{"id":9134,"date":"2022-09-19T12:11:42","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T12:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/?p=9134"},"modified":"2022-09-19T12:11:42","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T12:11:42","slug":"it-incident-response-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/blog\/it-incident-response-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Get Started In IT Incident Response + Career Prospects"},"content":{"rendered":"
Studying for a career in IT in college can lead you in many different directions<\/a>, and one option available is to specialize in handling the mission-critical process of incident response.<\/p>\n So what is this exactly, how can you get into it as an aspiring IT professional, and where can this lead you further down the line?<\/p>\n Cybercrime is a growing threat for businesses, and so IT security team members<\/a> aren\u2019t just expected to prevent attacks but also to help deal with the repercussions of a successful breach.<\/p>\n This is effectively what IT incident response involves. You plan to handle the fallout of hacks and put these procedures into action in worst-case scenarios.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t strictly need a degree-level education to get into IT incident response, but the reality is that if you want to go far in this field, it will give you a major leg up.<\/p>\n Studying computer science, IT, or cybersecurity at university will show prospective employers that you have a deep understanding of and interest in the systems you\u2019ll be responsible for managing.<\/p>\n There are also professional certifications to take on board, if you choose, in order to become part of a Computer Emergency Response Team<\/a> (CERT).<\/p>\n This includes the Certified Computer Security Incident Handler (CSIH) accreditation, although you\u2019ll need a decent amount of experience working in cybersecurity before you can apply for such courses.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll not usually be able to walk straight out of college and into an IT incident response role. Instead, you\u2019ll typically work for a few years in a more junior position within the same sphere.<\/p>\n That way, you\u2019ll get to grips with software that can visualize the full incident lifecycle<\/a>\u00a0and also be managed and mentored by more seasoned security pros who can impart their knowledge to you.<\/p>\n You might even experience a genuine breach as part of your early work experience, which will be invaluable going forward.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to be too picky about the job you take at this point, so long as it\u2019s IT security-related.<\/p>\n Whether you find work after college as a network admin or as a security officer<\/a>, it will be part of building your resume up to the point that IT incident response roles are within your grasp.<\/p>\n Aside from the aforementioned usefulness of a good grounding in computer science, IT, or cybersecurity, anyone who wants to get started in IT incident response needs to have other soft skills that lend themselves to the job.<\/p>\n Being calm under pressure is an obvious asset since when you do need to jump to action, it will be in an emergency scenario when a cyber attack has taken place.<\/p>\n This intensity isn\u2019t for everyone, and keeping your cool will set you apart from the pack.<\/p>\n Being a good communicator is also necessary since you\u2019ll be working with diverse teams and collaborating across departments to achieve your aims.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In terms of salary, IT incident response professionals are well compensated because, of course, they can save companies millions if they can instigate a quick recovery from a cyber attack.<\/p>\n Experienced analysts make over $100,000 annually<\/a>, and starting salaries for IT incident response pros are at $90,000 on average.<\/p>\nWhat is IT Incident Response?<\/h3>\n
What Qualifications are Needed?<\/h3>\n
What are the Stepping Stones to Certification?<\/h3>\n
What Skills are Important?<\/h3>\n
What are the Career Prospects?<\/h3>\n
Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n