Hack Attack: What's Next for Cyber Security? #CyberWarriors Wanted

Hands down, the Sony extortion hack and security breach was 2014’s Cyberattack of the Year. WIRED.com calls the massive attack the first high-profile extortion breach that involved threats of data leaks. The attack paralyzed Sony Pictures by locking employees out of company computers for days, involved death threats and concerns about widespread attacks on movie theaters, resulted in the pirated release of an upcoming movie, and shut down the planned release of the studio’s highly touted film, The Interview.

New Type of Cyber Warfare

This particular cyber breach also was further proof that hacking has moved beyond the stereotypical misfit geek to an extremely professionalized operation. Somehow, the hackers gained access to Sony’s internal systems and disrupted the company’s ability to function. It wasn’t the first such attack but was the most sophisticated and WIRED suggests it could be the prelude to more and similar attacks on major business targets. As we learned, it doesn’t take an attack on government computer systems to impact America from coast to coast. This breach had the cyber security industry scrambling for solutions on how to prevent another such attack in the future…and how to stop one if it should get pass the initial firewalls.

#CyberWarriors

Who you gonna call? Not Ghostbusters in this case…but #CyberWarriors, aka cyber security and forensic analysts. More and more, Computer Security and Network Security Specialists are finding themselves on the front lines of a different sort of battle – cyber warfare, if you will. They’ve become indispensable members of any company’s or government’s security team, charged with developing solutions to prevent hackers from stealing information or creating havoc on computer networks. Theirs is a challenging, ever-evolving job. One that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says will be among the fastest growing career options in an emerging digital age. Whether working for a government agency or any company with a computer network, cyber security analysts are needed to protect sensitive information.

Sound like an exciting career choice?

If you’re interested in becoming a #CyberWarrior, Fortis College in Centerville is interested in you. The campus offers an Associate’s degree program in Cyber Security and Forensics that prepares students for a computer forensics career in a variety of areas, including IT, computer and network security, and digital forensics. To learn more about becoming a #CyberWarrior, call 855.436.7847 or visit www.Fortis.edu