Cyber Security

Most people turn on their computers and go about their business online, rarely thinking about what goes into protecting their information from prying eyes. If you do online banking, download software or music on iTunes, or even play games with your kids, your information is being sent out and distributed online. Savvy hackers can access your information and use it to impersonate you, access your money, or run up fraudulent charges on your credit card. Once you realize what hackers can do with your information, imagine what they can do with high-risk security information such as the computer networks of the Government or law enforcement. It is the job of a Cyber Security Professional to protect networks, personal information, and highly classified data, both large and small.

The first step in the career path for someone interested in becoming a Cyber Security professional would be to obtain the educational requirements. Many Universities across the USA offer Bachelor and Masters level degree programs that focus on certifications as Information Systems Security Officers. The basis of these programs lay in Computer Science, as it is the software coding that forms the building blocks of cyber security. An additional degree in Criminal Justice could also serve you well in a career path such as Cyber Security.

The United States Military is another great place to get started in a career as a Cyber Security professional. The Military focuses on Homeland security, and as such will allow you to continually train and update your skills in order to best protect the important information systems of the Military and the Government. Homeland security focuses on more than physical protection, it concentrates on high functioning communications systems. Communication is the key to protecting the country, and it is one of the jobs of a Cyber Security professional to protect communication systems.

If you are interested in this career path, be sure to gain practical experience as you attend school. Find yourself a part time position as a security professional and begin to assess for yourself how security works within certain infrastructures. Thinking outside the box is often the best course of action with any position, and these types of analytical skills cannot be taught in school. If you come across a business that you feel should be better protecting their information, volunteer yourself to help them out.

Open source community software is yet another area to improve your practical skills while you are attending school. There are many open source projects that require coding on a constant basis, and as they grow, they require security such as firewalls and SSL. Finding and building solutions for community software is a good way to gain practical experience.

A career as a Cyber Security professional can be extremely rewarding, even at the most basic level of protecting a small business or an individual server. As you grow in this profession, you can make a very real contribution to the safety and security of the people in your Country.

Earn Your Cyber Security Degree Online

Become familiar with one of the fastest-growing areas of criminal justice, which focuses on the recovery of digital information that has been used to commit crimes ranging from identity theft and embezzlement to cyber stalking and homicide.

Explore these accredited online computer security degree opportunities below and request free no obligation information from any that interest you.

We recommend getting information from several schools so you can compare the programs, costs, time commitments and financial aid options.

Utica College

Cybersecurity - Cybercrime Investigations and Forensics (Bachelor's)

Utica College is one of few colleges in the United States offering a fully online Cybersecurity degree program at the undergraduate level.

Walden University

BS - CJ - Computer Information Systems and Security

The B.S. in Criminal Justice - Computer Information Systems and Security program is designed to help you gain the skills and knowledge to prepare for a career in law enforcement, the justice system, corrections, homeland security, and social services.

American InterContinental University Online

The online Master of Information Technology degree with a concentration in Internet Security is a team-based program and is one of the few in North America solely dedicated to providing graduates with the up-to-date Information Technology and skills required in today's competitive market.

• Internet Security (Master's)
• Computer Forensics (Bachelor's)

Kaplan University

BS - CJ - Computer Crime

Kaplan University's online program emphasizes the political, governmental, and constitutional framework of the American legal system, while developing your communication, critical thinking, and research skills. Students can select elective courses that focus on a particular legal topic.

Capella University

MS - Information Assurance and Security

This online master's specialization in Information Assurance and Security is designed around the domains of knowledge in the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) certification.

Read more about the computer security industry:
National Cyber "Czar", New Cybersecurity Platform
Lieberman said that the cybersecurity coordinator would manage cybersecurity activities over all federal agencies, provide tactical leadership and guidance to the president and control power and assets to make modifications as needed. The cybersecurity adviser is needed "to ensure that the classified work conducted by Department of Defense and intelligence agencies is informing the defensive actions taken by our domestic agencies."

Invasions of Cyber Privacy
Learn how to get the peace of mind that comes with knowing your computer, and the part of your life it contains are safe are immeasurable.

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