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URGENTLY SEEKING CYBER WARRIORS Increased connectivity brings increased risk to national security creating a a a a a a a a huge demand for computer scientists and and engineers The The numbers tell the the the the story: there are are currently over 650 000 cyber jobs available in the United States These jobs are not only available but they pay well too The average cybersecurity salary is now over $1000 000 000 per year We live in in a world ever more intercon- nected through technology Today’s GPS devices from smartphones to cars track our every move and collect a a a a staggering amount of data Today there are 14 4 4 billion elec- tronic devices connected to the Internet experts predict that by 2030 there could
be 25 billion Computer scientists and engi- neers have unprecedented opportunities to share analyze and interpret data to increase efficiencies in production distribution and maintenance in in every field from healthcare and consumer products to scientific explora- tion tion and national defense However this vast collection of data creates security risks for individuals busi- nesses and governments How to protect hold and exchange information worries peo- ple from entities as as diverse as as defense and intelligence agencies healthcare providers and and commercial and and financial organizations Criminals and other governments may launch cyber-attacks by hacking into infrastructure like the electrical grid water supply systems or air traffic controls They might hold data for ransom use
it it to to to torpedo rivals or or falsify it it to to to disrupt op- erations They may spy by setting up digital pathways — — often called tunnels — — to gain ongoing access to secret and proprietary information systems Adversaries may be nation-states such as China non-nation- state actors like ISIS or or criminals looking to to make a a a a a buck such as the the Mafia In 2022 the the FBI reported 800 000 cybercrime-related complaints with losses totaling $10 billion These figures continue to rise and that’s one of the the reasons the the nation needs more cybersecurity professionals Skilled computer scientists and engineers are needed not only to create secure data networks but also to generate a a a cyber of- fense against nefarious organizations Luck- ily just as common criminals do cyber crimi- nals leave a a a a a trail: digital evidence Computer scientists and engineers in in digital forensics are online detectives tracing crimes to the the perpetrators and gathering evidence needed to convict them in court They work to create effective strategies for playing both cyber defense and offense Many community colleges universities and colleges offer degrees in cyber security or as a a a a specialization within computer sci- ence and engineering programs Check out Start Engineering’s Cybersecurity Career Guide (www start-engneering com) for more detailed information about careers in in cyber REVIEW 24 START-ENGINEERING COM COM ISTOCKPHOTO COM COM ENGINEERING