Cyber security is a professional field pursued by experts who protect online assets from unauthorized or illegal access. This access can be achieved by a team of active hackers, a malignant line of code or negligence in closing the digital front door. Governments and companies of all sizes need cyber security experts to stay ahead of these threats.

According to The FBI's Internet Crime Report, Americans suffered losses of over $12 billion in 2023. That number has grown substantially year over year. Global cyber attacks increased by 38% from 2021 to 2022, and Check Point Research warns that artificial intelligence may cause further increases in years to come. There are not enough experts to keep up with the ever-changing hardware, software and connectivity threats.

Business, IT, and security professionals looking for a rapidly expanding industry with promising job growth potential should consider cyber security careers. A reputable online cybersecurity MS degree program will leverage experienced faculty and industry partnerships to help students develop into experts in the field. A comprehensive review of the cyber security industry shows that practitioners thrive in their careers while providing essential services to the global economy.

What Do Cyber Security Professionals Do?

Cyber security professionals may be tasked with protecting everything from company smartphones to globally accessed databases from attacks. Information security analysts, engineers and executives need to understand the scope of online attacks before developing defenses and remedies.

Professionals should be able to identify and protect against many types of cyber security threats, including:

• Malware: Malicious software is introduced into a target's system to block access or obtain information. Malware can take many forms, including viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, and ransomware. Malware can steal data from targets or damage devices to prevent further use and information retrieval.
• Phishing: Phishers mask themselves as known sources to extract routing numbers, credit card information and log-in credentials. Fraudulent text messages, phone calls, emails, and voicemails are used to obtain information from phishing targets. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 800,000 complaints in 2022, and phishing was reported more often than any other type of cyber attack.
• Man-in-the-middle: A party can use unsecured wireless access or malware to stand between the user and the network, thereby gaining access to sensitive information. This is one of many identity-based attacks that can be difficult to detect without extensive cyber security knowledge.
• Code injection attacks: SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS), among others, involve inserting malicious code into a device or network, changing the course of action from its intended purpose.
• Distributed Denial-of-service (DDoS): A party sends overwhelming requests to a target's server or network, tying up assets and creating system vulnerability.

In today's ever-evolving technological landscape, cyber security professionals must be aware of the impact of artificial intelligence on potential threats. The FBI recently warned American individuals and businesses that AI tools allow malicious parties to conduct sophisticated phishing attacks and clone voices or videos to scam targets. Companies and individuals can fall prey to convincing schemes that compromise their data.

Examples of Large-Scale Cyber Security Issues

The types of cyber attacks listed above can lead to widespread data breaches, which are expensive to solve and potentially ruinous to a target's reputation. A data breach in the United States in 2023 cost targets an average of $4.45 million. IBM Security found that the United States has been the global leader in data breach costs for 13 years, proving that more cyber security experts are needed in today's technological landscape.

Harvard Business Review studied the effects of a cyber security attack. They found that a data breach increases the company's cost of doing business, which can, in turn, diminish the company's market value and credit rating and cause higher prices for consumers. With effects this devastating, a widespread breach could be the demise of some companies.

In the early months of 2024, Americans have already seen some of the most widespread cyber security attacks.

In February, Change Healthcare, a large medical claim processing company, fell victim to one of the largest breaches of medical records in history. The breach affected sensitive information like medical records, billing payment data, social security numbers, and health insurance details for up to one-third of Americans.

The same month, Prudential Financial underwent a ransomware attack that affected 2.5 million customers. Both Change and Prudential have offered two years of identity theft and credit monitoring services to affected customers at no cost.

In 2023, 37 million T-Mobile customers were affected by a breach that leaked names, addresses, and dates of birth. The company stock dropped nearly 1.5% when the news was announced.

MGM Resorts also suffered a severe financial hit after a cyber security breach that affected more than 10 million customers. Reports indicate the cost to the company could be near $100 million.

These companies and many more needed the services of cyber security teams to protect consumer and employee data, help them retain a good reputation, and shield their market value from a significant downturn.

Remedies for Cyber Security Vulnerabilities

Small businesses, multinational corporations and everyone in between should be wary of online attacks. The University of California, Berkeley's Information Security Office provides the following advice to deal with the most frequent threats to digital assets:

• Regularly update software to incorporate security patches
• Use passwords with 20 characters or more with mixed letters, numbers and symbols
• Avoid suspicious or unknown attachments, especially from unfamiliar sources
• Activate desktop firewalls to halt basic attacks
• Reserve transmission of sensitive data to secured private networks

Cyber security leaders and personnel are responsible in part for ensuring the adoption of these suggestions. However, a major element of this field is getting ahead of the next attack.

It is estimated that the average security breach takes 206 days to identify and 314 days to resolve after the initial hack.

The best practitioners collaborate with others and develop resources to anticipate future generations of cyber attacks while speeding up remediation. The volume and scope of cyber-attacks globally create many paths to career success in this field.

What Are the Job Titles Held by Current Leaders in the Field?

Many careers are available to leaders in cyber security, with titles ranging from chief executive officer and chief information security officer to IT manager, security analyst and application developer. A plethora of career options means there are multiple branches for early-career cyber security professionals to pursue.

Professionals in top jobs in 2024 receive salaries averaging $150,163, far exceeding salaries in most career paths. The job titles and salaries listed below exemplify the high ceiling awaiting top performers in the field:

• Application security engineer: $141,522
• Director of information security: $154,251
• Senior security consultant: $154,813
• Software architect: $149,967
• Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): $245,820

Though aspiring professionals may not know their exact career progression in advance, they should know the demand for their services will only grow.

What Types of Employers Look for Cyber Security Professionals?

As technology becomes a crucial aspect of work for nearly every industry, there is a need for cyber security professionals across the workforce. Many current experts report working in the IT services industry. Still, others are employed in the financial services, government, manufacturing, healthcare, education, engineering and retail sectors.

When cyber security jobs first experienced explosive growth, they were met with a 1.3% decline in user clicks on listings due to vague job titles and poor promotion. In recent years, however, employers have improved their ability to recruit qualified cyber security professionals and provide work environments that allow them to thrive.

Managers, consultants, engineers and other professionals find available positions in the public and private sectors. In the past two years, cyber-related job postings have grown by 60% globally, with a record number of cyber security jobs listed in June 2023. These jobs include startups, nonprofits, government agencies and international organizations trying to protect against data incursions.

What Are the Benefits of Working in Cyber Security?

The aforementioned average salaries show careers in cyber security make education and professional development worthwhile.

The BLS estimated a 32% growth rate in available jobs for information security analysts from 2022 to 2032. Analysts earned average salaries of $120,360 in 2023, but there is a high earnings ceiling for information security careers, and making a good living is not the only benefit of working in this field.

Low Supply Means High Demand

ISC2 conducts an annual Cybersecurity Workforce Study that reviews the evolution of the cybersecurity profession. In 2022, they estimated that the global cybersecurity workforce clocks in at 4.7 million people, the largest of any surveyed year. However, the need for more experts is great.

ISC2 research estimates that 3.4 million more cyber security workers are needed to meet global demand. According to their 2022 report, "Despite adding more than 464,000 workers in the past year, the cybersecurity workforce gap has grown more than twice as much as the workforce." This highlights the urgent need for more skilled professionals in the cybersecurity field to protect against increasing threats and vulnerabilities.

Clear and Consistent Mission

Security consultant Candy Alexander told the BLS that a major attraction of her career to others is "the morality of the work." Alexander referenced saving companies and governments money, manpower and social capital from damage done by cyber attacks.

Future cyber security professionals may be wondering about long-term career satisfaction. The 2022 ISC2 report indicates that 3 out of 4 current cybersecurity experts remain satisfied and passionate about their careers. Not only is this career path in high demand, but it provides high levels of satisfaction for those who pursue it. To compete with the satisfied crowd of cybersecurity professionals, it is essential to build skills through education and certifications.

Cyber security professionals know they are working to protect sensitive or confidential information from people with bad intentions each day. This mission crosses over career paths, employers and countries, providing consistency throughout a professional's growth.

How Do You Prepare for a Cyber Security Career?

Cyber security professionals are often highly educated. The ISC2 2022 report indicates that 39% of workers have earned a bachelor's degree in the field, while 43% have completed a master's program. Aspiring cyber security professionals will find a wider array of jobs and opportunities for growth after earning a master's degree.

ISC2 pointed to the varied backgrounds of cybersecurity professionals in its 2022 report. Fifty-six percent of respondents planned to pursue cybersecurity careers as they started their education. This share leaves 44% of respondents who came across the field late in their schooling or previous careers.

Cyber Security Certifications Boost Job Prospects

A graduate degree alone is a strong start to a career, but certifications also make a candidate more valuable to employers. Certifications allow professionals to specialize in areas particularly vital to their employers' needs.

ISC2 found that 60% of professionals indicated that industry certifications are more important earlier in a career, with many respondents stating that they began their first certification within their first year of employment. Many cyber security professionals earn their first certifications concurrently with their degree programs.

The EC-Council offers the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification for future "white hats" who find and repair system repair vulnerabilities before hackers invade. The Cisco Certified Network Associates (CCNA) certification demonstrates competencies in automation, network security and IP tools.

Students can look for an MS in cyber security program that partners with these certification agencies. Certification will be part of their training, saving them time and money on their comprehensive education.

Who Should Become a Cyber Security Professional?

Thanks to their accumulated technical knowledge, IT, security and software development professionals can shift easily into cyber security careers. But students without this background shouldn't shy away from pursuing a career in cyber security. Many graduate programs are designed for students looking for a career change. These programs provide all the training a student needs for a successful career in the field of cyber security.

Career Changers

ISC2 found that 70% of cyber security experts aged 30-49 started their cyber security careers after working in another field. Employers look beyond cyber security degrees and certifications when selecting staff members. Experts in the field are creative, persistent and strategic thinkers. These attributes can be developed outside of the field in positions from education to marketing.

Gender and Racial Diversity

Based on research compiled by World Metrics, the cyber security field is overwhelmingly white and male. Just 1 in 5 people in the global cyber security workforce are women, 1 in 10 workers in the United States identify as Black or African American, 4% identify as Hispanic or Latino and less than 10% identify as Asian. Employers must look beyond job boards to find more diverse candidates in colleges and overlooked industries.

Security analysts and consultants just entering the field will one day become leaders. The absence of diversity in entry-level and mid-level positions translates to senior roles. These facts should motivate women and minorities interested in digital security to pursue degrees that change the profession.

Why Choose St. Bonaventure for Your Cyber Security Degree?

Prospective cyber security professionals have plenty of choices as they consider where to earn a degree in this field. St. Bonaventure University stands apart from the field due to its history, national reputation and cutting-edge approach to technical education.

Students in St. Bonaventure's Online MS in Cybersecurity program can take advantage of the school's partnerships with EC-Council, Cisco Academy, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Skills Boost to prepare for certification.

This cybersecurity master's program also offers a 100% online format. There is no GRE or GMAT requirement for applicants, eliminating the need for a costly entrance exam. The degree also blends real-world learning with theoretical lessons in threat analysis, cryptography and other skills to help career changers transition into cyber security.

A Long History of Educating Leaders

St. Bonaventure University was founded in 1858 as a Franciscan institution in western New York. The university maintains a close-knit community of students, alumni and faculty with fewer than 3,000 current students. Online programs like the MS in Cybersecurity translate this small-school environment around the globe with personalized attention for each student.

Graduates can tout their commitment to the school's core values. The values of compassion, wisdom and integrity are inextricable from coursework, internships and other experiences.

In the cyber security world, university graduates who embrace these values along with creativity and good judgment can advance ethically in their careers.

Nationally Ranked

The university receives high rankings in the annual US News & World Report review of colleges (source):

• No. 17 in Regional Universities North
• No. 14 in Most Innovative Schools
• No. 6 in Best Value Schools for 2024

Niche's 2024 college rankings also show St. Bonaventure University as a great starting point for in-demand careers (source). They gave the following rankings to St. Bonaventure:

• No. 25 in Best Catholic Colleges in America
• No. 73 in Best Colleges with No Application Fee in America
• No. 110 in Best Small Colleges in America

Taking the Next Steps

Aspiring cyber security professionals looking to take the next step in their careers can learn more about St. Bonaventure University's Online MS in Cybersecurity.