Eric
What Skills do I need in order to work for computer security and hacking?
I am asking this question because I am interested in joining this field a number of cyber terrorist are growing and needs more people to defend against them. I've been interested in computer science for a very long time and after long amounts of pondering I figure out that computer security and hacking is the path that I wish to go to. #computer #mathematics
2 answers
Meg Layton
Meg’s Answer
It depends on what you want to do. Computer science, understanding how systems work, is definitely a great starting point. However, you also want to pay some attention to the human aspect of security - you are ultimately using technology to solve a problem created by a person. That makes it personal and you need to understand the person. Other things that may help are critical thinking type classes, or ethics/legal.
Kristin Schrader
Kristin’s Answer
In addition to computer science and IT in general, many schools are offering cyber security as a degree or certification program, so I'd definitely suggest you look into those programs. I would also suggest look at industry certifications such as Certified Ethical Hacker (https://www.eccouncil.org/Certification/certified-ethical-hacker) or Certified in Cyber Forensics (https://www.isc2.org/ccfp/default.aspx). You might need to acquire a degree or additional experience to receive this or other industry-specific certifications, but they are definitely recognized by industry and can help you land a job in this field.