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Taking an In-Depth Look at a Masters in Cybersecurity

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Cybersecurity is a growing industry, and there is an increasing demand for experts who know how to help protect individuals and organizations from data theft and cyber-attacks. If you are considering moving into this area of work, want to boost your skills, or refresh your qualifications, then a masters in cyber security can help you to achieve this. Through the use of online teaching and simulated environments, you will have the chance to put your new skills to the test in a real-world environment. Whether you are new to the world of cybersecurity or are just looking to develop your existing skills, this guide will take an in-depth look at a masters in cyber security.

What is a master in cyber security?

The masters in cyber security is a masters course that can be completed 100% online. This means you can access it from any location at a time that works for you. The masters in cyber security can be completed in under 18 months, and there are no GRE/GMAT requirements in order to enroll, and as soon as you are accepted, you can begin your studies. The course features many interesting modules, such as:

  • Enterprise Security
  • Foundations of Cyber Security, Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing
  • Machine Learning with Applications in Cybersecurity
  • Risk Management and System Hardening and Protection
  • Data Mining for Cyber Security

The masters in cyber security will give you the skills and knowledge required to work with organizations or individuals in order to keep them safe from different kinds of cyber threats and combines flexible online teaching with hands-on learning and interactive experiences. You will have the chance to work with many industry professionals, and the course will also help prepare you to become certified, as it is partnered with the EC-Council and CISCO Academy. This course will prepare you to work in a range of different cyber security roles and positions, helping you to advance to higher, leadership-based roles within a company and industry that you are passionate about. 

Who is it for?

This course is designed for networkers, software developers, systems engineers, and security specialists who would like to move into the field of cybersecurity. The masters in cyber security will build upon knowledge and skills you already have, giving you the ability to confidently and competently work in these positions. 

Furthermore, this course can also be studied by those who do not have a background in computer or information science. The masters in cyber security gives you the option to study a Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity in order to prepare you to undertake the course once this certificate has been completed. You will then be able to use the skills and knowledge gained during your completion of the certificate course to progress through the masters in cyber security and pursue your career in this field.

If you want to study further but want a flexible option that you can fit around your other life commitments and your job, then the masters in cyber security could be the perfect option for you. There are many different traits and skills that a cyber security expert needs to have in order to succeed in this area. These are both personal skills and technical expertise, and they include:

  • Leadership

As you advance into higher cyber security positions, you will often be taking more of a leadership role. This involves teamwork and communication skills, as well as the ability to motivate, organize and plan to achieve different goals and aims. You will need to be able to present ideas and methods, make decisions efficiently, understand risks, and other work with your superiors in order to reach appropriate solutions.

  • Teamwork and communication

You will often be working as part of a larger team or across different departments and will need to be able to work as part of a team in order to reach goals and aims. Furthermore, communication skills are important as you will often be educating others, or conveying complex ideas and information to those who may not have the same levels of understanding as you. Knowing how and when to adapt your communication approaches to suit different situations is very important both when speaking to others and when working as a team. 

  • Willingness to learn

With new threats appearing rapidly, you will need to be willing and able to learn all the time. You will also have to be able to understand and learn about new methods and technologies, regardless of how experienced you are and how long you have been in your role. Being up to date with all of the latest developments means that you can offer the best services and solutions to those you work with, keeping yourself and the organizations at the forefront of cyber security.

Cybersecurity Overview

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computer systems and networks from data theft and malicious attacks. This can include the protection of different digital devices, software, systems, and networks and is an incredibly important part of protecting data and information in a variety of contexts, from business to mobile computing. There are different categories when it comes to cybersecurity, including:

  • Application security – Keeping software and devices threat-free
  • End-user education – Training people to be aware of threats and ensuring that they do not accidentally introduce a virus to a secure system through human error
  • Disaster recovery and business continuity – This focuses on the way in which an organization responds to a cyber security incident or another loss of operations or data event. The organization should have a plan to fall back on when trying to operate without certain resources (business continuity), and the disaster recovery policies dictate the way in which the organization restores its information and operations in order to return to the capacity as before the event occurred. 

The masters in cyber security can teach you about all of these methods and categories of cyber security, and how they can be implemented within the industry or area that you already work in. There are numerous types of cyber threats, and new ones are appearing all the time, which increases the need for cyber security experts to work within and with businesses, organizations, or individuals in order to protect themselves, strengthen their protections and recover after an event, as well as educating staff.

Career outcomes

Cyber security experts are required in a huge range of industries and help both organizations and individuals. The masters in cyber security can help prepare you to work in a number of roles across different fields. Some of the roles that you could work in after graduating from the cyber security masters include:

  • Cryptographer
  • Penetration tester
  • Security engineer
  • Security director

These are just a handful of the variety of roles that you could work in, and the masters in cyber security can help you understand where your passions and strengths lie in the world of cyber security. You will have access to a high level of training, as well as the opportunity to engage in live projects, active research, develop your coding experience, and use cloud-based labs to combat real-life cyber security challenges.

Why study online this degree online?

The masters in cyber security is taught completely online, which makes it a flexible learning option for those who cannot commit to full-time, in-person education for a number of reasons. There are numerous benefits to taking online classes, from helping you save money to developing important personal skills, and the masters in cyber security can help you advance your career from the comfort of your own home. There are also many benefits to furthering your education and pursuing a masters degree. In general, the jobs that are available to you are of a higher level when you have a higher level of education. These roles also typically come with increased salaries, and therefore a masters degree could be a worthwhile investment that ends up paying for itself in the long run. 

Costs

One of the main reasons that you may choose not to further your education is the large costs involved in being a student. This includes things such as travel, rent, living costs, tuition fees, and educational resources, and it can all add up to make further education financially unviable for many. The masters in cyber security is competitively priced and can be studied completely from home. This means that many of these costs can be removed or reduced. For example, you won’t have to commute to classes every day or rent campus accommodation, and you will also be able to work and earn money alongside your course. You may also be eligible for financial support from the university, as well as other benefits such as student discounts. 

Location

The ability to learn from home can give you more control over your learning environment, helping you to create an atmosphere in which you can learn comfortably and efficiently. If you don’t enjoy learning in a classroom setting, online study can give you the tools and freedom to set your own learning pace and to develop healthy learning skills and habits that you can use in the future. This is especially useful in cyber security, as you have to constantly learn new techniques and ideas as the industry develops. 

Furthermore, online courses give more people access to different types of education from institutions that they may not be able to attend in person due to their location. If your local university or college does not offer the level or subjects that you need to study, you may have to change your plans. This can cause a delay in your career advancement, as well as causing you to potentially waste time and money studying something that you don’t want or need. 

Flexibility

The flexibility and control offered by online courses are another major draw for a lot of people. The masters in cyber security can be accessed from any location, at a time that suits you, giving the ultimate control over your learning experience. You can make the course work for you and fit it around the rest of your life. You can also control the pace at which you learn, which can go a long way to improving your enjoyment and efficiency at learning. If you do not enjoy learning in a classroom or lecture theatre environment, then having more control by learning in your own time can help you to learn better. You can take as much time as you need to go over information, revisit it and ask for assistance when you need it. 

Skills

As well as the technical knowledge the masters in cyber security will provide you with, it will also give you the opportunity to develop important and valuable personal skills that can help you thrive in the workplace. These are what are known as soft skills, and they are a set of transferable, non-technical skills that employers look for on a resume. There are many that are particularly useful for those working in cyber security, such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and attention to detail. When you study online, you will be developing many of these skills without even realizing it. 

For example, there are many unique challenges that come with distance learning, and you will need to utilize your problem-solving skills in order to overcome them. Perhaps you are getting distracted and need to make a change to your learning environment or need to self-motivate in order to complete a tricky module. These skills are vital in any workplace, and you will have practical examples of times when you have used them to provide to employers in a job interview or on your resume.

Your Next Career Move 

A masters in cyber security can help you move your career into an area you are more interested in by developing the knowledge you may already have. Cyber security is important in many fields and industries, and this course can help you to work in a security role in an industry you are already passionate about. You will gain skills and experiences to help you move into higher-level positions, boosting your existing knowledge and helping you stand out in a pool of applicants.