Keep information secureThere aren't many companies that don't need these peopleYou have to try to outsmart the crackersTraining in computer science is good, but experience counts even
more
Poor computer security can have costly and global consequences. It's
computer security analysts' job to protect the world's computer systems.
Computer systems security analysts develop and deploy barriers that stop
others from accessing sensitive information. That information could include
things like medical histories or credit card numbers.
These analysts also ensure that outside computer users do not interfere
with the delivery of goods and services through the Internet. And they protect
local networks from viruses.
So you can think of computer systems security analysts as defenders of
data and information. Who are their enemies? Crackers, of course.
Note that there is a difference between "hackers" and "crackers." Hackers
are ethical professionals who try to break into their clients' sites to find
the security holes. Crackers are just out to break into systems to cause havoc.
People often use the term "hacker" when they really mean "cracker."
"We will build better defenses, and they will try to find ways to get around
those defenses," says Dave Kennedy. He is the director of research services
for an Internet security company. "That is just the tension that has always
existed between defense and offense."
The number of private companies, organizations and government agencies
that do not employ or contract computer systems security analysts is getting
smaller each day.
Dean Pothorin heads and owns an Internet security company. He says computer
security is one of the fastest growing industries. "The Internet is going
to be a major piece of our lives and the environment in which we live," he
says.
And organizations that do not employ computer security analysts take a
great risk, says Kennedy.
Physical requirements are minimal. This career is generally accessible
to people with physical disabilities, says Pothorin.
Working hours for computer systems security analysts can vary dramatically,
says Yiman Jiang. She is a computer security consultant.
"It depends on the client's needs," she says. "If it is a long-term project,
like 10 months or a year, the working hours are normal, more like a regular
job. But if a client really needs something completed by a certain time frame,
and if it is really tight, you could be looking at 12 to 14 hours a day."
Travel in this field is generally not common.
There were about 617,000 computer systems analysts in the U.S. in 1998,
says the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH).
Salaries for computer systems analysts ranged from $32,470 to $87,810 in
1998, the OOH says. The average was $52,180.
Kennedy says those numbers do not reflect current industry wages. "There
are a lot of information security people who are making well over $100,000
a year," he says. "I can say that there are maybe a hundred people in my field
who are making a quarter-million dollars a year."
Why are salaries so high? Because the number of open jobs in this field
is larger than the number of people who could fill them. So companies are
willing to pay more than what is perhaps really necessary to get and keep
new employees. And since demand outstrips supply, experienced computer systems
security analysts like Kennedy find themselves in high demand.
"Generally, I get two or three probes a week from people who want to know
whether or not I'm interested in another job," he says. "And everybody who
is an established security information person gets those."
And demand for computer systems security analysts will remain strong in
the future. The OOH says job growth in this field will be much faster than
the average for all occupations through 2008.
Kennedy agrees. "The reason why job prospects are so good is very simple:
there is more work to be done than [people] to do it," he says. "That is also
causing the skewing of salaries."
RegionAverage Annual EarningsAverage Hourly EarningsU.S. National$69,570$33.45RegionOutlook2008 Workforce2008 to 2018 Growth RateU.S. NationalIncreasing339,54023.23%
So how do you become a computer systems security analyst? Justin Funke
is the head and owner of a computer security firm. He recommends you train
as a computer programmer.
He also recommends you take courses in the operating system you want to
protect. "I recommend picking only one and becoming an expert at it," he says.
Once you have mastered one, the others will be much easier to learn, he says.
Generally, this means you should get a degree in computer science.
But there are some in this field who do not have a computer science degree.
Instead, they have gained enough experience by working and teaching themselves.
And experience is the most important thing Dave Kennedy looks for when
he hires new personnel. Kennedy is the director of research services for an
Internet security company.
"It's more important than certification [and] it's more important than
education," he says.
Dean Pothorin heads and owns an Internet security company. He agrees. "Generally,
we are looking for individuals who have a grasp of the Internet and networks,"
he says. "We are also looking for people who can communicate fairly well,
whether verbally or written."
Enthusiasm is also a good attribute to have, he says. "I like to hire kids
who work all day on the computer, then go home and figure something out on
their own time," he says.
Here is just one example of a school offering related training:
University of California -- Davis
Department of Computer Science
1 Shields Ave.
Davis
,
CA
95616-8562
USA
Internet
:
http://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/undergrad/csmajor/defaul
t.html
Associations
Computer Security Institute
600 Harrison St.
San Francisco
,
CA
94107
USA
Internet
:
http://www.gocsi.com/
Publications
ISCA Information Security Magazine
Internet
:
http://www.infosecuritymag.com/
Secure Computing Magazine
Internet
:
http://www.westcoast.com/cgi-bin/redirect.pl
Wired Magazine
Internet
:
http://www.wired.com/
ZDNet
Internet
:
http://www.zdnet.com/
The Information Systems Security Officer's Guide: Establishing
and Managing an Information Protection Program
by
Gerald Kovacich
Tangled Web: Tales of Digital Crime From the Shadows of Cyberspace
by
Richard Power
Links
Occupational Employment Statistics
The OES has labor market data on over 700 careers
Computer and Network Security Reference Index
Links to information sources on network and computer security
Cyber Law Library
From the Asian School of Cyber Laws
Beginners.co.uk
A great online resource for IT workers