Cyber Security also known as Information Technology (IT) Security focuses on protecting computers, networks, servers, mobile devices, and data from malicious attacks. The growing number of devices connected to the internet and new innovative attacks from cyber criminals represent some of the biggest challenges for Cyber Security experts.
Some of the topics you can expect to study are: fundamental security design principles, IT systems components, script programming, cryptography, cyber threats, forensic accounting, legal and ethical issues, and others.
Cyber Security or IT Security professionals protect sensitive data for organisations from different fields, like banking, retailing, healthcare, education, social media, etc. As a Cyber Security expert, you are responsible for maintaining, evaluating, and improving the security infrastructure. Cyber Security specialists install firewalls, monitor network activity, back up data and create and implement security policies and procedures. If there is a web security breach, experts fix it as soon as possible and find ways to prevent future attacks.
Some of the skills you need to develop to become a successful IT security professional are analysis and problem solving, decision making, organisation and time management, attention to details, communication and creativity.
After graduation, Cyber Security students find work as cryptographers, information security officers, security engineers, penetration testers, forensics experts, security administrators, ethical hackers, etc.