Day by day the opportunities to students increasing along with great competition for jobs. Such a new opportunity is network security management.

Why the demand for network experts is increasing?

The demand for experts in this field increasing day by day as the cyber attacks increasing. Information theft has reached terrifying proportions , computer- criminals maliciously attack network security systems and steal confidential information, intercept data transfer, hack email accounts, spread viruses and even commit identity theft. All that hackers need is an infinitesimal loophole to breach the most secure corporate, bank or even government website to wreak mischief, damage or even sabotage. So the need to provide security to network become a crucial thing.

Recent attacks that affected big organizations

The News of the World was a national newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011 over 168 years lost its honor and told good bye to its readers because of phone hacking scandals

So what has to be done?

In order to ensure safety from attacks every company must have a group of network experts. That’s why network security become a good career option for young graduates.

Skill set required:

A network expert must have a sound knowledge of programming and networking concepts. He must have to know all the loop holes possible in the network as loop holes are only the way to attacks.

Who can perform this task?

To say simply hacker is the person that can perform this task very well.So the person who perform network security must know at least basics of hacking.

Why hacker is required?

To repair a car a mechanic is needed ,he is person who knows how all the parts of car’s work and what kind of problems may arise. In the same manner hacker is the one who know how to attack, so he is person that knows how to defend an attack.But these hackers are called ethical hackers.

Concept of ethical hacking:

Ethical hacking is a hacking that involves in ethics. These people are also called as white hats. And those people are certified by standard institutes.

How their work  provide safety to network?

Ethical hackers actually attack their own computer networks! Yes, these ‘white hats' are actually paid to attempt to penetrate or crash the security system in a bid to detect potential vulnerabilities and suggest changes to increase the safety. This pre-emptive measure tests the effectiveness and quality of the network systems and prevents intrusions before they occur.

This  job extends unique and interesting functions like quantitatively assessing and evaluating current weaknesses, threats and flaws that can compromise the network security and designing impenetrable systems to keep the information as secure as possible.

White hats are not criminals

The term hacker does carry negative connotations, but it proffers a legitimate occupation for computer experts to keep the bad guys out.They use the same techniques and tactics to breach security protocols as their shadier counterparts, but from an ethical standpoint.

Career wise

Ethical hacking (or penetration testing, intrusion testing, red teaming) is a bright and lucrative career option as large companies are beginning to maintain their own teams of ethical hackers.

A survey by the International Data Corp states that the worldwide demand for information security professionals is 60,000 and companies such as Wipro, Infosys, IBM, Airtel and Reliance are always looking for good ethical hackers.

Scope:

You can work as an information security specialist/consultant with security firms or a full-time company employee; freelancers are not as preferred by established companies in India. Ethical hacking opens the doors to a multitude of IT based entry-level job positions like Network Security Administrator, Network Defence Analyst, Network Defence Infrastructure Support, Web Security Administrator, Server Administrator, Application Security Tester, Ethical Hacker/Penetration Tester, Security Auditor. Else, you can opt for secured programming, cryptography.

The job role can extend from authorised hacking to network security surveillance, security tools installation and maintenance, application testing, wireless LAN assessment. There is immense scope for career growth and progression up the ladder – a Network Security Administrator of today can move on to NS Manager, then NS Officer and even become the Chief Information Security Officer in the future.

Similarly, the career graph of an Application Security Tester rises through AS Developer, AS Manager before Chief Application Security Officer. Security Certified Programmers can also progress to Security Project Managers.

Remuneration:

In India, pay packages start from Rs.3-6 lakhs per annum and can even go up to Rs.30 lakhs depending on background, experience and job function. Top employers are Wipro, Accenture, IBM, Dell, Google, Cap Gemini, etc.

Qualifications:

You can opt for formal training or learn it on your own through experience. However both government and corporate sectors are more likely to hire ethical hackers with verifiable credentials. You also have to regularly update your knowledge through workshops, seminars, trade magazines and industry conventions to be aware of the latest tools, techniques and technologies.

Some of the most prevalent professional training certifications in India are:

• Certified Ethical Hacker (EC-Council)
• Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator (EC-Council)
• GIAC Certified Penetration Tester (GPEN) offered by SAN

Be remember:

To be a network expert one must have to know every thing about new operating systems, soft wares, hardware equipments to become a successful ethical hacker.

So keep on learning all the best.