Is An Information Assurance Degree Worth It?
The information technology sector is growing vastly over the last 3-4 decades. The arrival of personal computers, the internet, and different data processing and recording software has been developed to make life much easier.
But like physical data or information that require security, digital data also requires protection from hacking. That is where the information assurance graduate comes in. That being said, is an information assurance degree worth it?
Information assurance degree is one of the most sought out degrees. In the world of information, data security has utmost importance. An information assurance graduate can guarantee the safety of all the data and create an environment of safety that is required. So this degree is indeed very valuable.
To tackle the demand of cyber and information security, every company, firm, bank, government offices, and even local schools are looking to employ an information security expert. An information security expert not only has a vast job sector out there, but it is also growing every day. The usage of the internet and computers has created a huge demand for security experts and that too with a good amount of pay rate.
What Is Information Assurance?
Information assurance is to protect and safeguard the data and information of an organization’s computer and IT systems. It is also to monitor the network and detect any security bugs and breaches. To safeguard the file using advanced software. To create a backup and instant data removal system. To test out the strength of the security and plan how to tackle if a cyber attack was to happen.
What Is An Information Assurance Degree?
An information assurance degree is a degree of learning to protect and safeguard a huge amount of data that is kept in the clouds.
By getting an information assurance degree a graduate will have the ability to safeguard the information in a system from any sort of cyber attack and create a fort around the data. They are also experts in data analysis and cryptography and know how to improve the safety framework in a computer.
A bachelor’s degree in Information Assurance will require 3 years to 4 years and a master’s degree will require around 1 year and 6 months depending on the university and courses. Also, the cost of education varies from university to university.
Is There A Good Job Sector Available?
In this modern world where everything is technology-driven, security is one of the biggest concerns for people all around the world. Every year, cyber-attacks are increasing at a very alarming rate.
Hackers and cyber thieves are continuously breaking down the security protocols and gaining access to private information. Only an information assurance expert can tackle this kind of situation.
It is reported that, in 2016 alone, every 9 companies out of 10 companies in the United States have been attacked by cybercriminals. They are not only attacking small businesses but big companies like Yahoo, Facebook, and even Twitter have faced cyberattacks in recent years. Cyber Terrorism and identity theft have become the biggest concern for the people.
The job sector with an information assurance degree is vast. There is not a single sector where an information analyst and a cybersecurity expert are not needed. If you have a degree in information assurance, you can get a job in any of the listed sectors:
- Government Offices
- Defense and Aerospace
- Banking, Insurance, and Finance
- Telecommunication
- Entertainment and social media
- Health Care
- Industries and factories
- Software firms
Apart from these, you can get a job anywhere where there is a computer and a huge amount of data to protect. Not only there is a huge number of jobs but also different government and non-government sectors are grooming information analysts.
According to a report by BLS, the job sector is going to grow 36% in the upcoming years. Not only that, the salary will see an increase of 20% by 2026, creating a huge demand among the students for pursuing this degree.
Different Career Path With An Information Assurance Degree
There are different career paths you can follow if you have an information assurance degree. This is a vast sector and you have a lot of jobs to choose from. It is a great opportunity for the graduates and it is easier to get employment as there are a lot of choices. A few of the most sought out careers are given below:
Network Security Analyst:
In this job, it is required to monitor the whole network system of an organization. Supervising the network, and the information flow in it, and constantly looking for security breaches is what is required in this job. The salary rate is $90,000 to $150,000 depending on work experience and promotions.
Application Security Engineer:
Different firms and companies constantly use third-party software and applications which can easily result in a cyber attack. To safeguard against these attacks application security engineers are assigned to monitor the process and make it safe for use. The salary rate in this sector is $90,000 to $200,000.
Security Tester:
A security tester’s job is to check the strength of a cybersecurity system installed in a firm. They test and monitor how the software works against cyber attacks and improve the whole system based on the result. Their salary rate is around $70,000 to $140,000.
IS Security Manager:
An IS security manager manages the whole security system and keeps the information safe from any sort of cyberattacks. Their salary is around $100,000 to $200,000.
Software Engineers:
An information Assurance expert can very well be a software engineer. Their knowledge about cyber and information security helps them to build the perfect software to protect their clients. They provide both online and offline security for a system. Their salary is around $100,000.
Web Designer:
Web designers create and design different websites. These websites also require cybersecurity to protect their data from getting stolen and to safeguard private information. The salary of a web designer is around $50,000 to $80,000.
