1. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.
In the US today, there are roughly 40,000 job openings in cybersecurity without suitably trained personnel to fill them. The same technologies that are transforming modern society in so many positive ways are exposing it to assaults on data privacy, payment systems integrity and vital computer infrastructure accessibility. Hardware and software alone are not sufficient to deter, discover, react to and recover from cybersecurity attacks; what is required are skilled people. The current unemployment rate for cybersecurity professionals is near or below zero. Demand is high and far exceeds supply.
2. Salaries.
High demand does not always equal high pay. Teachers, for example, are always in demand and rarely paid well. Moreover, high pay does not usually correlate with abundant opportunities. (i.e. Major League shortstop is a highly lucrative career with virtually zero job openings.) However, in cybersecurity, both demand and compensation are up with average income three times the national average for full-time employees. Money is not always the primary motivation for why people are excited to go to work, but it’s usually an important factor.
3. Skillset.
When something is fairly easy, one generally can’t expect high demand and high pay though this is not true for cybersecurity professionals. The reason for this is that while technical skills can be taught a highly developed capacity for conceptualizing, integrating various components and problem-solving is unique and special — and something for which Yeshiva students with their background in Talmudic analytic discourse are uniquely equipped. Cybersecurity is engaging, stimulating, and exciting technology-focused work.
4. Intensely Dynamic.
Technology is in a perpetual state of change and so is cybersecurity. The struggle between technology makers and technology breakers is not new, but quick-changing technology is engendering even quicker-witted thieves. Today, denial-of-service attacks, point-of-sale intrusions, attacks on Web apps, abuse by insiders, ransomware, cyber-extortion, malevolent QR codes and malicious fonts are only some of the ways we are under attack. Cybersecurity work is unquestionably not repetitive and boring.
6. Personal Value.
Cybersecurity professionals quietly do their jobs providing committed, faithful and honorable service to their businesses, countries, and civilization as a whole. It is more than just our networks, devices, servers, applications and data that is under attack; it’s also our entire way of life. Just like law enforcement professionals or firefighters, the cybersecurity profession will increasingly be recognized and acknowledged as an essential and significant vocation.
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