Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing fields, not just in computer science but arguably in all industries. What is even more fascinating is that no matter how many newly trained cybersecurity professionals emerge each day, there is still a need for many more. The industry is in dire need of people, not only with the knowledge but also with the passion to make the cyber-world a safer place for everyone.

What Makes Cybersecurity So Attractive?

It is more than just the blinking lights and the clandestine nature of security. We spoke with a group of cybersecurity professionals, and it is clear that part of the allure of cybersecurity is that, unlike many other professions, there is no pure path into the profession. Cybersecurity practitioners come from a variety of unpredictable and often unlikely industries. Here are just a few of their stories:

Fareedah Shaheed | (@CyberFareedah) | LinkedIn

Information Technology was my major in college. It was extremely boring. So my father said, “Hey, there’s something called cybersecurity. It’s not really new, but the concept in terms of having a degree and is widely known as new. You’re a Muslim woman. You’re black. It’s going to be something where you’re not going to have a lot of representation, but you’d be someone who would bring a lot to the field.” So I researched it for four months, and I changed my major. Shortly after that, I opted out of college, I got an internship at a corporation, and that was where I got real-world experience with cybersecurity. I worked in threat intelligence and cybersecurity awareness. I love cybersecurity awareness the most. I realized that what I needed to create a real impact was to create a business.

Gary Hibberd | (@AgenciGary) | LinkedIn

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