If you glanced at a news site, watched the news or read a newspaper recently, odds are you saw more than one story about a new cybersecurity breach. The fight to keep bad actors out and keep authorized users secure is global, and cybercrime isn’t going to let up any time soon. Security Magazine reports that cybersecurity breaches through September 30, 2021, have already exceeded the total number of events in 2020 by 17%. This situation, combined with other key factors, is creating a big opportunity for people who are interested in a career in cybersecurity. So, let’s look at the top three reasons why endpoint security is a great way to break into the cybersecurity field.
1. Cybersecurity is a complex and far-ranging field
The first thing to know is that the word “cybersecurity” covers a lot of ground. The digital world is intricate, and there are plenty of areas that need to be protected. Network security refers to defending and securing the set of technologies that connect people and systems, with the single biggest system being the internet itself. Every time you open an app on your smartphone, you are reaching across a network — and that network needs to be secure.
Cloud security, on the other hand, is about protecting the clouds where data and information resides. When you open your Facebook app, you are getting sights, sounds and content from the Facebook cloud. When you watch a Netflix movie, you are tapping into the Netflix cloud. Checking your Office 365 email or Gmail from work or school? Again, that’s coming from the cloud, and cloud security is vital.
Endpoint security, by contrast, is about protecting the endpoint, which is the device that you use to connect across the network and to access the social media and other content in your favorite cloud. For most of us, our smartphone is our favorite endpoint. It might also be your laptop, or your tablet, or your desktop or even your Roku. The endpoint is what you use to access the digital world. You’re probably pretty familiar with your own smartphone or laptop, which makes it a natural starting point for getting involved in cybersecurity as a career.
2. Endpoint security is a critical part of cybersecurity
Since endpoints are our doorways to the digital realm, you can imagine how many endpoints there are and how important it is to protect those endpoints. Aside from the devices we use, endpoints include basically anything that connects to a network, like a webcam or security cam; a connected car; a digital assistant like Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri; or any other member of the Internet of Things.
All these endpoints connect to networks, and endpoint security aims to protect the network from unauthorized access through those endpoints. Before we all became connected, endpoint security mainly meant protecting a desktop running inside the protected firewall of a school or business. When you control physical access to a device — and control what goes on the device — you’re in a great position to protect it.
But today, devices connect to networks from just about anywhere that data or Wi-Fi access is available. They don’t typically connect from inside a firewall, and, as in the case of your smartphone, they can have all kinds of apps on them. This opens a host of potential ways for bad actors to try to sneak into the network. What this means is that securing endpoints is crucial to overall cybersecurity.
3. There is a huge shortage of cybersecurity professionals
With so much at stake and so many networks, clouds and endpoints to be protected, the need for cybersecurity professionals is great. The problem is that there aren’t enough of them, and that shortage has been around a while.
What’s more, the shortage of professionals in the cybersecurity world is getting worse. For example, the U.S. government reported that the number of IT security workers since as far back as 2016 has actually shrunk at some federal agencies like the Departments of Labor and Agriculture. In fact, CNN reported that in the United States alone, there’s a need for another 360,000 security pros. And globally, one report showed a shortage of 3.12 million IT security professionals.
The shortage of security workers is an opportunity for job seekers. People with skills in cybersecurity are in high demand. And, with the massive increase in the number of people working remotely and using their desktops and laptops from home, now is a fantastic time to consider a career in endpoint security. Job titles vary but may include endpoint security analyst, entry-level cybersecurity analyst, SOC analyst or a range of other titles that reflect the primary responsibility of monitoring for and responding to endpoint security issues.
VMware IT Academy offers a cybersecurity course and VMware offers a certification
At VMware IT Academy, we have seen the enormous potential for people to start new careers in endpoint security. To help make it happen, we have created a five-hour course that prepares people specifically for an entry-level position that sets them up to be an active and contributing part of the security team from day one on the job.
To make it clear to employers that potential new employees coming out of VMware IT Academy are well qualified, the course prepares you to test for and receive VMware certification. The VMware Certified Technical Associate – Security 2021, or VCTA-SEC, validates a candidate’s understanding of VMware security solutions and the candidate’s ability to provide entry-level support for the security features of VMware products, including VMware NSX-T Data Center™, VMware Workspace ONE® and VMware Carbon Black Cloud. In short, it shows that you have undergone the necessary lessons, training, seminars and hands-on experiences that are required to get the job done.
About VMware IT Academy
VMware IT Academy partners with educational institutions across the globe to offer tailored courses in selected IT fields that create a pipeline of much-needed talent the IT industry. With the support of an inclusive community, learners who take our courses gain in-demand skills for today and for the future that position them to lead positive change as they accelerate their careers.
Learn more about endpoint cybersecurity training with VMware IT Academy.
