We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners.
The field of information security is growing by leaps and bounds each year as more people around the world gain access to smartphones and additional computing devices. Because of this growing demand, information systems security jobs are offered in many areas such as within the government or even many Fortune 500 companies. While this type of job may sound like a great career choice for you, keep in mind that there are many advantages and disadvantages to this job. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Advantages of Information Security
By becoming an information systems security expert, you are the number one person being relied on to provide protection and support to a large network of data, whether that is a group of servers or a hard drive filled with customer information. Many experts in this career field love it for the sense of responsibility and the fact that it can be a challenge almost every day as you fight to fix old problems and solve new ones.
Because of the growing use of technology around the world, there will be tons of crime associated with this technology as people like hackers try to steal vital and important information from a company’s database. This makes information security a very stable job to be in, as companies will always need someone around to protect their data and answer any questions that they may have.
Opportunities in Information Security
When working in the information security field, you also have the option to work in a wide variety of fields that many others cannot. For example, one of the most popular jobs to work in within the information security field is as a forensic analyst. In this type of job, you will be working with a variety of crime-related incidents and will investigate various pieces of equipment to try to both protect and retrieve data. You may also choose to become a system, network, or web penetration tester. As odd as the name sounds; you will be trying to expose security vulnerabilities within a network in order to help improve the security of the network.
Disadvantages of Information Security
There can be some additional downsides to working within the information security field. For instance, many current workers in the field claim that the work can sometimes be somewhat limited and boring. Many workers even say that you are restricted in what pieces of technology you can use and that many companies utilize outdated pieces of technology. This can be very frustrating for many people.
This job can also bring on copious amounts of stress if you don’t take the proper time to relax. Hours can be long and it’s important to remember that you’ll be competing against the best. The best hackers and criminals in the world will always aim to target the IT systems of large companies so it is your job to protect this information. If a flaw is discovered and used to the criminal’s advantage, you just may be out of a job. You must be at the top of your game at all times.
Should you work in the Information Security Field?
Keep in mind that although there were some disadvantages listed, many professionals in this line of work love this work because they are passionate about it. Most workers in this field love to work with computers, code, and hack on a daily basis, and don’t mind the intense pressure of having to maintain a network’s security that may run on older equipment. Whatever career you choose within the information security field, you’ll have quite an exciting and fulfilling life!
