New Tool: Talking to Students About a Cybersecurity Career

Cybersecurity leaders we serve at SecureWorld are passionate about getting the next generation of students into security jobs.

But how do you drum up interest among today's young people who may not understand what a career in cybersecurity even means?

A new tool for helping with this situation may be the best one we've seen yet. 

Helping students understand cybersecurity careers

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) just launched a really cool looking website that cuts through security career confusion and can help anyone who is considering a switch to security, including mid-career professionals.

At the heart of the site are a series of tiles listing various security career paths.

Cybersecurity career example: ISSM role explained

Now, let's say you click the tile for Information Systems Security Manager (ISSM). When you do, a colorful page of easy to understand information pops up. It covers most things you'd want to know about this role.

Do you need a degree? Yes. 

What's the median salary for an ISSM? $110,000.

It also includes a list of soft skills you need for this role. 

And there is a nice list of examples of what you might be doing day to day if you choose this role for your career:

• Manage organizational resources (time, money, personnel, etc.) to support security goals and policies
• Create and execute strategies to improve the reliability and security of IT projects
• Define, implement, and maintain corporate security policies and procedures
• Spearhead vulnerability audits, forensic investigations, and mitigation procedures
• Respond immediately to security-related incidents and provide a thorough post-event analysis
• Manage a diverse team of security administrators, analysts, and IT professionals
• Advise leadership on organization's cybersecurity status
• Institute organization-wide training in security awareness, protocols, and procedures
• Assess, test, and select new security products and technologies

The website provides simple, easy to understand ways for students and career switchers to understand the skills, education, pay, and day to day of a career in cybersecurity.

Share this with your students or those within your organization you are trying to recruit into cybersecurity: Students, Launch Your Cybersecurity Careers.

[RESOURCE: Cybersecurity collaboration in 2020]
[RESOURCE: Podcast miniseries on cybersecurity careers]