Security Engineering

Every organization in the United States is at risk from cyber threats that can disrupt essential services and potentially result in impacts to public safety. Over the past year, cyber incidents have impacted many companies, nonprofits, and other organizations, large and small, across multiple sectors of the economy. The identification of destructive malware is particularly alarming given that similar malware has been deployed in the past - e.g., NotPetya and WannaCry ransomware - to cause significant, widespread damage to critical infrastructure.

General efforts to help prevent ransomware attacks include maintaining offline, encrypted backups of data and regularly testing your backups; creating, maintaining, and exercising a basic cyber incident response plan, resiliency plan, and associated communications plan, and more.

Pursuing a career in cybersecurity is not as straightforward as other more traditional professions. Doctors and lawyers serve as great examples. In most countries, including the United States, an advanced academic degree is required for each, along with an occupational license. Although there are exceptions to the rule, the general process includes completion of high school, earning a bachelor’s degree, entrance exams and completion of a master or doctoral program, on-the-job training (residencies and internships), and state or multi-state license examinations.