Smart Career Moves - Consider Becoming an IT Security Consultant

Anyone who has been paying attention lately no doubt knows that the area of security has become increasingly important in our lives. This increased focus on security, including computer and IT resource security, has created a growth industry in the field of IT Security, and many IT professionals feel that IT security is poised to become the next big thing in this ever growing and changing industry.

More and more IT professionals and students, regardless of their background and previous experience, have been looking into this field for growth opportunities and ways to increase both their salaries and their job satisfaction.

Even though the world of IT security can be an exciting and potentially lucrative one, it is important for would be IT security personnel to understand the demands of the job and to make sure that their own skills and personalities are a good fit. The successful IT Security Consultant often works long hours, and the job often goes unnoticed until a problem arises. IT security personnel must remain ever vigilant, on the lookout for viruses, Trojans, denial of service attacks and data theft from both within and outside the company.

IT security workers also are asked to shoulder a heavy burden within the organization, and they can gain a reputation for being a sort of traffic cop, stopping employees from performing actions, like surfing restricted web sites or sending personal email, that they feel they have a right to do. It is important that those employed in this field have good interpersonal skills in order to deal with these potential conflicts. While many company managers recognize the fact that their employees should not be visiting porn sites, playing fantasy football, playing role playing games or gambling at the office, others may not, and it is important for those employed in an IT security role to have the skills necessary to support and implement their security procedures.

It is also important to understand that the road to a successful career as a network security engineer or IT security consultant can be a long and difficult one. Most of those who are successful in this field are those who already have many years of experience in a wide variety of network environments and IT fields. This prior experience is a very valuable tool in the IT security field, and it is important for those seeking such jobs to get as much training as they can on a variety of different platforms and operating systems. This type of training, on both the hardware and the software of the security solution, is an important prerequisite for success.

In the field of IT security, it is often the generalist, as opposed to the specialist, who will succeed. A good IT generalist may have wide ranging experience in such areas as client support, database creation and repair, networking protocols, computer maintenance, programming, etc. All of these skills may be called upon in order to design an effective and user friendly security solution, and these skills can prove quite valuable in a variety of IT security roles.

Just as important as hardware and software skills are the so-called soft skills, such as customer service, project management, problem solving and the like. It is important for those working in the field of IT security to possess good interpersonal skills, and to be able to work with both rank and file employees and management personnel. The support of upper management will be critical to the successful implementation of any IT security project, of course, but so too will be the acceptance of the worker on the floor. Without this type of support, few IT security projects will be able to succeed, and these interpersonal skills, combined with the ability to sell an idea or concept, are indispensable parts of the IT security person's day to day job.

The world of IT security encompasses a number of different job roles and job titles, not only network security engineer but security specialist, security technician, security analyst and security auditor. Each organization may use a combination of these job titles, in addition with other job titles of their own, to describe the skills and personnel they need to make sure their companies and their data are secure.

The title of security specialist or security technician is typically an entry level or junior position within the world of IT security, and those workers may be just starting out or just getting started in the security field. These workers may come from many places, both within and without the organization, including help desk personnel and systems administration. The duties of this position may include managing a specific aspect of the security protocol, such as the maintenance of antivirus updates and security patches.

These individuals may also help the security engineers in a variety of day to day security tasks, thus gaining valuable experience while still making a good living. This type of position, as a learning position, often does not require the extensive set of credentials and level of experience that higher level jobs would command. These workers may hold an associate degree in a computer related field in addition to hands on training and experience. While not required for many positions, certifications such as CompTIA A+, Network+ or Security+ can be helpful, and a SANS CSEC certification can be a plus as well.

The midlevel positions within the IT security field are often held by those workers with a couple of years of experience in the field. The workers in this field may have worked their way up from lower levels within the security apparatus, or they may have come from other related areas such as system administration or software development. These positions typically require more involvement with the day to day operations of the security systems, including the installation and configuration of firewall arrays, the conducting of vulnerability assessments and audits and the implementation of company wide security protocols.

These midlevel employees typically will require little or no supervision, and they should be able to accomplish the tasks required on their own. These workers may also assist the security engineers on an as needed basis, and they should possess a solid foundation in the principals of security and the terminology of the industry. Workers at this level often will possess a two or four year college degree in a computer related field, as well as the skills and training needed for the position. Some of the most useful certifications for these midlevel positions include SCNP or the ISC2 CISSP, as well as SANS GCFW, GCWN and GCUX. Vendor specific certifications such as Microsoft's MCSE Security can also be helpful.

Resting firmly at the top of the security job world is the network security engineer. The network security engineer will typically be the most senior and the most accomplished individual, performing jobs that are demanding both technically and professionally. The IT professional who achieves this level of success will typically have at least five, and often many more, years in the security field. Those workers at this level may find themselves leading and supervising other security professionals. They may also be charge of the security division or serving on the staff of the Chief Information Officer.

These individuals are also likely to be responsible for the design and architecture of the security solution, along with strategic planning and the testing and evaluation of new products and equipment. These senior level security professionals may be expected to provide advice to the CIO or CISO regarding information security issues that could affect the organization. They may also be asked to work on compliance and regulatory issues for senior management. These workers will most likely possess at least a bachelor's degree, and perhaps a master's degree as well, in a computer related field, and they may hold such certifications as CISSP, CISA and even a SANS GSE certification.

Gaining the skills, knowledge and training needed to reach the pinnacle of success in the world of IT security can be a real challenge, but for those who are up to the challenge the rewards can be great indeed. It is important for anyone who feels that security related positions may be a good fit to do plenty of research, and to start working toward the educational and certification goals they need to achieve their dreams. CBT Planet is proud to offer a number of IT certification and computer training programs designed to help IT security professionals learn and grow in their careers. Among the certification programs we offer are Microsoft, CompTIA, Red Hat, IBM, Cisco, Sun and more. Contact CBT Planet today and let us help you toward your IT security employment goals.