Making the case: Infosec careers

The information security industry needs talent and while there are many ways you can get involved in helping recruit new talent to the industry, no matter what you do, you need some talking points. Fortunately, making the case for information security careers is easy; there are so many benefits of going to school (or back to school) for information security. Here are just a few to help you get the conversation started:

• Diverse work – While much of your work is with computers, the challenges you will face will come from many different sources; you have to juggle everyday security maintenance, training employees, detecting and preventing breaches and creating and managing security strategies.
• Options – Security is a problem across the globe and so is finding talented information security professionals; if you have information security skills, you have the opportunity to work anywhere you want.
• Social interactions – The stereotype is not true; security professionals do not sit at their computers all day in silence. A huge part of the job is working one-on-one with people in every department of the company. This is great for making new connections both personal and professional.
• Rule making – If you like to make (and break) the rules, information security is a great industry for you! You get to decide who has access, what websites people can visit and what policies you want to put in place. All of these rules are to improve security, but it is still fun to be in charge!
• Money – Here is what everyone wants to know – how much money is information security work? It will depend on your specific position and where you are in your career, but according to IT Career Finder, many information security jobs are paying over $100,000.

With all that information, plus your own experience, selling someone on entering the information security industry is easy. Start talking, tweeting and texting about information security careers today – the industry really needs the support!