18/4/2018 I want to work in cyber security, should I major in computer science or information technology with a focus in cyber security?

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Major in Computer Science vs Cyber Security? Pls
Network Security Career Advice and Computer Science Education Information Security read desc.

Computer Science Education Advice College and University Majors Would you go into computer science or
Career Advice in Computer Science Computer Security Computer Science Education
information technology if you were interested in
cyber security?
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Should I major in computer science or cyber
I want to work in cyber security, should I major in security engineer?

computer science or information technology with a Should I study Computer Science or Information
focus in cyber security? Technology with a focus in Cyber Security?

What major is best for cyber security work?

7 Answers
Which is better for a job in cyber security,
Tim Drozinski, Information Security Analyst Information Technology or Computer Science?
Answered Jun 18 2016 · Author has 2.3k answers and 1.7m answer views
Is it better to major in computer science or cyber
First, make sure you understand what a career in cyber security really means. security if I want to become a security analyst?
You probably think that it means you're a cool hacker, infiltrating Russian Mafia
Should I major in computer science, information
websites and shutting them down, making the world safe for “average” people. technology or software engeenering with my focus
on cyber security and artificial intelligence...
In reality, unless you are really good at something (particularly related to
Which is better for Cyber Security, IT or Computer
software programming that might allow you to either create new security tools Science?

or deconstruct malware), jobs in information security generally fall into one of Which are Cyber Security Advanced Threats?
these categories:
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Operations - you are responsible for maintaining a security system, like
a firewall, IPS/IDS, or enterprise antivirus solution. In this case, your
day to day job is processing a regimented and repetitive set of
administrative tasks.

Policy - you are responsible for creating, maintaining and enforcing

security policies. This involves a lot of writing, and a lot of analysis of
your company's systems to understand how to make them comply with
the policy you're responsible for.

Cyber intelligence - you are responsible for understanding the threat

landscape and designing the protections for your network based on
what kind of threats are active. If your organization is in the top fifth or
so of cyber organizations, you may actually be a producer of this
intelligence, meaning you are actively finding threats and publishing
your findings to other organizations.

Risk Management - your responsibility is to examine systems and try to

understand how they create risk when integrated into your network.
You might be performing a risk analysis using a rigidly defined
methodology and tools.

The important thing here is that, even at the government level, there are very
few jobs in cyber security that resemble the white-hat hacker types you see in
movies and on TV, so get that idea out of your head right away unless you are a
true computer prodigy.

I
gotStill
into have a question
a career Ask your own!
in Information Security by a circuitous route. I graduated with
a degree in Aerospace Engineering, and my first job was as a glorified draftsman
What is your question? Ask
creating 3-D models for simulation software. I taught myself some C

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18/4/2018 I want to work in cyber security, should I major in computer science or information technology with a focus in cyber security? - Quora

programming, and was able to work my way into a software development job at
the same company. Then I taught myself Java and moved to another company
doing some software development. As the company started rolling out new
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hardware and software, they needed someone to administer those platforms,
and I did that for about 8 years. I started taking an interest in cyber security, and
my employer offered tuition reimbursement, so I started working on a second
Bachelor’s degree in MIS, with a concentration in Information Security. Before I
finished that degree, I interviewed internally for a position within the InfoSec
group and started at the lowest level, so that I could get a broad exposure to
everything the group did.

After a few years of that, I got promoted, and began specializing in the policy
and risk management areas, and that's where I am today.

Honestly, it's not glamorous, it can be boring and repetitive and frustrating at
times, but it pays relatively well, and job security is high because many
companies are reluctant to outsource their security functions, so as long as you
are competent you should be able to hold onto a job (barring economic
conditions that force layoffs).

So, by my own example, a specific degree can be helpful, but my opinion is that
unless you're talking about post-grad work in a specialized field, most employers
treat a Bachelor’s degree as a simple qualifier that you are organized and
dedicated enough to see a large project consisting of many different tasks and
disciplines through to a successful completion (in other words, you're motivated
to complete a job once you start it). A chemistry lab probably isn't going to hire
you if your degree is in Sanskrit Poetry, but generally a B.S. In something will
weigh pretty well in your favor for a lot of technically-oriented entry-level jobs,
even if it's not the exact same type of science.

So a Comp Sci degree or some kind of Information Technology degree would

each be reasonably good staring points to land a security job.
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Related Questions More Answers Below

Major in Computer Science vs Cyber Security? Pls read desc.

Would you go into computer science or information technology if you were interested in
cyber security?

Should I major in computer science or cyber security engineer?

Should I study Computer Science or Information Technology with a focus in Cyber

Security?

What major is best for cyber security work?

 Ask New Question

Guy Zyskind, MIT Media Lab Grad. Student. B.S. EECS.

Answered Jun 7 2016 · Author has 86 answers and 181.2k answer views

Computer Science. A degree is meant to give you the deeper scientific

foundations you would not easily get elsewhere. More 'practical' degrees are
 Still have a question Ask your own!
tempting, as they seemingly provide a more hands on approach, but at what
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cost? Ask

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18/4/2018 I want to work in cyber security, should I major in computer science or information technology with a focus in cyber security? - Quora

If you are interested in the practice of security, you can easily find that
information online with some motivation. However, studying how systems
security protocols work without the appropriate mathematical concepts - i.e.,
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number theory, complexity theory and probability - which you will likely learn
in the course of obtaining a CS degree, is going to be orders of magnitude harder.
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Anonymous
Answered Jun 7 2016

You can get into computer security work from a number of different angles.
What interests you? Do you see yourself doing security audits for businesses or
government offices, finding software vulnerabilities, monitoring systems and
networks for vulnerabilities or breaches, working in computer forensics, or [fill
in the blank with something else]? Are you interested in prevention, detection,
or remediation of computer crimes? Would you rather work in security related to
data (privacy issues, financial fraud, etc.) or security related to physical
infrastructure (security door access, securing access to computer-controlled
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industrial machines, etc.)?

Essentially, computer science will teach you how computing devices work.
Security breaches happen when someone or something has made a
computer/network system work in an unintended way using any number of
exploits or vulnerabilities: misconfigurations, software bugs, manufacturing
defects, conditions that exceed design specs, social engineering, etc. I would
suggest you start your cybersecurity education by learning very thoroughly how
systems are intended to work (hardware, software, protocols…everything
involved from the power cord plugged into the wall to the funny cat picture on
the monitor), so you can begin to understand how these systems can be made to
work in undesirable or unexpected ways. I say “systems” in a rather vague,
hand-wavy sort of way. It’s not just the physical devices (desktop, laptop, mobile
device, printer, router, wireless AP, IoT gadget, etc.) that constitutes a “system”,
but also the workflow, authentication, permissions, data and device access, and
other human-related activities of information and device handling.

Outside of your formal education, you should also keep abreast of cybersecurity-
related news. For example, if a business had credit card data or passwords
stolen, how did it happen? Were any of these contributing factors: negligence,
poor security practices, ineptitude, complacence? Was it a zero-day or unknown
exploit? How was the breach discovered? What remediation steps were taken?
What was the company’s response? What was the response of law enforcement
and the courts? Accumulating a pile of case studies like this serves a couple of
purposes: 1) it helps you develop an appreciation for the boundless creativity,
ingenuity, and opportunism of cybercriminals, and 2) it gives you an arsenal of
stories to tell when you need to convince the “suits” to take computer and
network security seriously.

Lastly, foster curiosity. This is the number one trait you will need as a security
professional. The best security people I know never stop asking, “what happens
if…?” and “I wonder how that works?” They do not get tired of spelunking
through log files, jiggling doorknobs to see if the door to the server closet is
locked, scanning the network looking for unexpected devices, open ports, and
so on.

So…to answer your question: figure out what area of computing interests you the
most,
 Stillthen learn how to do it right; after that, learn how it can be done wrong.
have a question Ask your own!
Then make your career out of preventing the wrong things from being done (or
What is your question? Ask

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18/4/2018 I want to work in cyber security, should I major in computer science or information technology with a focus in cyber security? - Quora

detecting when wrong things are being done, or remediating after the wrong
things have been done…).
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Charles Bailey, B.S. Computer Science (2015)

Answered Sep 5 2017 · Author has 212 answers and 69.8k answer views

As others have mentioned, Computer Science will give you a solid foundation
for learning whatever skills you need whether its in programming in new
languages or fixing security breaches in computers or networks. You can always
get certifications, learn skill on your own, or even get a master's degree in Cyber
Security later if you really want to go into this field.
3.9k Views · View Upvoters · Answer requested by Duane Saunders

Bob Hanckel, BS Computer Science, University of Massachusetts, Boston (1981)

Answered Jul 2 2017

Computer science.

The fact of the matter is that academia is typically not interested in security
because security reflects the real world and the nefarious things that can
happen if cyber security isn’t taken seriously. And at first glance security is
annoying to have to worry about when building software solutions and it
naturally conflicts with ease-of-use and design. Not much more than a decade
ago, security was an afterthought when designing and building software.
Companies would release software, and then only after the fact when their
software revealed nasty security vulnerabilities they would react. Nowadays it is
something everyone in comp sci is supposed to know and factor in from day one
of building something new.

I should add that being good at cyber security means your going to have lots of
opportunity for jobs. Hackers are not going away and they will continue to
innovate ways to destabilize computer systems. That means you will be forever
learning and enhancing your skill sets.
7.7k Views · View Upvoters

Brian Pulliam, 20 yrs across game test + dev, data, PM, dev manager, coach
Answered Sep 7 2017 · Author has 96 answers and 69.5k answer views

CS is more broad than you might think. If you care only about cyber security,
specialize there with the IT route. If you think you want to get into more dev/pm
roles in the future, the CS degree is probably more transferable.
3.1k Views

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