Careers in Cyber Security – A Growing Trend

Why B.Tech in Cyber Security?

With increased reliance on technology in today’s time, the world is facing a constant threat of cyber fraud and attacks. Human society is increasingly dependent on technology now. Right from online transactions, apps for socializing, job applications, or chatting apps, among others, digitization is permeating our lives like never before.

This ensures that graduates with a B.Tech in Cyber Security are going to gain good job prospects with competitive salaries. B. Tech in Cyber Security is a 4-year UG degree that focuses on a thorough understanding of topics like network security, intrusion detection and prevention, design and analysis of algorithms, cryptography, and cybercrime.

In this new way of life, individuals are becoming vulnerable to cyberattacks. Even those with high levels of education and social standing are falling prey to the data phishing scam. Since both cybersecurity and national security are related in today’s era, we have cyber criminals with sophisticated tools and hacking systems continuously targeting governments, businesses, and regular people with data breaches and cyberattacks.

How does B.Tech in Cyber Security help to build careers that help serve the nation’s interests?

A B.Tech in Cybersecurity can be a powerful tool for students who have an ardent interest in discovering the science of protecting data from threats, manipulation, and cyberattacks while diligently preventing and mitigating their effects. It is the perfect time to build a career in cyber security. A B.Tech graduate in Cybersecurity can deep dive into the shadowy intricacies of social media, learn to recognize the sneaky clues of scams, and discover tools to build security awareness for people to defend against phishing and other malicious attacks.

The field needs qualified individuals with the knowledge and technical skills to identify, prevent, and respond to cyber threats. A B.Tech in Cybersecurity equips graduates with:

• Network Security: Understanding network vulnerabilities and implementing security measures.
• Cryptography: Encrypting data to protect it from unauthorized access.
• Ethical Hacking: Identifying and exploiting security weaknesses to find and fix them before attackers do.
• Incident Response: Containing and mitigating the damage caused by cyberattacks.
• Digital Forensics: Investigating cybercrimes and collecting evidence.

Graduates can help organizations implement robust cybersecurity measures, through:

• Secure Coding Practices: Developing software that is resistant to attacks.
• Vulnerability Management: Identifying and patching vulnerabilities in systems and software.
• User Education: Training employees to recognize and avoid cyber threats.
• Incident Response Planning: Having a plan in place to respond effectively to cyberattacks.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring organizations comply with data privacy and security regulations.

Apart from technical expertise, a Cybersecurity professional should also have:

Critical Thinking: Analyzing complex security threats and devising solutions.

Communication Skills: Collaborating with stakeholders and communicating security risks effectively.

Lifelong Learning: Keeping up with the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape.

B.Tech in CSE (Cyber Security) @ VIT

According to Dr. Ramani S., Associate Professor, Information Security at VIT Vellore, awareness related to cybercrimes is essential, as it can affect the country’s critical infrastructure like banking, e-governance, and air traffic control, among others. These systems rely on the internet, and very often, phishing links carried forward through Facebook, Telegram, or Microsoft Teams are used by cybercriminals to breach security. For this reason, a B.Tech in Cybersecurity is apt for students who are fascinated by ethical hacking and tricky threat intelligence systems and are eager to gain advanced knowledge of malware reverse engineering, penetration testing, and cyber forensics. Dr. Ramani also mentions that the VIT Information Security curriculum is affiliated with NASSCOM.

The B.Tech CSE program with a specialization in Information Security at VIT focuses on the understanding of the key elements in creating a security and privacy awareness plan. This is achieved through a set of activities, projects, and labs that support the framework of IT sectors. The curriculum guides the students in how to maintain digital records and conduct investigations to determine the nuances of sophisticated threat intelligence. Also, the curriculum includes lectures, theoretical & practical knowledge, and projects to garner a strong understanding of the subject while increasing the student’s capability to solve complex practical problems.

Given the pervasiveness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern culture, VIT is making sure that students receive adequate training on cyberattacks and cybercrimes. Given the economic progress of our nation, VIT is adhering to government directives for the training of upcoming IT specialists in cybercrime and hacking to prevent such cyber threats and crimes.

To quote our Dean of SCORE (School of Computer Science and Information Systems) School, Dr. Sumathy S, “Since we are in the digital world, a lot of data is getting transferred every day. As we go with massive data, we can experience a lot of vulnerabilities. There needs to be some mechanism where people try to provide some security or authenticity and where the data will not be attacked. UGC has even suggested that courses related to cybersecurity should be introduced in schools. The job market for data scientists and cybersecurity professionals is extremely vibrant and is expected to enhance more in the next 20 years.”