Studying Cyber Security

There’s been an explosion in the number of people connected to the internet through computers, phones (or even their cars, televisions and pets!). By 2020, there will be nearly 200 billion such connected things. We use these devices to store and process personal information, financial information and confidential and sensitive information, like trade secrets, government records and business plans.

This leaves all of us, governments and firms included, vulnerable to cyber security attacks. Being a victim of these attacks can have consequences ranging from loss of information to financial woes to even national security breaches. To avert and minimise these negative episodes, we need suitably qualified cyber security professionals.

Some of the most popular universities in the United States that offer programmes in cyber security include:

• New Jersey Institute of Technology
• University Of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Maryland University
• Northern Arizona University
• University of Central Oklahoma

Salary and Career Prospects

Cyber security professionals are needed by virtually every company in every sector, including IT and tech, retail and hospitality, banks, pharmaceutical companies and the government.

Some of the roles IT graduates take up are Cyber Security Engineer, Cyber Security Technology Specialist, Cyber Security Advisor, Cyber Security Incident Responder and Security Analyst.

Salaries vary depending on qualifications, job role, location and experience. As a guide, cyber security professionals take home an average of $139,000 a year (97 lakhs INR).

Why study in USA?

The United States of America is the most popular destination for international students. Its universities are widely regarded as being among the best in the world for teaching, learning and research. In fact, American universities consistently outrank non-American universities in QS World Rankings every year.

The US economy is the world’s largest. The country is the birthplace of conglomerates like Amazon, Dell, Microsoft, Citi Group, Ford and Walmart. American companies operate in pretty much every sector or industry, ranging from IT and technology to pharmaceutical to retail, transport, and hospitality. Different regions of the United States are known for excelling in different industries. California, for example is a world-leading IT and technology hub and New York is a major business, banking and finance hub. In addition to this, several international agencies like the United Nations, World Bank are headquartered in USA.

The country is a popular tourist destination, with millions of tourists drawn to its vibrant cities, breathtakingly beautiful national parks and landscapes, excellent dining, hospitality and leisure options and historic buildings, museums and art galleries. New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle are among the biggest cities.

There is no language barrier because English is the de facto official language. However, USA is a multicultural country and several hundred languages are spoken at community level.

International graduates are able to apply for a post-study work permit, or optional practical training (OPT) as it is called in the States for a period of up to 36 months.