorized access, use, disruption, modification or destruction. Confidentiality, integrity and availability or the CIA triad is the core of Information Security. Information Security is a risk management discipline concerned with the improvement and implementation of security mechanisms necessary to prevent, detect and counter threats.
Threats can come in the form of malware and phishing attacks, identity theft and Ransomware. In a time when a huge number of websites and data systems are hacked frequently, the need for web security for individuals and businesses is becoming increasingly important than it’s ever been.
Top paying jobs in Information Security
As per a report on Information Security Management 2017, from 2014 to 2019, the number of professionals in the Information Security landscape is expected to grow by 11% annually. Let us now see through the well-paying jobs in the information security domain:
1. Chief Information Security Officer
To oversee and head a company’s IT security department is the role played by a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). He is concerned with the organisation’s overall security. Apart from a strong background in IT strategy and architecture, he should also exhibit people and communication skills as he will be responsible for managing a team of security experts.
CISO’s make a median salary of $131, 322 and can draw a maximum pay package of $240,000 a year.
2. Security Architect
This position is responsible for the building and maintenance of computer and network security framework of an organization. He/she is required to develop an extensive representation of a company’s IT requirements. Security Architects are senior-level employees equipped with a diverse set of technical skills, risk management procedures operating systems and security controls.
A Security Architect draw a median salary of $109,794 and can earn a maximum of $160,000 per year.
3. Incident Responder
An Incident Responder addresses security incidents, threats and vulnerabilities and are required to actively monitor organisation networks. He/she checks for intrusions, performs audits and penetration testing, analyses malware and reverse engineering and is usually a part of the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT).
They make a median salary between $70,000 and 90,000.
4. Computer Forensics Expert
Analyzing evidence collected from networks and data storage devices is the responsibility of a Computer Forensic Expert. They are required to closely work with law enforcement agencies to put together evidence for legal cases and hence, are mostly employed by law enforcement agencies, legal firms and government organisations. Individuals interested to pursue this career path should have a fair understanding of programming languages, operating systems, cryptography principles, and forensics software.
Professionals in this role earn a median salary of $77, 270 which can exceed up to $119,000.
5. Malware Analyst
An organisation’s network can be threatened by viruses, worms, bots, Trojans and other malicious software on a regular basis. A Malware Analyst is responsible for the identification of intrusions and suspicious computer behaviour, and conducts an analysis to establish signs of the malware’s presence. He also develops tools that can aid in the prevention of future intrusions.
Malware Analysts fetch a pay package of $75,000 which can exceed to as much as $100,000 a year.
Cyber Security Experts are a need of the hour due to the increasing prevalence of cyber-attacks on both individuals and businesses. The demand for professionals will grow as cyber-attacks become more frequent, complex and sophisticated by day, putting businesses at risk. Therefore, Information security management careers are one of the most promising career path to invest in, at the moment.
If you aspire to make a career in this booming industry, join the under-graduate and post-graduate degrees in Information Security offered by Jain University.
