Climbing the Information Security Career Ladder

An interesting tale told by Clifford Stoll, the author of The Cuckoo’s Egg, describes how the book’s protagonist resolves a 75 cent accounting error in his laboratory’s system and traces it to an unauthorized individual hacking the system from across the continent.The protagonist, of course, is a computer analyst by profession. But what he did was what is now called Information Security or InfoSec. InfoSec professionals are, at present, the most sought after professionals in the technology sector in India as well as abroad. This demand can be simply explained by increasing need for businesses to protect their data. As more and more businesses shift to the cloud, demand will keep expanding for information security.

This is, indeed, the right time to pursue a career in Information Security. Important industries, such as manufacturing, retail and wholesale, financial services, healthcare, and even government are facing acute shortages of skilled security professionals to develop and manage their virtual troves of data. A recent report by Burning Glass Technologies stated that the demand for information security professionals has grown more than 3.5 times, faster than the demand for other IT jobs over the past five years and more than 12 times faster than the demand for all other non-IT jobs. In such a scenario, a careful pursuit of career in this field can lead to huge gains.

We all agree to the fact that a successful career needs dedication and time to reach your goals. Aligning to it, the first step on the success ladder to InfoSec career starts with right education. Prominent universities and colleges across the country offer undergraduate, diploma as well as post-graduate courses in InfoSec for individuals to embark on their careers with full preparation. Further, different institutes also provide certifications for beginners and also for those looking for a career shift to InfoSec. These certifications and courses aim to cover important aspects of information security, such as database management, virtualization, network administration, and risk management. Learning these is important to acquire adequate technical expertise for a successful career.

Next rung on the ladder, then, is seeking the right job. For InfoSec professionals there are numerous opportunities across different verticals and industries. And there’s a good news for aspirants of InfoSec, the barriers to entry are really low for those with appropriate education. Titles, such as Enterprise IT Manager, IT Executive, IT Administrator, Security Analyst, Security Consultants, and Researchers and Programmers are some key jobs within InfoSec domain. An extremely lucrative allied industry, cloud computing, which is fast encompassing the business sector in India also offers great opportunities for InfoSec professionals. Securing a client’s data is the top priority for cloud service providers because any breach can cause loss of data and loss of value. In this regard, information security professionals play a huge role in cloud computing. Successful progression in InfoSec jobs develops one’s acumen over information as well as management functions.

Acquisition of skills and experience through theoretical as well as practical learning is the next possible step for a successful InfoSec career. There are three key essentials for developing the right skill set- aptitude, education, and relevant work experience. Information Security is a highly dynamic field, and hence constant up-skilling and learning is necessary. An effective skill set must incorporate:

• Knowledge of business functions
• Discipline and strong focus on tasks
• Creative thinking to deal with problems of highly complex nature
• Rigor to keep oneself up-to-date with latest technology and trends
• Systematic and analytical approach
• Intellectual stimulation through active research for innovation
• Good communication and people skills

For aspiring InfoSec professionals, it is also crucial to work on their personal networks and seek active guidance from experts. Although, this field can be enthralling and highly innovative, however, industry experts still emphasize the importance of being patient to get the fundamentals right. A mentor could be of great help to assist you in your career progression. A possible way to do this is by attending InfoSec conferences, joining local organizations or clubs, participating in seminars, both as a spectator and a speaker, and lastly, signing up for training workshops, etc. Building a network of like-minded individuals is a great way to be involved in what is up and coming, and contribute your share to it. Collaborations and team work are, after all, important to build a successful career.

Therefore, climbing up the success ladder in Information Security sector involves acquiring right education, skills, training, and experience. Also, seeking active feedback and guidance through mentors and collaborators is an intelligent move to up skill and update oneself.

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