Computer Security part 2
There is an emergent software trend in every country due to high demand and low supply: Computer Security Specialist. As computer networks grow and more data is stored on computer, the need for skilled security specialists who can help organizations to control access to their computer networks and protect important data stored has becoming critical.
Computer security specialists design and implement network control mechanisms that serve to control users’ access to a computer network through such processes as firewalls and other means. They implement application access controls, such as password authentication, that keep unauthorized users from accessing computer network and set up programs that detect hackers who do intrude onto a system. Typically, computer security specialist also improve the security by communicate policies, procedures and techniques to users of the systems. They monitor who is using a computer network and keeping accurate and up-to-date backup files of all important data shared on a computer network
Last year, eight students from CaliforniaStatePolytechnicUniversity, Pomona, spent six months practicing how to defend a typical business computer network from hacker attacks before entered a regional competition. They outscored teams from five other universities at blocking viruses, worms and other efforts to disrupt e-mail and Internet systems. For the six students, the victory was even sweeter because Boeing, the giant aerospace company immediately offered them jobs before they even graduate.
Boeing’s decision to hire all graduates on the winning team shows how urgent the demand for computer-security experts has become, and helps explain why so many universities are scrambling to add courses in this field as today very few schools even teach network security. In fact, as attacks on computer systems increases, surveys show a serious shortage of skilled people to combat them. Banks, military, government and software companies, are looking for “cyber ninjas” to fend off a sophisticated array of hackers, from criminals stealing credit card numbers to potential military adversaries. According to several sources, there is a huge demand in this area but there are few professors who can teach this subject and there are not enough students specialize in this area. Top universities such as Carnegie Mellon, Purdue, Georgia Tech, and California State Poly are among universities with master’s programs in cyber security and they all have experienced significant enrollment in past years. Jeffrey M. Henbest, one of the Cal Poly students hired by Boeing, says cyber security is seen at his school “as the most technically demanding field, kind of like the “fighter pilot” of the information technology industry.”
While there are thousands jobs are available now, government officials involved in cyber-security expect the number to grow rapidly into hundred thousands or more in the next few years. Even with the bad economy, there are thousand of jobs in computer security go unfilled due to lack of qualified people. The simple reason is the shortage of students interested in pursuing careers in engineering or science in the past ten years. In past years, many students were enrolling in business school with the hope of making more money before the financial crisis. Of course, today students are beginning to return to computer science and software engineering as many business students could not find works anymore but it will take several years before supply can meet the demand.
The shortage of computer security specialist is not happen in the U.S but also in Europe, Asia as Germany, France, England, Italy, Japan, S. Korea also reported that it is very difficult to find qualified people. Most security jobs require a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering with additional courses in a variety of networking technologies, such as TCP/IP, Windows NT, and Unix. Students must also have a thorough understanding of computer programming, operating system, and risk management. There is a certificate program issues by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, called Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) to individuals who pass an exam on computer security procedures.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
