The world has become interconnected by technology and information. The vast amount of data available to companies has also made it increasingly evident that it needs to be stored and protected. It’s no surprise that there are around 2,300 cyberattacks daily, and that number is only expected to rise, seeing that 2023 saw over 70% more attacks than 2021.
These statistics open the door for valuable employment opportunities for specialists in cybersecurity and risk strategy. A cybersecurity expert in Germany can earn between €58k and €85k per year, and the wages in the U.S. are even higher.
Cybersecurity is a relatively vast field that requires both broad IT and management knowledge, but also dedicated experience that correlates to particular job postings. That makes cybersecurity experts difficult to find, as evidenced by the fact that Indeed currently has around 13,000 positions related to the industry.
If you’re already working in IT or planning an IT career, obtaining a master of science in cybersecurity and risk strategy can help you secure a lucrative position.
Understanding Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy
Cybersecurity risk and strategy analyzes the potential for attacks and creates proactive and reactive defenses against them. A complete risk and strategy outline must include all the potential consequences of an attack, such as financial, reputation, and operational losses. In general, a cybersecurity risk and strategy expert will do the following:
- Identify vulnerabilities in the system, whether they come from technical aspects (improper password storage) or human factors (susceptibility to phishing).
- Outline risk factors and the possible rates of attack.
- Create proactive measures, such as implementing more robust security protocols or training personnel on safe online practices.
- Detect attacks once they do come through via intrusion detection systems or other benchmarks.
- Coordinate efforts to contain and remove threats and recover lost data or funds.
A cybersecurity specialist needs to have expert knowledge in various technologies but also solid interpersonal and psychological skills. That’s why a dedicated master’s degree in cybersecurity can help create a complete skillset for the role.
The Curriculum of a Master’s in Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy
A master’s degree in cybersecurity builds upon the IT essentials from a dedicated bachelor’s program. As such, it will likely cover the following:
- Cryptography
- Secure coding practices
- Operating system security
- Network security
- Penetration testing
- Vulnerability assessment
- Government and national cybersecurity
- Ethics, governance, and law implications of cybersecurity
- Systems and security management
- Incident response tactics
However, even more importantly, a good master’s degree program must provide real-life practice assessments. It will allow students to apply the theoretical knowledge and gain valuable experience throughout the curriculum.
Thankfully, online learning has made this type of approach more accessible. Since cybersecurity is web-related by nature, online courses can give students the full breadth of experience and provide more opportunities for a holistic understanding of the subjects and how cybersecurity advances globally.
Take the OPIT Master’s Degree in Enterprise Cybersecurity as a perfect example of this concept. It’s an online-first master’s program that delves deep into cybersecurity concepts such as network security and intrusion detection, cryptography, and even AI in cybersecurity and systems management. Furthermore, students can sign up for practical internships with some of the industry leaders in data management and cybersecurity systems.
Career Outcomes With a Master’s in Cybersecurity
Since IT is a versatile industry, cybersecurity is no different. Students who obtain a master’s degree in this field can have a slew of openings available to them. Entry-to-mid-level roles include:
- Security engineer: In charge of designing, implementing, and maintaining security protocols.
- Penetration tester: Designs programs that ethically hack into existing systems to uncover exploits and vulnerabilities so they can be patched before malicious hackers can reveal them.
- Security analyst: Analyzes information provided by security systems to uncover possible threats and assist other cybersecurity roles.
Mid-to-senior level roles include:
- Security system architect: Designs and implements secure IT infrastructures. Architects can specialize in one specific sub-field, such as cloud, network, or local systems engineering.
- Security manager: In charge of an entire organization’s security systems and implementation.
- Threat response manager: Directly responsible for minimizing the consequences of an active threat or incident.
- Cybersecurity compliance officer: Ensures that the company follows the most recent ethical and legal standards in implementing proactive measures.
- Chief information security officer (CSO or CISO): A leadership position for broad cybersecurity management in larger corporations.
The Online Advantage: Pursuing Your Master’s at OPIT
If you’re interested in a career in cybersecurity, you might have been discouraged to find expensive or prohibitive local colleges. While in-person lessons have their merits, not all colleges are created equal and provide modern knowledge and practice to sharpen students’ skills and prepare them for work.
That’s why OPIT has designed an all-online master’s degree in enterprise cybersecurity. It’s a fully accredited three-term course providing broad and relevant knowledge in modern cybersecurity mechanics.
However, what sets OPIT apart from traditional online degrees is its close relationship with industry leaders. This is emphasized by the complete support from the institution staff and a close-knit community from its digital campus. The courses are a mixture of pre-recorded content that students gain full access to as well as live classes with guests from companies that can share their experience with cybersecurity measures.
As such, OPIT focuses on teaching students relevant skills and how to apply them in real-world situations. Additionally, the course doesn’t have a final exam but provides periodic assessments through projects and assignments to ensure what you learn sticks.
The master’s degree can last between 12 and 18 months, depending on whether you want to take the classes at an accelerated rate. The admission cost is €6,750, with discounts if you apply and pay the entire fee early. The application process is fully online. You need a background in STEM or a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and be proficient in English.
Becoming a Leader in Cybersecurity
Ultimately, the aim of a master’s degree is to provide students with relevant skills and experience to advance in their careers (or make a significant change).
Apart from teaching technical subjects, the degree focuses on creating situations where students have to apply critical thinking. As mentioned, modern cybersecurity has a significant human factor, so students will also need to develop their interpersonal and management skills if they want to advance to senior-level roles.
OPIT’s master program allows students to partake in interactive projects that will test their newfound knowledge and allow them to flourish in controlled environments with full support from the faculty. This will help reinforce their knowledge and allow them to be more adaptable in the future.
Learn From the Best With OPIT
Since cybersecurity is a rapidly-advancing industry with extreme potential for growth, prospective IT specialists need to be proactive with their learning. Online courses such as OPIT’s master’s degree in enterprise cybersecurity provide all the relevant skills and experience to create a foothold for a successful career in the industry.
Take the next step in your career and upskill yourself with OPIT. Click here to learn more and apply.
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From the same author
Read the articleWritten on April 24th 2024
Source here: Il Sole 24 Ore (full article in Italian)
Open Institute of Technology: 100 thousand IT professionals missing
Eurostat data processed and disseminated by OPIT. Stem disciplines: the share of graduates in Italy between the ages of 20 and 29 is 18.3%, compared to the European 21.9%
Today, only 29% of young Italians between 25 and 34 have a degree. Not only that: compared to other European countries, the comparison is unequal given that the average in the Old Continent is 46%, bringing Italy to the penultimate place in this ranking, ahead only of Romania. The gap is evident even if the comparison is limited to STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) where the share of graduates in Italy between the ages of 20 and 29 is 18.3%, compared to the European 21.9%, with peaks of virtuosity which in the case of France that reaches 29.2%. Added to this is the continuing problem of the mismatch between job supply and demand, so much so that 62.8% of companies struggle to find professionals in the technological and IT fields.
The data
The Eurostat data was processed and disseminated by OPIT – Open Institute of Technology. an academic institution accredited at European level, active in the university level education market with online Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the technological and digital fields. We are therefore witnessing a phenomenon with worrying implications on the future of the job market in Italy and on the potential loss of competitiveness of our companies at a global level, especially if inserted in a context in which the macroeconomic scenario in the coming years will undergo a profound discontinuity linked to the arrival of “exponential” technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and robotics, but also to the growing threats related to cybersecurity.
Requirements and updates
According to European House Ambrosetti, over 2,000,000 professionals will have to update their skills in the Digital and IT area by 2026, also to take advantage of the current 100,000 vacant IT positions, as estimated by Frank Recruitment Group. But not only that: the Italian context, which is unfavorable for providing the job market with graduates and skills, also has its roots in the chronic birth rate that characterizes our country: according to ISTAT data, in recent years the number of newborns has fallen by 28%, bringing Italy’s birth rate to 1.24, among the lowest in Europe, where the average is 1.46.
Profumo: “Structural deficiency”
“The chronic problem of the absence of IT professionals is structural and of a dual nature: on one hand the number of newborns – therefore, potential “professionals of the future” – is constantly decreasing; on the other hand, the percentage of young people who acquires degrees are firmly among the lowest in Europe”, declared Francesco Profumo, former Minister of Education and rector of OPIT – Open Institute of Technology. “The reasons are varied: from the cost of education (especially if undertaken off-site), to a university offering that is poorly aligned with changes in society, to a lack of awareness and orientation towards STEM subjects, which guarantee the highest employment rates. Change necessarily involves strong investments in the university system (and, in general, in the education system) at the level of the country, starting from the awareness that a functioning education system is the main driver of growth and development in the medium to long term. It is a debated and discussed topic on which, however, a clear and ambitious position is never taken.”
Stagnant context and educational offer
In this stagnant context, the educational offer that comes from online universities increasingly meets the needs of flexibility, quality and cost of recently graduated students, university students looking for specialization and workers interested in updating themselves with innovative skills. According to data from the Ministry of University and Research, enrollments in accredited online universities in Italy have grown by over 141 thousand units in ten years (since 2011), equal to 293.9%. Added to these are the academic institutions accredited at European level, such as OPIT, whose educational offering is overall capable of opening the doors to hundreds of thousands of students, with affordable costs and extremely innovative and updated degree paths.
Analyzing the figures
An analysis of Eurostat statistics relating to the year 2021 highlights that 27% of Europeans aged between 16 and 74 have attended an entirely digital course. The highest share is recorded in Ireland (46%), Finland and Sweden (45%) and the Netherlands (44%). The lowest in Romania (10%), Bulgaria (12%) and Croatia (18%). Italy is at 20%. “With OPIT” – adds Riccardo Ocleppo, founder and director – “we have created a new model of online academic institution, oriented towards new technologies, with innovative programs, a strong practical focus, and an international approach, with professors and students from 38 countries around the world, and teaching in English. We intend to train Italian students not only on current and updated skills, but to prepare them for an increasingly dynamic and global job market. Our young people must be able to face the challenges of the future like those who study at Stanford or Oxford: with solid skills, but also with relational and attitudinal skills that lead them to create global companies and startups or work in multinationals like their international colleagues. The increasing online teaching offer, if well structured and with quality, represents an incredible form of democratization of education, making it accessible at low costs and with methods that adapt to the flexibility needs of many working students.”
Point of reference
With two degrees already starting in September 2023 – a three-year degree (BSc) in Modern Computer Science and a specialization (MSc) in Applied Data Science & AI – and 4 starting in September 2024: a three-year degree (BSc) in Digital Business, and the specializations (MSc) in Enterprise Cybersecurity, Applied Digital Business and Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI), OPIT is an academic institution of reference for those who intend to respond to the demands of a job market increasingly oriented towards the field of artificial intelligence. Added to this are a high-profile international teaching staff and an exclusively online educational offer focused on the technological and digital fields.
Read the articleWritten on April 25th 2024
Source here: Times of India
The job market has never been a straightforward path. Ask anyone who has ever looked for a job, certainly within the last decade, and they can tell you as much. But with the rapid development of AI and machine learning, concerns are growing for people about their career options, with a report from Randstad finding that 7 in 10 people in India are concerned about their job being eliminated by AI.
Employers have their own share of concerns. According to The World Economic Forum, 97 million new AI-related jobs will be created by 2025 and the share of jobs requiring AI skills will increase by 58%. The IT industry in India is experiencing a tremendous surge in demand for skilled professionals on disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, cybersecurity and, according to Nasscom, this is leading to a shortage of 600,000 profiles.
So how do we fill those gaps? Can we democratize access to top-tier higher education in technology?
These are the questions that Riccardo Ocleppo, the engineer who founded a hugely successful ed-tech platform connecting international students with global Universities, Docsity, asked himself for years. Until he took action and launched the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT), together with the Former Minister of Education of Italy, Prof. Francesco Profumo, to help people take control of their future careers.
OPIT offers BSc and MSc degrees in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, Cybersecurity, and Digital Business, attracting students from over 38 countries worldwide. Through innovative learning experiences and affordable tuition fees starting at €4,050 per year, OPIT empowers students to pursue their educational goals without the financial and personal burden of relocating.
The curriculum, delivered through a mix of live and pre-recorded lectures, equips students with the latest technology skills, as well as business and strategic acumen necessary for careers in their chosen fields. Moreover, OPIT’s EU-accredited degrees enable graduates to pursue employment opportunities in Europe, with recognition by WES facilitating transferability to the US and Canada.
OPIT’s commitment to student success extends beyond academics, with a full-fledged career services department led by Mike McCulloch. Remote students benefit from OPIT’s “digital campus,” fostering connections through vibrant discussion forums, online events, and networking opportunities with leading experts and professors.
Faculty at OPIT, hailing from prestigious institutions and industry giants like Amazon and Microsoft, bring a wealth of academic and practical experience to the table. With a hands-on, practical teaching approach, OPIT prepares students for the dynamic challenges of the modern job market.
In conclusion, OPIT stands as a beacon of hope for individuals seeking to future-proof their careers in technology. By democratizing access to high-quality education and fostering a global learning community, OPIT empowers students to seize control of their futures and thrive in the ever-evolving tech landscape.
-
Go to all authors
Related posts
Written on April 24th 2024
Source here: Il Sole 24 Ore (full article in Italian)
Open Institute of Technology: 100 thousand IT professionals missing
Eurostat data processed and disseminated by OPIT. Stem disciplines: the share of graduates in Italy between the ages of 20 and 29 is 18.3%, compared to the European 21.9%
Today, only 29% of young Italians between 25 and 34 have a degree. Not only that: compared to other European countries, the comparison is unequal given that the average in the Old Continent is 46%, bringing Italy to the penultimate place in this ranking, ahead only of Romania. The gap is evident even if the comparison is limited to STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) where the share of graduates in Italy between the ages of 20 and 29 is 18.3%, compared to the European 21.9%, with peaks of virtuosity which in the case of France that reaches 29.2%. Added to this is the continuing problem of the mismatch between job supply and demand, so much so that 62.8% of companies struggle to find professionals in the technological and IT fields.
The data
The Eurostat data was processed and disseminated by OPIT – Open Institute of Technology. an academic institution accredited at European level, active in the university level education market with online Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the technological and digital fields. We are therefore witnessing a phenomenon with worrying implications on the future of the job market in Italy and on the potential loss of competitiveness of our companies at a global level, especially if inserted in a context in which the macroeconomic scenario in the coming years will undergo a profound discontinuity linked to the arrival of “exponential” technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and robotics, but also to the growing threats related to cybersecurity.
Requirements and updates
According to European House Ambrosetti, over 2,000,000 professionals will have to update their skills in the Digital and IT area by 2026, also to take advantage of the current 100,000 vacant IT positions, as estimated by Frank Recruitment Group. But not only that: the Italian context, which is unfavorable for providing the job market with graduates and skills, also has its roots in the chronic birth rate that characterizes our country: according to ISTAT data, in recent years the number of newborns has fallen by 28%, bringing Italy’s birth rate to 1.24, among the lowest in Europe, where the average is 1.46.
Profumo: “Structural deficiency”
“The chronic problem of the absence of IT professionals is structural and of a dual nature: on one hand the number of newborns – therefore, potential “professionals of the future” – is constantly decreasing; on the other hand, the percentage of young people who acquires degrees are firmly among the lowest in Europe”, declared Francesco Profumo, former Minister of Education and rector of OPIT – Open Institute of Technology. “The reasons are varied: from the cost of education (especially if undertaken off-site), to a university offering that is poorly aligned with changes in society, to a lack of awareness and orientation towards STEM subjects, which guarantee the highest employment rates. Change necessarily involves strong investments in the university system (and, in general, in the education system) at the level of the country, starting from the awareness that a functioning education system is the main driver of growth and development in the medium to long term. It is a debated and discussed topic on which, however, a clear and ambitious position is never taken.”
Stagnant context and educational offer
In this stagnant context, the educational offer that comes from online universities increasingly meets the needs of flexibility, quality and cost of recently graduated students, university students looking for specialization and workers interested in updating themselves with innovative skills. According to data from the Ministry of University and Research, enrollments in accredited online universities in Italy have grown by over 141 thousand units in ten years (since 2011), equal to 293.9%. Added to these are the academic institutions accredited at European level, such as OPIT, whose educational offering is overall capable of opening the doors to hundreds of thousands of students, with affordable costs and extremely innovative and updated degree paths.
Analyzing the figures
An analysis of Eurostat statistics relating to the year 2021 highlights that 27% of Europeans aged between 16 and 74 have attended an entirely digital course. The highest share is recorded in Ireland (46%), Finland and Sweden (45%) and the Netherlands (44%). The lowest in Romania (10%), Bulgaria (12%) and Croatia (18%). Italy is at 20%. “With OPIT” – adds Riccardo Ocleppo, founder and director – “we have created a new model of online academic institution, oriented towards new technologies, with innovative programs, a strong practical focus, and an international approach, with professors and students from 38 countries around the world, and teaching in English. We intend to train Italian students not only on current and updated skills, but to prepare them for an increasingly dynamic and global job market. Our young people must be able to face the challenges of the future like those who study at Stanford or Oxford: with solid skills, but also with relational and attitudinal skills that lead them to create global companies and startups or work in multinationals like their international colleagues. The increasing online teaching offer, if well structured and with quality, represents an incredible form of democratization of education, making it accessible at low costs and with methods that adapt to the flexibility needs of many working students.”
Point of reference
With two degrees already starting in September 2023 – a three-year degree (BSc) in Modern Computer Science and a specialization (MSc) in Applied Data Science & AI – and 4 starting in September 2024: a three-year degree (BSc) in Digital Business, and the specializations (MSc) in Enterprise Cybersecurity, Applied Digital Business and Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI), OPIT is an academic institution of reference for those who intend to respond to the demands of a job market increasingly oriented towards the field of artificial intelligence. Added to this are a high-profile international teaching staff and an exclusively online educational offer focused on the technological and digital fields.
Written on April 25th 2024
Source here: Times of India
The job market has never been a straightforward path. Ask anyone who has ever looked for a job, certainly within the last decade, and they can tell you as much. But with the rapid development of AI and machine learning, concerns are growing for people about their career options, with a report from Randstad finding that 7 in 10 people in India are concerned about their job being eliminated by AI.
Employers have their own share of concerns. According to The World Economic Forum, 97 million new AI-related jobs will be created by 2025 and the share of jobs requiring AI skills will increase by 58%. The IT industry in India is experiencing a tremendous surge in demand for skilled professionals on disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, cybersecurity and, according to Nasscom, this is leading to a shortage of 600,000 profiles.
So how do we fill those gaps? Can we democratize access to top-tier higher education in technology?
These are the questions that Riccardo Ocleppo, the engineer who founded a hugely successful ed-tech platform connecting international students with global Universities, Docsity, asked himself for years. Until he took action and launched the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT), together with the Former Minister of Education of Italy, Prof. Francesco Profumo, to help people take control of their future careers.
OPIT offers BSc and MSc degrees in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, Cybersecurity, and Digital Business, attracting students from over 38 countries worldwide. Through innovative learning experiences and affordable tuition fees starting at €4,050 per year, OPIT empowers students to pursue their educational goals without the financial and personal burden of relocating.
The curriculum, delivered through a mix of live and pre-recorded lectures, equips students with the latest technology skills, as well as business and strategic acumen necessary for careers in their chosen fields. Moreover, OPIT’s EU-accredited degrees enable graduates to pursue employment opportunities in Europe, with recognition by WES facilitating transferability to the US and Canada.
OPIT’s commitment to student success extends beyond academics, with a full-fledged career services department led by Mike McCulloch. Remote students benefit from OPIT’s “digital campus,” fostering connections through vibrant discussion forums, online events, and networking opportunities with leading experts and professors.
Faculty at OPIT, hailing from prestigious institutions and industry giants like Amazon and Microsoft, bring a wealth of academic and practical experience to the table. With a hands-on, practical teaching approach, OPIT prepares students for the dynamic challenges of the modern job market.
In conclusion, OPIT stands as a beacon of hope for individuals seeking to future-proof their careers in technology. By democratizing access to high-quality education and fostering a global learning community, OPIT empowers students to seize control of their futures and thrive in the ever-evolving tech landscape.
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