Cyber security professionals are faced with the unenviable and rather challenging task of protecting their organization’s critical assets (in their networks) from intruders, attackers or hackers.
The career paths include:
- Exec/CXO
- Chief Information Security Officer(CISO)
- IT Director
- IT Security Director
- IT Manager
- IT Security Manager
- Security Architect/Engineer
- Security Specialist
- Security Consultant/Advisor
- Security Analyst
- Security/Compliance Officer
- Security Administrator
- IT Staff
- Application Developer/Tester
From finding and protecting against the organisation’s cyber vulnerabilities, to determining how to best protect organisation’s data, these professionals will be dealing with the wide elements of cyber that includes:
- Network security
- Application security
- Endpoint security
- Data security
- Identity management
- Database and infrastructure security
- Cloud security
- Mobile security
- Disaster recovery/business continuity planning
- End-user education
Cyber security professionals are likely to have at least a bachelor’s degree. A majority of the professionals are found to hold degree in computer and information sciences (40%), while other professionals are found to have a degree in engineering (19%) and business (10%). Here’s a look at the education degree and age average of cyber security professionals.
Source ISC- Strategies for Building and Growing Strong Cybersecurity Teams
Cybersecurity professionals are usually well paid, with an average of U.S. $69,000 per year. Professionals who have security certifications seem to be better paid those without a certificate.
One of the first steps to becoming a cyber security professional is to get a Bachelor’s degree in cyber security or a related field. You also have the option for a certificate course in cyber security, which can be obtained offline and online from universities or institutions. Some organisations may require advanced degree (such as Master’s degree in Cyber security).
Here’s a look at a few globally ranked universities offering (on-campus) Bachelor’s degree in Cyber Security/ Computer Security.
| University |
Duration |
Tuition Fee* (approx.)
(this is not inclusive of student fees, application fees and others that may be incurred) |
Country |
University of South Wales
BSc (Hons) Applied Cyber Security |
3 years |
Estimated at £13500 annually
(approx. ₹12,40,000) |
The United Kingdom |
Coventry University
BSc (Hons) Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity |
3 years |
Estimated at £16,400 annually
(approx. ₹15,06,000) |
The United Kingdom |
Leeds Beckett University
BSc (Hons) Computer Security |
3 years |
Estimated at £12000 annually
(approx. ₹11,02,000) |
The United Kingdom |
Glasgow Caledonian University
BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Networks |
2-4 years |
Estimated at £12,250 annually
(approx. ₹11,25,000) |
The United Kingdom |
Northumbria University
BSc (Hons) Computer Networks and Cyber Security |
3 years |
Estimated at £15,500 annually
(approx. ₹14,23,000) |
The United Kingdom |
La Trobe University
Bachelor of Cybersecurity |
3 years |
Estimated at AUD$36,200 annually
(approx. ₹17,61,000) |
Australia |
Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Cyber Security and Behaviour |
3 years |
Estimated at AUD$26,240 annually
(approx. ₹12,76,000) |
Australia |
York University
BA/BSc in Computer Security |
3 years |
Estimated at CA$29,495.70 annually
(approx. ₹15,86,000) |
Canada |
Purdue University
BSc Cybersecurity |
4 years |
Estimated at $31,366 annually
(approx. ₹23,80,000) |
The United States |
In case you are looking at options of a certificate or a diploma, we’ve listed out few details to help you get started. Most of these programmes are designed to teach the basic frameworks for those who are willing to take up cyber security as a profession, or would like to acquire more information in the area.
However, most certificate courses would require you to have completed a bachelor’s degree.
| University/Institute |
Duration |
Fees/Tuition Fee* (approx.)
(this is not inclusive of student fees, application fees and others that may be incurred) |
Country |
The University of Adelaide
Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security (Secure Software) |
6 months
(on campus) |
Estimated at AUD$21,000 total course fee
(approx. ₹10,21,000) |
Australia |
Australian National University
Graduate Diploma of Cyber Security, Strategy and Risk Management |
1 year
(on campus) |
Estimated at AUD $45,600 total course fee
(approx. ₹22,18,000) |
Australia |
Stanford University
(professional course)
Stanford Advanced Computer Security Certificate |
60 days, self-paced
(online) |
Estimated at $495 per online course (total of 6 course)
(approx. ₹37,000) |
The United States |
University of Washington
Certificate in Cybersecurity |
8 months
(on campus & online) |
Estimated at $3999 total course fee
(approx. ₹3,34,000) |
The United States |
Harvard University
Cybersecurity Certificate |
1.5 years or more
(online) |
Estimated at $11,360 total course fee
(approx. ₹8,62,000) |
The United States |
Apart from these educational institutions, you can also up your IT/Computer Science skills through various trainings provided by organisations dealing in security. Some of them are:
- Free Cyber security Training by FortiNet
- Introduction to Cyber Security Specialization at Coursera
- Professional Certificate in Essentials of Cybersecurity at edX
- Cyber Security for Beginners by Heimdal Security
- Fundamentals of cyber security by Sans Institute
A career in cyber security has never looked as promising as it does today. With people and organizations constantly worried about frauds and security breaches, this is a great field to get into. And, as we stated earlier, it’s one of the few recession-proof jobs that exist today – quite the opposite actually. COVID has increased the demand for cyber security professionals. You could add to filling that gap while making a great career move. The time is now.
