Is becoming a security engineer right for me?

The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:

Overview
What do security engineers do?
Career Satisfaction
Are security engineers happy with their careers?
Personality
What are security engineers like?

Still unsure if becoming a security engineer is the right career path? to find out if this career is right for you. Perhaps you are well-suited to become a security engineer or another similar career!

Described by our users as being “shockingly accurate”, you might discover careers you haven’t thought of before.

How to become a Security Engineer

Employers prefer candidates with at least a bachelor's degree in a field such as computer science, computer programming, software engineering, systems engineering or information systems. Some positions require certification and up to five to ten years of experience as well.

Security engineers can also consider getting a master's degree. These programs usually offer a master of science degree in a field related to information systems, and offer courses in designing, researching and maintaining secure systems.

There are a variety of certifications individuals may wish to consider, such as:

CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker
CCNP Security: Cisco Certified Network Professional Security
GSEC / GCIH / GCIA: GIAC Security Certifications
CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional

Students in these programs explore hacker software, network security, computer forensics, cryptography, ethical considerations, program testing, applied mathematics and information system maintenance.