Why Study Cyber Security?

Learn about the potential of online learning and our incredible certifications.

What is Cyber Security?

Simply put, cyber security refers to the technologies, processes and mechanisms used to protect systems, networks and data from attacks, damage and unauthorised access.

Major companies and websites are regularly victims of hacking and cyber-attacks. These cyber risks are on the rise, and cyber criminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods to attack business and state entities. Organisations need to consider the best methods of protecting themselves against such dangers, which includes implementing robust cyber security strategies and management systems.

An Exciting, Rapidly Growing Sector

The demand for IT professionals is increasing exponentially, and with the unemployment rate within Cyber Security sitting at an astonishing 0%, competition to recruit qualified professionals is fierce. The average salary for a qualified, experienced cyber security specialist is around £90,000 – easily one of the most lucrative areas of IT.

Existing IT professionals are in a particularly good position to develop their career in information and cyber security, as they already have a strong technical base, but still need to develop comprehensive knowledge and skills to deal with the vast range of security challenges.

Why join the sector?

Cyber security is a young and evolving sector, making it an exciting and fast-paced area to work in. Salaries are high (as long as you have the requisite qualifications and experience) and job satisfaction is often high, as these positions are both challenging and rewarding, and offer a continuous opportunity to develop new skills – both on a technical and managerial level. Ultimately, your role is helping organisations stay safe. And as an added bonus, the sector is essentially recession-proof: as long as technology is under threat, your skills will always be in demand.

Job market – what jobs are available?

The type of job ranges widely, from ethical hacking and risk analysis roles that require strong technical abilities, to information security management roles that need a broad range of skills – from process management to understanding business needs and managing customer relations.

The briefest glance at any prominent job sites shows that penetration testers, technical security consultants and information security managers are among the most advertised positions.