In today’s digital era, Investing in a cybersecurity degree is worthwhile. Cybersecurity jobs have grown by leaps and bounds, with prospects of growth in a variety of specializations such as penetration testing, ethical hacking, IT auditing, and network defense. Getting a cybersecurity degree can open many doors for your career. The need for cybersecurity professionals and security leaders is paramount as businesses and government organizations face the increasing risks of cyberthreats.
Despite the heightened demand for qualified cybersecurity leaders in this industry, there is still a shortage of talent. Cybersecurity leaders need to leverage their technical skills from a strategic viewpoint. Therefore, the role of CISOs and C-suite executives is critical for organizational security, which necessitates both managerial and technological decision-making to manage cyber risks.
This blog highlights a few ways a cybersecurity degree can help you expand your opportunities in obtaining a leadership position. But before we dive deeper into this, let’s look at how a cybersecurity degree can enhance the knowledge and skills required for a leadership role.
Skills You’ll Need to Be a Cybersecurity Leader
A security leader must have a deep knowledge of information security as well as experience, practical skills, and leadership abilities.
Obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s degree in cybersecurity can give you the necessary abilities for a leadership role.
While degree programs aren’t the only route to getting a leadership role, they can help you understand some important areas of the cybersecurity domain.
1. Technical Knowledge
Technical knowledge is crucial for every cybersecurity executive and is essential to launching a career in this field. A degree in cybersecurity can help you acquire the knowledge that every cybersecurity leader needs, such as:
- DNS, routing, authentication, VPN, and DDOS mitigation technologies
- System and network security architecture development
- Wireless devices and mobile software risk exposure
- Disaster recovery planning and business continuity
- Network security and firewall management
- Identity management
- Tools, techniques, and methods of system forensics
- Security strategies for multiple operation systems
- Methodologies of penetration testing
2. Leadership and Managerial Skills
Building technical knowledge alone is not enough to lead cybersecurity teams. Leadership and managerial skills are important in any executive position, which comes with experience. Adding credible certifications, degree programs, etc., as you progress along your career is a great way to build your resume and skill set. In order to advance to a leadership position, it is essential that you acquire the right leadership qualities, such as:
- Analyzing the latest information security changes and trends to foresee cyber threats
- Acting as a translator between IT executives and board members while using a language that is easy for both to understand
- Applying strategic thinking to generate new cybersecurity strategies and implement them
- Encouraging teamwork, assigning tasks, and ensuring a positive outcome
3. Cyber Law Awareness
When it comes to cybersecurity and privacy, every organization needs to align with global and local legal requirements. This will ensure that the organization complies with the local laws. Cyber law aims to safeguard users from internet fraud or scams. A bachelor’s or master’s degree in cybersecurity will help you gain a basic knowledge of cyber law. Topics in a degree should include:
- Cybersecurity and organizational laws, regulations, and international standards
- Implications of non-ethical cyber activity in the modern era
- Legal consequences of neglecting trademarks, copyrights, patents, and digital rights
- Knowledge of pertinent laws and regulations, including FISMA and DoD, COPPA, GDPR, and many more
EC-Council University’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees in cybersecurity cover cyber law in their curriculums.
4. Skills to Meet Technology and Business Requirements
Every organization’s business and technology requirements must align with their objectives. However, an organization’s CISO or C-Level cybersecurity executive must understand the ramifications of what could happen without this alignment. A degree in cybersecurity will cover the essentials of business, including:
- Translating technical jargon for board members to better comprehend cybersecurity initiatives and budgeting
- The various processes of business principles in a global context
- Organizational behavior and how to apply it to a real-life setting
- Studying past incidents to design more appropriate, business-aligned cybersecurity strategies
Learning with EC-Council University
At EC-Council University, we offer online and in-person classes for both our bachelor’s and master’s degrees in cybersecurity. Each of these degree programs awards industry certifications from EC-Council. Both programs focus on combining technology and business management to create strategic cyber leaders for the future who become boardroom material.
FAQs
References
CyberSeek. (2022). Cybersecurity supply/demand heat map. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://www.cyberseek.org/heatmap.html
