Information security has become a very lucrative career now a days. Every organisation is trying to build their Information security team because of regulatory compliances, market competition and last but not the least increase of cyber security risk on information systems.

Information security is associated in every field of organisation and at least basic awareness is expected from everybody, however a skillset is required to govern and drive the whole Information Security within an organisation.

One can jump into information security at different levels of his/her career, irrespective of his/her educational background. To make it more clear let’s consider few scenarios here

SCENARIO ONE

1. Anyone who is planning to get into Information Security can start their planning from higher secondary level. In this case the student needs to opt for subjects like Physics Chemistry, Mathematics and IT/IP. Then he/she needs to opt for BTech in Computer Science of IT or BCA(Bachelors of Computer Applications).You can start preparing during your graduation, start formal trainings like on Networks and Servers, and make your fundamentals strong. Gradually by the end of your graduation you can go for CEH(Certified Ethical Hacker), which is an introductory course in Cyber Security.With all these expertise and certifications one can definitely start their career in InfoSec.

Tip: If you are planning for any certification during your graduation do it in the last year because a certification has an expiry date(mostly 3 years from the date of issue)

SCENARIO TWO

2. If you are not an IT graduate, say you are pursuing B.Sc. or B.Com or B.A., even then you can work in information security. You need to do go for basic trainings network and server trainings like Scenario One. A lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance can make anything possible. A CCNA, Red Hat Linux, Server Administrations and CEH certification will definitely be helpful.

SCENARIO THREE

3. If you are a working in IT (Information Technology) and now like to switch to information security first generate skill sets in networks, servers and basic cyber security skillset like network security or application security. Once you have good knowledge of Cyber Security, now you can pursue ISO/IEC 27001 Internal Auditor or ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor or Lead Implementer training. After successful completion of training and certification one can start career as an Internal Auditor, Lead Auditor or Lead implementer respectively. You can also work as an Information Security Risk Assessor or a third party auditor.

SCENARIO FOUR

4. If you are a senior level executive having basic skillsets of cyber security and you want a complete migration to Information Security domain, you can start with ISO 27001 Lead Auditor or ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, then gradually you can obtain CISA (Certified Information System Auditor) and CISSP (Certified Information System Security Professional). Certifications like CISA and CISSP are of very high value and one can be a top level information security executive like CISO(Chief Information Security Officer) of any organisation, however these position also requires managerial skill set along with technical skill sets.

SCENARIO FIVE

5. If you are working at a senior position in any organisation in Sales, procurement or any other non IT department and you are fascinated with Information Security and want to pursue your career in it. Yes, you still have chance. What all you need to do is generate a basic skillset in Network and IT infrastructure and you are good to go.

Later on you can learn basics of Cyber Security like Ethical Hacking and can pursue different Information Security Certifications like ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, GDPR etc.

SCENARIO SIX

6. If you are an IT graduate then you can also pursue Masters in Information Security, after this you can directly start your career in Information Security as a Consultant. MBA with Information Security is a good way to start your career in Information Security. Organisations hire these candidates because they can work both in technical and not technical domains.

SCENARIO SEVEN

7. One with a non-technical background and having interest in Information Security can opt for a career in Cyber Laws. After pursuing this one can work as a Legal Consultant with any organisation. This job is also in demand because organisation faces many legal challenges pertaining to Information Security every other day and they need consultants and experts who can guide them in different scenarios.

SCENARIO EIGHT

8. If you are a programmer in your existing job profile, you can learn secure coding techniques and hence you enter in information security domain. Now a days many attacks are happening at application level, because of flaws in existing source code. Knowledge in secure coding will definitely be an extra edge for your career and can give you a smooth entry in information security domain.

SCENARIO NINE

9. If you have an investigative mind set then Computer forensics is a good option for you. This role comes into picture when any Cyber Security incident happens in any organisation. A Computer Forensics investigator check the systems and finds out the root cause of the problem, and later on organisation can patch or implement another corrective action on the issue and can prevent recurrence. CHFI (Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator) is a popular certification for this career.

SCENARIO TEN

10. If you have a good knack of teaching, you can start your career as Information Security Trainer after completion of your graduation and basic Information Security training. Training is very lucrative career among many experienced professionals as well. There are many professionals who are involved into part time training and thus can start their career in Information Security.

From all the above scenarios we can clearly see that Information Security is a path, one cannot attain it overnight. Moving ahead step by step will ease your journey. All the steps in this are equally important. One needs a strong dedication and determination. With our changing business scenario, where the aspect of threat and risk is changing every other day one needs to be updates with the current regulator and statutory requirements.

Tags: BTech, BSc, Cyber laws, career, jobs in cyber security

Keywords : Information Security, Cyber Security, Forensics Investigator, ISO 27001, CISA,CISSP, CHFI, CEH, CCNA.