Every business wants to protect itself. In physical security, that means having guards, locks, or security cameras to keep property safe. The same is true for digital and online assets.
The growing demand for cybersecurity professionals is driven by the necessity to protect organizations from malicious actors looking to steal valuable data or information, or gain access to critical operational systems.
In fact, as more organizations move to the cloud and their employees go remote, the risk of cyberattacks increases — making the need for cybersecurity even more crucial. Hackers may find a way in through an old server, an unsecured Wi-Fi connection accessed from a remote worker’s laptop, or a misconfiguration in a cloud application.
With more organizations building knowledgeable cybersecurity teams and investing in best-in-class cybersecurity tools and technologies, now is an ideal time to advance a career in cybersecurity.
If you already have a bachelor’s degree or a few years of IT experience, earning a master’s degree or graduate certificate in cybersecurity can accelerate entry and advancement in this rapidly growing field.
My journey at Harvard Extension School went beyond achieving a milestone; it acted as a catalyst for advancing my career.
Why Cybersecurity Is in High Demand
Cybersecurity is an in-demand profession that attracts problem-solvers, technology lovers, and those who are invested in protecting valuable information and assets.
From retailers to government agencies, and from health care systems to tech companies, every industry is vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Cyberattacks have surged in recent years, including a National Public Data Breach in 2024, which stole 2.9 billion personal records across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Although the need for cybersecurity talent is high, there is still a shortage of qualified professionals. This means it’s an ideal time to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
The Benefits of a Cybersecurity Career
High demand & job security
Organizations across every industry have an urgent need for cybersecurity expertise as they build security teams in-house or turn to knowledgeable service providers for threat hunting or detection monitoring.
There is currently so much demand for cybersecurity professionals today that as of 2025, there’s an estimated 457,398 positions waiting to be filled. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, opportunities are anticipated to grow 33 percent through 2033.
The high demand for cybersecurity professionals means there’s also plenty of job security. Cybersecurity is so diverse that individuals can focus on general or specialist areas. And they can find work inside organizations, at small service providers, or can even freelance as consultants.
According to instructor David Cass, cybersecurity offers a wide range of options.
“If you’re highly technical, there will be things like ethical hacking, application, security, security engineer, and architecture,” he says. “Then, there are other less technical specialties that are focused on governance or running organizational security operations. There is almost a niche for everyone.”
Since every industry can be impacted by cyberattacks, they will all be looking for cybersecurity professionals — it’s not a profession limited to one sector. As technology evolves, new cybersecurity jobs will be created as well, such as new roles centered around AI.
Competitive salaries
Cybersecurity is a relatively lucrative industry; it’s a high-demand job that requires a significant level of technical expertise, and effective cybersecurity can save organizations millions or billions of dollars. According to Glassdoor, in 2025, entry-level positions can see a median salary of $92,000 per year.
Additionally, a cybersecurity analyst makes an average of $126,000 per year, a cybersecurity risk manager makes an average of $171,000 per year, and a chief information security officer (CISO) makes an average of $273,000 per year.
Continuous learning
The field of cybersecurity must evolve at the speed of technology, meaning there’s always something new to learn and determine how to protect. Cybersecurity professionals must also keep pace with hacker sophistication and learn their tactics and approaches to ensure security strategies stay relevant.
If you love continuous learning and problem-solving for new challenges, cybersecurity provides countless opportunities for intellectual growth.
Prerequisites and Transferable Skills
Do you need prior IT experience to get into cybersecurity?
Many cybersecurity professionals start their careers in helpdesk, systems administration, or development roles. While having foundational IT, networking, or coding experience can make the transition smoother, it’s not the only pathway to success.
However, if you find that gaps in your knowledge are holding you back, there are many opportunities for training.
GRC vs. technical roles
Some roles in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) can be less technical, but still benefit from robust IT knowledge. This solid foundation is key across all cybersecurity pathways, from entry-level positions to senior leadership.
Core Cybersecurity Career Paths
There are a wide range of specializations and job roles that cybersecurity professionals can pursue, depending on your interests and skills.
Security Operations (SOC Analyst, Incident Response)
Incident responders identify, respond to, and remediate cyberattacks when they happen and analyze an attack after the fact to improve security in the future. They are involved in day-to-day defensive tasks, network monitoring, and threat response. Cybersecurity practitioners in this area need to know how to lead teams through incident response playbooks and how to piece together the clues of an attack.
Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing
Penetration testing, or pen testing, is a skill used to assess how strong an organization’s security infrastructure is and where its vulnerabilities are. Professional pen testers hack into a system to find weaknesses and vulnerabilities that need to be shored up and to test an organization’s detection and response efforts.
If you’re interested in offensive security tactics, pen testing allows you to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)
Cybersecurity GRC analysts build strategies that manage cybersecurity policies and procedures across their organization. They also manage how much risk their networks, hardware, or cloud environments create, as well as ensure that their organization is compliant with today’s cybersecurity frameworks like NIST and ISO 27001.
If you are interested in the non-technical aspect of this field or you have a background in business, IT Audit or compliance frameworks may be promising career pathways.
DevSecOps and Secure Application Development
Cybersecurity professionals can work with DevOps teams, or application development and IT operations teams. Instead of waiting for an application or product to be deployed and then making sure it’s secure, DevOps security — or DevSecOps practitioners — ensure that security practices are employed in the pipeline before a product is deployed.
Additionally, considering that attacks on software supply chains have increased during the past five years — and continue to grow — cybersecurity practitioners focusing on secure application development ensure that the components that go into applications are free from vulnerabilities, bugs, or malicious code.
Third parties or open source libraries are particularly prone to vulnerabilities, and those with a background in coding will never be bored.
Identity and Access Management
Identity and access management focuses on user access to various networks, assets, and data, and how that access is managed. As network perimeters change with the rise in cloud adoption, it’s crucial that everyone who is supposed to have access does, and those who don’t have access can’t get in.
Network and Cloud Security
Data breaches can result in massive damage to organizations that aren’t protected. Network managers, analysts, or specialists focus on protecting that data — like personally identifying data, intellectual property, or data guarded by HIPAA — by monitoring how data is accessed and shared, and by using detection and response to prevent breaches.
Cybersecurity architects create secure architectures, making sure that the systems upon which the organization is built are protected. They also create security policies, frameworks, and processes — like who has access to networks or how data is stored — to make sure that everyone is safely using their technology.
My courses at Harvard instilled in me the confidence to differentiate myself — and they undeniably did; I found myself working in the cybersecurity field even before completing my certificate!
How to Get Started: 7 Actionable Steps
If you’re drawn to the problem-solving, investigative, and technical nature of protecting organizations, here’s how to get started in cybersecurity as your next career.
Step 1: Assess your interests and IT foundation
Reflect on the aspects of cybersecurity that most interest you. Explore your existing technical know-how, as well as your prior experience, to assess where to start. If you’re interested in evolving your skills beyond the help desk, assess your interests, career goals, and dedication to the field to see if cybersecurity is right for you.
Step 2: Learn the basics (self-study & foundational resources)
There’s a lot of technical knowledge that cybersecurity practitioners must have in order to be successful, including coding, networking, and security fundamentals. Start learning those fundamentals by reading books about cybersecurity, frequenting online magazines or blogs hosted by security companies, listening to podcasts, reading case studies on incident response, and seeking beginner-friendly platforms or classes that teach you a programming language.
Step 3: Gain practical IT experience
Cybersecurity is a varied and applied discipline, so consider gaining practical experience to see what being a cybersecurity professional is like on a daily basis through an internship to gain real-world experience.
Just a few years in helpdesk, system administration, or development can be invaluable to building a strong foundation in cybersecurity.
If you are more drawn to non-technical roles, GRC and IT Audit roles may be a better fit.
Step 4: Formal education: cybersecurity degrees and certificates
To accelerate your learning, career placement, and earning potential, consider getting a degree in cybersecurity. Harvard Extension School’s Cybersecurity Master’s Degree Program can fully prepare you for a career in cybersecurity by building your understanding of network and cloud infrastructure, security policies and compliance, and risk mitigation strategies, as well as giving you hands-on experience through a capstone project. This 12-course degree program was created to meet the rising demands for skilled, knowledgeable cybersecurity practitioners.
If a full degree isn’t in your scope, consider starting with a certificate program that can introduce you to the knowledge and skills needed to start your career in cybersecurity. Harvard Extension School’s Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate will teach you the basics of cybersecurity that act as a stepping stone along the way to a potential master’s degree.
Step 5: Build a home lab or portfolio
Hands-on projects like Capture the Flag events or competitions or engaging in GitHub repositories allow you to practice and demonstrate your skills to potential employers.
Step 6: Network and join communities
Cultivating connections is a great way to find open doors to new professional opportunities. Cybersecurity conferences, local meetups, and groups on social media like LinkedIn are ideal settings to meet practitioners, learn about new technologies, and hear talks about problems cybersecurity professionals solve every day.
Networking often leads to job opportunities or mentorships, so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for advice or guidance.
“The way you stand out is you have experience, you demonstrate passion, and you build up a network,” says Cass. “That is why doing these courses at Harvard is a phenomenal way to build out your network.”
Step 7: Keep evolving!
Cybersecurity is an always-evolving field, and practitioners need to stay informed on industry trends and continue to build upon their skills.
Continuous learning can also involve pursuing relevant certifications like CISSP or Security+, as well as staying updated on the latest cyber threats. Resources to support your knowledge include industry magazines, blogs, podcasts, case studies, classes, and conferences.
Why a Master’s in Cybersecurity Accelerates Your Path
Cybersecurity attacks are on the rise, but attacks yet to come could be stopped before they happen by skilled and knowledgeable cybersecurity professionals like you.
Advanced education can shorten the IT experience gap if you need to learn new skills or refresh existing ones, and expedite your pathway to specialized or leadership roles.
Discuss how advanced education can shorten the “IT experience gap” and get you into specialized or leadership roles faster.
Harvard Extension School’s master’s in cybersecurity is designed for real-world applications in this dynamic field.
