Farzad Minoo Damania (Career Counsellor and Founder – Career Nurturer) provides insights into the career of Information Security and Ethical Hacking.
Check out the newspaper article publication in Afternoon DC Newspaper dated 12th March 2014, on the topic: “Earn a living from Hacking ... Really?
Article Title: “Earn a living from Hacking ... Really?” – Career in Information Security and Ethical Hacking
Article Date: 12th March, 2014
Article on: Afternoon DC Newspaper
Article Author: Farzad Minoo Damania (Career Counsellor - Mumbai)
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| Career in Ethical Hacking and Information Security |
You can read the entire transcript of the article below:
Do viruses, trojan horses, denial of service attack, server hijack or cyber crime tickle your fancy? If so, then you may consider a career in Information Security and can even become a certified Ethical Hacker. Farzad Minoo Damania, Career Counsellor at Career Nurturer (www.careernurturer.com) provides an insight into the field of IT security and ethical hacking.
What is my job role?
Information Security Analysts or Ethical hackers or Penetration Testers are hired to analyse the existing IT infrastructure, find out security vulnerabilities that exist in the IT network, and provide fixes, patches and solutions to the loop holes. You have to plan, monitor and implement the security of computer networks and data of the company.You will also assist the organization to create a disaster recovery plan, i.e. a procedure that is to be followed in case of an emergency in order to maintain maximum uptime of the servers and applications. You will be working closely with other IT administrators (server, network, database and storage admins) for setting up procedures of backup, recovery and security of data and information.
Is this the right career for me?
Hackers are always in search of finding new ways to break into secured systems. Thus as an IT security professional or Ethical Hacker, you will have to keep abreast with the latest technology and keep updating your skills to deal with new unknown challenges. If you stop learning, your knowledge will be obsolete in no time. You have to adapt yourself in order to stay a step ahead of the cyber attackers. You have to be alert, tech savvy, and possess strong base in understanding concepts of IT networking, operating systems and programming. You should possess an investigative nature with strong analytical thinking and problem solving ability. Since you will be in control and have access to important and confidential data of the company; you should be honest, and possess strong work ethics and integrity.
What to study?
Before getting into the nitty-grittyof IT security, you will have to develop a base in concepts of hardware, programming, networking and operating systems. Understanding TCP/IP protocols, UNIX/Linux commands, and programming such as C++, Perl, Ruby, Python will be advantageous. Thus a graduate degree in Computer Science or Information Technology will be your first step. So after your 12th (Science – PCM) you should pursue B.E. or B.Sc. in Computer Science or Information Technology. You may then consider M.E. or M.Sc. in Cyber Security or Information Security. Pursuing short term certification and diploma courses in networking, operation systems, hardware, programming and security along with your coursework is helpful.
How to have career growth?
Pursuing certifications in IT security can be of great help in your career growth. Some of the well known certifications in IT security are: Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and CHFI (Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator) offered by EC-Council;Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) offered by ISC2; GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) and GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA) offered by GIAC; Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA - Security), Cisco Certified Network Professional Security (CCNP - Security) and Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Security (CCIE - Security) offered by Cisco; Security Certified Network Specialist (SCNS) and Security Certified Network Professional (SCNP) offered by SCP.
What are the job avenues?
Use of internet is increasing worldwide, and so is the increase in cyber-crime. Thus, IT system security professionals and ethical hackers have become an integral part of the IT industry. You may find employment as an IT security expert in government and private organizations. Majority of the hiring is be done by IT companies. But nowadays, banks, financial institutions, hotels, airlines, retail and e-commerce firms, online and social media companies, defence and military agencies, forensic and investigative agencies also directly hire security administrators.
How much will I earn?
As a fresher, you may start with a salary of around Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh per annum. After gaining few years of experience and passing few IT certifications in security, you may earn between Rs. 6 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh per annum. After good work experience, you could also work as an independent security consultant for organizations.
For any queries on career counselling or aptitude testing contact Farzad Minoo Damania on 9833971773 or email at farzad.damania@gmail.com
Your feedback is highly appreciated.
Best Regards,
Farzad Minoo Damania
Career Counsellor, Psychotherapist & Trainer
Founder - Career Nurturer
Mob: 9833971773
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