Cybersleuths: help wanted: computer experts to purge hackers and other criminals from our digital systems

Career World, Sept, 2005 by Carole Moore

Do you want to foil evil plots, hunt international criminals, and bring bad guys to justice? You don't need a big red S on your chest. Instead, become a cybersleuth and solve crimes like the computer crash that cost one travel company a small fortune.

How long was the company's site off-line? Only two hours. How much money did the company lose? A whopping $10,000 per minute. "A big virus outbreak literally brought down their Web page," says Scott Newman, head of the information technology program at Oklahoma State University at Okmulgee. "They couldn't communicate with the outside world." In the end, that break-in and the resulting lack of communication cost the company a cool $1.2 million.

Cybersecurity problems such as that one keep the information security field hotter than a jar of jalapeno peppers. If you want to get in on the action, read on to see if cybersecurity is the right career for you.

A WIDE-OPEN FIELD

Cybersecurity technicians go by various names, including information assurance specialists. They use their knowledge of encryption to secure information infrastructures. The work can involve anything from restoring hacked systems to chasing cyberterrorists. They work for private companies and government agencies worldwide and must stay current with brand-new technology.

Some entered the field because their employers needed cybersecurity and sent them for training. Others dove in as teenagers. For example, Christopher Klaus founded an Internet-based security firm when he was still in high school. The firm became a great success, and Klaus donated $15 million to Georgia Tech University in 2000--not bad for a kid who once described himself as a "science nerd." Today, Klaus's company, Internet Security Systems, is a leader in the field of corporate cybersecurity.

Corporate security is only one slice of the cybersecurity pie. Lance Hawk, a Philadelphia-based computer forensics expert who trains investigators for law enforcement agencies, says the field is crammed with career choices. Hawk says the demand is high for specialties ranging from detecting and countering computer viruses, worms, "Trojan horses," and spyware to cracking cases of cyberfraud (using a computer to steal property or services).

"Right now [cybersecurity] is one of the top jobs in the FBI," Hawk says. Applicants usually must be 23 years old, but the need for experts in this area is so great that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is making exceptions to that requirement.

HOT, HOT, HOT ... WITH SALARIES TO MATCH

The FBI isn't the only agency with this profession at the top of its most-wanted employee list. Almost every federal, state, and local government agency--including the U.S. armed forces--needs skilled cyberinvestigators. At some colleges, students interested in cybersecurity can apply for a program called Scholarship for Service (SFS), funded by the National Science Foundation. SFS pays for books and tuition and provides students with an allowance and a summer internship. In return, SFS recipients must work for the government for two years. (For more information, visit www.sfs.opm.gov.)

Martin Goslar of Phoenix, Ariz., is the principal analyst for E-PHD, a cybersecurity research and analysis company. Goslar says salaries for qualified, experienced cybersecurity analysts can range from $70,000 to $90,000 a year--with corporations paying their chief security officers even more. "This is a job that requires brains," Goslar says. "You need a logical, rational, mathematically oriented mind-set."

Oklahoma State's Newman says the best candidates for success in the field are those who not only enjoy technology but also respect its technical side. Individuals who simply like cruising the Internet probably won't find a home here. This field is for people who like to take the computer apart. "They're people who are curious, the ones who like to tinker with stuff and see how it works," Newman says. Indeed, security specialists learn to collect evidence from a computer by taking it apart and removing storage devices for analysis.

SCIENCE, MATH, AND LANGUAGE

If you like a mental challenge, then this field may be for you. This highly demanding profession requires a solid education in a variety of areas. Hawk outlines minimum studies for students planning to enter the field: keyboarding, logic classes, investigative techniques, PowerPoint, and other presentation methods. "Make sure you take all the science, math, and computer classes you can," Goslar advises.

As for education, he says, a community college can be a good place to begin. Many universities, including Oklahoma State University, provide degree programs in information assurance and forensics. Other schools offer information technology majors with course work in security. Some technicians complete postgraduate work.

Hawk adds, "Take a second language." The potential for dealing with international cases is strong in this field. "Spanish has helped me a million times," he says.

What else is a budding cybersecurity specialist expected to know? The answer may surprise you. "Ethics. It's so easy to cross the line from an ethical standpoint in this business," Hawk says. For example, in order to learn how to combat hackers, you need to know what hackers know--without using that information to break the law.