LaRochelle 1

Mary LaRochelle
Mr. Rubio
Lesson 8
March 12th, 2015
According to Clearance Jobs, Cyber Security is one of the most sought after careers in
employment market right now. A Cyber Security Engineer is a computer systems engineer that
specializes in making computer systems secure. Cyber security engineers must configure servers,
workstations and networking devices to meet security requirements. They must also document
the network architectures and systems they are working on. Cyber Security Engineers need to
know how to create technical papers and PowerPoint presentations. Engineers must perform
security audits on systems; this includes looking at audit records, permission and security
controls. According to RAND Corp, A nationwide shortage of qualified cybersecurity
professionals could threaten the business operations of millions of private-sector employers,
This makes it a good career for me to pursue due to the high demand, high salary and its fit to my
personality.
To be successful as a professional in a Cyber Security Field, one must have a good
understanding of how computer software, hardware and networks work. They must have
excellent critical thinking skills in order to solve problems. They must also have good
documentation skills and the ability to pay attention to details. Cyber Security engineers must
also have good ethics and integrity. Cyber Security Engineers make between $80,000 and
$120,000 in San Diego, CA. According to CIO.com, the average salary nationwide is $116,000.

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Most state colleges and universities, such as San Diego State, offer Bachelors degrees in
Computer Science, Mathematics and Electrical Engineering. These colleges and universities
offer the basic skills for computer systems and Information Technology, but technical colleges
typically provide the specialized degrees and classes for computer security. Coleman University
and National College are two technical schools that offer Associate's and Bachelors degrees in
network security. In addition to a degree, most Cyber Security Engineers also have to obtain
several certificates, such as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP),
Cisco Certified Network Professional Security (CCNIP), and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).
Other careers that are related to this field are System Administrators, Network Engineers,
Systems Engineers, and Database Developers. All of these fields specialize in computer systems
and may involve configuring systems so that they are secure. The difference is that a Cyber
Security Engineer specializes in security for computer systems. They provide an independent
validation that the Systems Administrators, Network Engineers and Database Engineers have
configured their systems correctly to maintain security. Cyber Security engineers frequently
work with other computer system engineers. My alternate choice career choice would be a
Systems Administrator.
My Personality Survey results indicate that I would be good in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics. My strengths include collecting logs of data and providing
detailed answers which is required when doing an assessment of a computer system. It says I
would be good at making a realistic assessment of any information gathered. Since ethics and
integrity are very important to this career, this strength would allow me to provide accurate data

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in my reports. I also have a good rapport with people which is important in most careers since we
have to work with people.

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Work Cited
Bracher, Emily, Computer Systems Analyst, US News, 28 Feb 2015.
College of Computer Networks, Coleman University, 2 Feb 2015.
Corbin, Kenneth, CyberSecurity Pros in high demand, Highly Paid, and Highly Selective,
CIO.com, 8 Aug 2013.
Cyber Security Engineer in San Diego, Indeed.com , 2 March 2015.
Libicki, Martin, Hackers Wanted, Rand Corporation, 28 Feb 2015.
Masters of Science in Cyber Security and Information Assurance, National University, , 2 Feb
2015.
Rodriguez, Diane, How to prepare for a Career in Cyber Security, Clearance Jobs, 10 Dec
2013.