Cyber SecurityFor new graduates with a bachelor’s or master’s degree, there is a hungry market full of computer science jobs available in cyber security for protecting data from hackers, computer viruses, network outages, and other incidents. Due to the increasing number of online attacks against government agencies and private corporations, a new study shows the demand for computer science graduates in the cyber security field is growing at 3.5 times the pace for the overall information technology market, according to the Wall Street Journal. In order to put your computer science degree to good use in one of the most highly in-demand fields nationwide, the following is a list of the three common computer science jobs available in cyber security.

Information Security Analyst

With a strong background in computer science at the bachelor’s degree level, information security analysts are given the responsibility of planning and carrying out extensive security measures in an effort to protect an organization’s computer networking systems from attack. On a daily basis, information security analysts will monitor networks for security breaches, investigate violations, install software to protect information, prepare security reports, conduct penetration testing to simulate attacks, fix any system vulnerabilities, and recommend security enhancements to upper-level management. IT security analysts also create their company’s disaster recovery plan to ensure all employees know the procedures to take in emergency situations to restore proper functioning efficiently.

Computer Forensic Investigator

Also referred to as forensic analysts, computer forensic investigators are typically hired by law enforcement agencies or private consulting firms to retrieve information from computers for evidence in criminal investigations. With their advanced knowledge in hacking, computer forensics, penetration testing, and reverse engineering malware, computer forensic investigators also must rebuild damaged systems to recover lost data that can be used for prosecutions. After retrieving the data as evidence, forensic analysts also are responsible for preparing technical reports, providing testimonies in court, testing cyber security measures for a company’s information systems, and training other law enforcement officers on proper procedures for collecting computer evidence.

Cryptologist or Cryptographer

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in computer science with significant coursework related to information security and linguistics, cryptologists can find employment options in government agencies as well as the private sector. Also commonly referred to as cryptographers, cryptologists are highly trained professionals that must decipher coded messages and generate encoded messages to protect essential private information from cyber attacks. Cryptologists are often involved in creating the secret codes that are used for communicating military secrets, protecting governments, disguising spy communications, and encrypting medical information from prying eyes on the World Wide Web. Although cryptologists are largely employed by the military and government, others find employment in law enforcement agencies, financial service firms, and banks to offer protection from identity thieves.

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In addition to these hot in-demand jobs, graduates with a degree in computer science can also find abundant cyber security career options as security engineers, security architects, security administrators, chief information security officers, security consultants, intrusion detection specialists, penetration testers, virus technicians, and vulnerability assessors, according to George Washington University. Whether you are interested in working for a government department or a technology consulting company, there are numerous computer science jobs available in cyber security that can put you on the forefront of protecting our nation’s computer systems from disastrous online attacks.