What is the most exciting part of your job in computer security?

Hi Liz,
Take a look at recent movies in the thriller/action genre like James Bond or Jason Bourne stuff. Then check out https://www.dhs.gov/topic/cybersecurity.
Then check out pretty much any news site with today's headlines. Cybersecurity is the new battle front against the fastest growing criminal sector, and it touches almost everyone worldwide. This industry is never boring and growing continually.
Take the computer out of "computer security". This is just as much about human vulnerabilities as it is software, so many majors you can pursue would be applicable.
It's the people across the globe that I and my coworkers help protect that keeps me coming back. Knowing what we do matters really is the best part.

I work for a Security company and my favorite part is teaching people about the dangers--it's so easy for cybercriminals to do bad things. We make tools that help people protect themselves and I love that part of the job, too. Teaching people about those tools.

I'm not an Engineer but I bet it's pretty fun to figure out ways to outsmart the bad guys :)

Best,
claire

Liz,
Its a great question and something I can relate too. My father was in the computer industry and I frankly thought his job wasn't very interesting either. However, what I learned was that the computer industry (technology) was and is an industry of innovation, change, and an opportunity to touch the lives of millions of people - for the better. To answer your question on computer security specifically, there truly isn't a more dynamic and impactful part of the technology industry than security. This is because the innovation of the technology industry can not reach and impact all of us unless its security. Computer security is part strategy (out thinking criminals), problem solving (thinking through how to improve and protect), and innovation (thinking about the 'what could be').

The last thing I'd leave you with is advice that I received from my father. In ANY industry - there are all sorts of roles you can play. All industries have marketing roles, sales roles, product roles, finance roles, etc. The key is to think about an industry that is dynamic and offers you choice to learn, grown, and do things that excite you.

Hi Liz
As some of my fellows that already answered your question, I work for Symantec, but I've been in this information security industry for more than 16 years, and believe me is just starting to grow and the fun is getting higher everyday, the more threats in the market the more fun you will have working in this industry. I started to know and learn about this security field when I was at school, a long time ago, in the early 90s, I found out what a virus was and what it does by infecting a computer and then understanding how to clean it and avoid future infections. Here at this industry you have a lot of options of jobs in sales, engineering, advisory services, support services, training services, etc. The most amazing part of this job is that you realize that you are helping the world to be a better and safer place, so it's kind of a job in which you will have a lot satisfaction everyday.
I challenge you to join us!
Felipe

In today's environment, everything is connected to the internet. It is no longer about the desktop computer at your house. Car's, vending machines, your home thermostat, handheld devices, medical equipment are all connected to the internet. They are connected so that they can share important information and that information, is that the bad guys want access to. In essence, outside of the employee's, information is the second most valuable asset to any company.

What makes this so interesting you ask? Well, imagine you having the ability to ensure every smart car arrives safely at its destination with no incident. Because of this, you are Think even bigger, due to the security, enabling smart cars can help reduce traffic congestion and global warming. All of this is due to the importance of connectivity and security. This is just one industry being positively impacted because of the skilled individuals in our security industry.

In the end, a job in computer security is about a "mission." It is about solving for something greater than you to allow people to live their lives freely and safely every day. Whatever career you choose, make your decision because of the greater impact you can make. You will find great fulfillment when you enjoy what you do. I encourage you to try different things and roles even in the security industry. I am confident you will soon understand what that greater impact feels like. It is a responsibility we own being part of Symantec and one that I take very seriously every day!

As a computer security professional, your mission is to prevent the bad guys from stealing our passwords, credit cards and precious data. Now when people like you and me use our computers to surf the Web and connect with friends, it is very difficult for us to know which "clicks" are ok and which are bad. What is exciting about our job as a computer professional is to outsmart the bad guys but without spoiling the experience for people. And that involves a lot of complex logic that needs to be built to figure out what is "bad behaviors and patterns" used by bad guys and very selectively blocking them. If you got the logic right, you just saved the world a little bit more from the bad guys. If you got the logic wrong, you end up deleting an important photo or email that you got from your best friend. It is exciting to be solving those problems every day and be Mr Sherlock Holmes. :)

Feeling like what you do day-to-day at work is making a difference. Cybersecurity is prominently in the news now and this field is one of the few white collar industries where you can help "fight the bad guys".

Hello Liz,

Great question that everyone should ask about their career/job. For me its all about the dynamics and continuous movement in this industry. Cyber criminals finds new ways to use on daily bases! to breach organizations, steal date etc. What make it special is that you need to be updated on a daily bases. You will never ever get bored of Cyber Security. On the other hand from the client side who usually expect you to know every thing, that's the challenge you will enjoy the most during your daily work when you meet your clients from different background and different industry.

Reach our will be more than happy to give you more insights.
Thanks
HA

My role in the company is to constantly keep abreast of new abuse, fraud and piracy trends to make sure we detect and address them before they start impacting our customers and our company.
This is really exciting, cause you keep learning new things every day and never get bored, as the environment we operate in is changing dynamically.
What I also like is that you continuously face challenges and practice you 'thinking outside the box' skills, as well as collaborate with people from most departments in the company, which is not only good networking opportunity, but also helps you to get an overview what's going on and may go wrong. This is a good part, cause by collaboration you're not left on your own with solving the problems and by getting input from others you learn, as well as make sure that solutions you come up with are the best possible.

Contributing to making the world a safer place for all

For me, Information Security is exciting because it is so dynamic. A 15 years ago, it was about securing a perimeter. A decade ago, about securing remote locations and users. Five years ago it was mobile devices. Now it's all about the Cloud. The conversations and principles are the same, but the technology changes. And think of it this way... In what other industry could you protect the nations infrastructure one day, and personally identifiable information the next?

Hey Liz,

Working as an engineer in IT Security , there is nothing more exciting than feeling like a apart of an army protecting your network against the Bad Guys out there. Makes you feel like keyboard super hero :)

Hi Liz, I work in a security company, so online security is the main focus for everyone in our company. We not only worry about the security for just our company but also the security for everyone in the world! It is our job and our company's mission to help everyone to be protected in the world from harms on the Internet. I'm working in the Marketing function, and my job is to tell people how our company has the best product in the market that can provide protection for them, so they can feel confident when they are connected in the cyber world! The exciting part of my job is to be able to tell people how cool our products are and to hear all the feedback from the customers that what we are doing here really helped them! It makes me feel that I have made a difference!

Computer security is a great field. More than a business, this is one field where we can truly see that it helps people around the world going about their digital lives with confidence. As a user, I could be surfing, saving pictures, on FB/twitter, paying bills, doing bank transfers - there is a bad bad world out there of hackers, malwares, and viruses which could be snooping and stealing information behind the scenes. As a security professional, I get immense personal satisfaction that we are the fore front of protecting users from all the bad stuff that happens in the digital world.

Like every other field, digital security is an evolving and exciting field - it's a cat and mouse game - where hackers and security companies one up each other in a on-going basis. I could go on and on about the evolving threat landscape, and how attacks are being very targeted for maximum damage - and what we do as a security company to thwart them.

Hi Liz,

let's be clear - security just on it's own is not necessarily the "sexiest" of industries at a first glance, but here's some interesting facts for you, that might get you more excited:
- IT security is as fast moving as the overall connectivity and device boost is - the more connected devices, internet of things etc. the more you'll see those systems being compromised.
- Security goes beyond just software on a PC or Mobile - it's the home or public network, it's your Fitbit, your Apple Watch and at some point your whole house (authentication to unlock doors etc)
- Depending on what area of security you want to dive into you're laying the groundwork for all subscription based business when you for instance to large partnership deals in the b2c space.

That's just some reasons on why this is a sexy and very well connected industry which will evolve and get more and more interesting over time

Cheers

SArah

I work within the public relations function at a security company and enjoy educating business and consumer audiences about the risks of online crime and the steps needed to protect themselves. Digging into the details of what our research teams see on the front lines of security incidents and translating complex technical details to a general audience is a fun challenge for me. Security is a fast paced industry that keeps you on your toes. I love working for a company that helps protect consumers and businesses from the bad guys.