Even before the pandemic necessitated the use of technology to conduct everyday business-being the only safe way to interact with others and shop for things like groceries-our lives were becoming more and more integrated with technology. We have automated locks on our cars and keys that function more like remotes than the brass turnkeys of old. We have remote security systems that live-stream footage of our front and back porches to our phones. We have safes with electronic keypads, credit cards saved on our computers, and corporations have databases full of our private information-all of which can easily be broken into by a hacker with enough technological savvy.

As the world continues to become more and more digitally oriented and technology continues to grow and change, cybersecurity has become a progressively bigger concern for corporations and educated individuals. With hackers breaking into corporate databases and influencing governments alike, there has never been more of a demand for qualified cybersecurity professionals than now. With the pandemic and the resultant labor shortage, opportunities exist for anyone looking to switch to a more future-minded occupation.

Are you interested in learning how to protect individuals, corporations, and governments alike from the newest breed of criminal threat? Read on to hear some critical facts surrounding cybersecurity and learn how to switch professions for relatively little time and money.

Increasingly Accessible, Increasingly Consequential

With cybercrime becoming an increasingly lucrative practice, anyone can be targeted at any time; according to the stats, it's increasingly likely since the pandemic for everyone to be a target. With hacking kits used for the development of malware, ransomware, and identity theft available on the market for as low as a dollar, cybercrime is a highly accessible way for people with bad intentions to make bank off of a minor investment.

Moreover, experienced hackers can actually develop programs that run automated attacks on multiple targets at once, looking for holes in the security systems of personal computers and company assets worldwide all at once. A study from the University of Maryland conducted a study that estimated that computers connected to the internet suffer attacks roughly once every 39 seconds; and with that study having been conducted in 2017, the rate of cyberattacks has only gone up since then.

In this same study, it was found that once the hacker successfully broke into a computer system, they would quickly check to see if the system could be used for their purposes, checking software configurations, changing passwords, installing their own programs, and raking in whatever data they're looking to steal. For personal computers owned by unaffiliated individuals, they could become the victims of identity theft, have their bank information compromised and assets stolen, or experience any number of other horrifying consequences. Now imagine what hackers can do if they get ahold of a corporate system or can stealthily sneak onto a government mainframe. Unfortunately for many, including Michigan State University, they don't have to because hackers have been responsible for the loss of billions of dollars and the release of sensitive records across a wide swath of industries, including patient records from hospitals.

Joining the Cyber Police

If any of the above struck a chord with you and you want to be part of the network of professionals protecting people from cyber threats, you might be wondering where you should start. While the pandemic has opened the door for many to switch careers, going back to school can be an expensive, unrealistic way of getting the qualifications needed to practice something different.

Enter cybersecurity bootcamps, which are intensive, short-term programs that aim to take utter novices and churn out prepared professionals with all the proper cybersecurity training and education. They typically last six months or fewer, and while they range in price depending on the courses taken, most cybersecurity bootcamps cost around the price of a semester at most universities. They can be a quick, efficient way to get the necessary certifications to jump straight into a cybersecurity career, cutting out the unnecessary coursework colleges foist onto you to get more of your hard-earned money. 

Protecting and Serving Digitally

The police metaphor might be stretching a little thin, but hey, that's what cybersecurity professionals do. They make it harder for cybercriminals to break into the things that are important to us, keeping our card information, our patient records, and our identifying information safe where it belongs-with us. If you're interested in becoming a part of keeping the world of the future safe, don't hesitate. Cybersecurity is an ever-growing, ever-lucrative industry, and they could sure use you.