Introduction
Cybersecurity jobs are in high demand, with businesses and organizations around the country looking for expertise to keep data safe and computer networks secure. If you're thinking about a career in cybersecurity, a position in the government sector offers excellent perks and advantages not available in other industries.
Government cybersecurity professionals receive competitive salaries, employment stability, and prospects for advancement. Information security analysts, for example, make a median yearlysalary of $103,590. This article looks at the role of the government in cybersecurity employment. You will also learn more about the different types of cybersecurity jobs.
Roles of Government in Cyber Security
This list of government roles appears to be those for typical IT jobs at a quick glance – technical writing, programming, system administration, yet the nine critical skill classifications issued by the Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency include the expertise necessary to develop a highly competent cybersecurity workforce. These include:
- Technical writingNetwork administration and network security operations
- System administration: client servers and systems
- Security auditing, security assessment, and information assurance
- Incident management and information security
- Intelligence and counterintelligence, data analysis and intrusion, threat analysis
- Programming
- Forensics investigation
- Security architecture and engineering
- Technical writing
Among other organizations, the Office of Personnel Management is striving to build work-related classes for cybersecurity experts, and the agency suggestions strive to highlight the relevant responsibilities in cybersecurity, the tasks they undertake, and the key competencies, as well as requisite education and training, which are essential to performing these jobs.
By identifying what skills must be gained, professional classifications for IT security inside the government would help to streamline hiring and promote training. The vast majority of cybersecurity professionals are now classified as IT specialists.
Thankfully, recruiting doesn’t have to be a headache; at Quadrant, we can help you find top talent.Types of Government Cyber Security
- Application Security
Application security prevents cyber-security vulnerabilities by including software and hardware technologies throughout the innovation stage of a project. With the use of an application security network, businesses can detect critical data sets and protect them with specific apps pertaining to the datasets. Some of the methods associated with application security are:
- Firewalls
- Anti-virus programs
- Encryption programs
- Internet of Things Security
The Internet of Things (IoT) Security is expected to be the next technology revolution instrument. IoT offers users a range of important and non-critical equipment, such as Wi-Fi routers, sensors, appliances, and printers through its secure network.
- Cloud Security
Most organizations are progressively gravitating toward utilizing artificial intelligence to improve their operations, provide a better customer experience, and function more effectively. With a wealth of data accessible at each stage of an organizational structure, companies often struggle to physically archive this data.
As a result, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services provide their clients with a cloud computing platform where they can monitor and store information using a security system.
- Network Security
Network security is a strategy for protecting computer networks against intrusions, targeted attacks, and opportunistic viruses. Since the Internet is made up of a variety of networks linked to many websites, it is common for companies to be targeted with unwanted infiltration and malicious intent.
Since many websites employ third-party cookies, users' actions are recorded. Organizations must continue to improve network security by putting in place procedures that can thwart cyber-attacks.
- Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity
To safeguard essential infrastructure systems, the Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity method is applied. These are systems on which society is heavily reliant, and while they aren't linked directly to a possible cyber breach, they can also act as a basis for cyber malware to penetrate the devices to which these programs are linked.
The Importance of Cyber Security in Government
Every day, the federal government defends itself against tens of thousands of cyberattacks. Some of these attempts are basic, such as phishing emails intended to fool an unsuspecting federal employee, while others are more sophisticated, targeting the nation's most valuable data assets.
Protecting government organizations from cyberattacks is a difficult but critical task as more information becomes digital. When considering the federal government's goal, consider that agencies house the personal information of every person in the country, financial data, national security information, and practically everything in between, which is a rich mine of information for hackers.
Keeping information safe can be challenging, as the federal government has discovered in recent years, but failing to do so can be disastrous. Government agencies utilize cybersecurity technologies to strike back. The means to fight hackers have become more complex as they have become more sophisticated. Data must be protected at all stages of its existence, from the time it is gathered to the time it is transferred, to the location where it is stored until it is erased.
Why You Should Consider a Career in Government Cyber Security
Whether you are simply starting out or want to get experience in various areas of cyber security, the public sector can be a fantastic place to learn and lay a solid foundation for the future.
The U.S. government clearly realizes that cybercrime is a major concern for its enterprises; security threats, cyber hacking, and data breaches are providing thousands of new employment opportunities across the country in government administrations.
If you're a job seeker thinking about a career in cybersecurity, the government has plenty of options and incentives for you. This includes work security, good salary, and job satisfaction from being an active component of government security.
In-house government cybersecurity employment is expected to include a pension plan that will pay you a monthly salary once you retire. Furthermore, government personnel are entitled to paid federal vacations and health benefits.
Scholarship and loan forgiveness programs, such as the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service, are other good reasons to work for the government.
List of Government Cyber Security Careers
Some of the careers available to you as a cyber security specialist include:
1. Security Specialist
Your major responsibility as a security professional will be to safeguard a company's software and network security system. Conducting internal and external security audits, as well as risk analysis, vulnerability testing, and security assessments, are all part of the job.
2. Incident Responder
Incident responders are a valuable asset to any firm, and the majority of them are professionals who have received cyber security incident response training. Their responsibilities include swiftly addressing threat concerns and taking the appropriate precautions to prevent future and similar attacks.
3. Security Engineer
A security engineer guards computer and networking systems against possible hacking by finding potential security flaws. A security engineer's primary task is to monitor and log analyses of multi-vendor security solutions. With multiple cyber security training courses under their belt, a security engineer understands an organization's typical security vulnerabilities and mitigation approaches.
4. Penetration Tester
To become a penetration tester, one must first pass a degree in cyber security and ethical hacking. Penetration testers, often known as ethical hackers, attempt to hack into an organization's cyber system in order to analyze the strength of its security system rather than to steal data. They are primarily in charge of testing, identifying, and correcting an organization's computer security vulnerabilities.
5. Security Auditor
A security auditor's function, like any other auditor's, is to audit a company's security systems in order to protect it from cyber thieves. To understand their position and responsibilities, these experts must undergo a cyber security audit training course.
6. Security Analyst
Cyber security analyst training primarily teaches individuals how to defend an organization's digital security by studying security policies and practices. Your daily task will be to identify the flaws in an organization's infrastructure and devise innovative strategies to secure it. Their responsibilities also include developing, executing, and improving security procedures and controls.
7. Forensic Expert
A profession as a forensic expert in cyber security entails investigating the reasons for a breach to determine how it occurred and who committed the crime. This function necessitates being thorough with evidence handling and even instructing first responders on how to deal with electronic evidence such as computers, hard drives, or portable devices.
8. Security Manager
A security manager is a seasoned expert who understands an organization's cyber security system and assigns resources and authority to other personnel.
Ready to Make the Next Move in Your Cyber Security Career?
Technology is advancing, with greater security breaches and data theft by hackers targeting both large and small enterprises. Due to the increase in cybercrime, cybersecurity careers are more in demand than ever before, with possibilities in the public, commercial, and government sectors.
Do you want to work for the government in a technology-related field? Do you envision yourself working with cutting-edge computer systems to secure sensitive data from cyberattacks? A government cybersecurity career might be a good fit.
Working for certifications is another method to narrow and enhance your talents and make your resume more desirable to companies. Ready to jump in? Search for available jobs now!We’ll walk with you on the journey to your dream career.