How to Become a Cyber Operations Specialist

Recently, we wrote about what you can do with a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, why earning your degree in cybersecurity is a good career choice and the many reasons why cybersecurity is so important in the modern business world. 

Here, we’re going to outline how to launch your career as a cyber operations specialist, which is one of the best jobs in the wider cybersecurity industry.

Cyber operations specialists are critical to protecting companies’ and organizations’ important information, data, and technology from various digital threats. These professionals analyze existing processes and safeguards to prevent attacks and breaches, playing a primary role in how businesses protect their digital assets. 

In this post, we’ll explain why you should think about becoming a cyber operations specialist, what tasks you would be responsible for in this role, why it’s important to earn your degree before applying to related jobs, and what you can do to improve your chances of launching a successful career in the field. 

After you’ve learned everything you need to know about becoming a cyber operations specialist, fill out our information request form to receive additional details about our 100% online Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity, which is the perfect program for helping you gain access to this challenging industry.

If you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.

What Is Cybersecurity and Why Is It Important?

Cybersecurity is the discipline of protecting internet-connected or digital systems including software, hardware, and data from cyberthreats. Cybersecurity practices are implemented by many different companies to protect against unauthorized access to data and digital assets. 

Some specific examples of cybersecurity applications include:

As you can see from the list above, cybersecurity principles are applied in many different industries to make organizations, data, systems, and processes more secure.

Is Becoming a Cyber Operations Specialist a Good Career Option?

Yes, the position of cyber operations specialist is an excellent career option for anyone interested in assuming a technical role where they’re responsible for protecting companies’ vital data and information.

There are three great reasons to think about becoming a cyber operations specialist, including:

If you’re looking to step into a role that is highly technical and you want to work in an industry that is set for explosive growth in the coming years, then becoming a cyber operations specialist may be a great fit for you.

What Do Cyber Operations Specialists Actually Do?

As a cyber operations specialist, you’ll take on the responsibility of working with multiple cybersecurity software programs, hardware systems, and applications to design, test, analyze, and confirm that the organization’s information and assets are secure.

Typical tasks for a cyber operations specialist include:

The role of a cyber operations specialist requires you to first develop a deep understanding of complex cybersecurity systems and procedures, meaning this is certainly not a job that one can step into without prior training. 

If you’re looking to break into the industry, you’re first going to need to develop advanced skills and abilities before any organization would consider hiring you as a cyber operations specialist.

Without a doubt, the best way to develop these necessary skills and abilities is to get your degree in cybersecurity.

What Skills & Abilities Are Needed to Become a Successful Cyber Operations Specialist?

To succeed in landing a job in this competitive and challenging industry, there are several important skills that you will need to develop.

According to GoSkills, you should focus on developing skills like:

The most efficient way to build the skills, abilities, and experience you’ll need as a cyber operations specialist is to complete a related degree, like CSU Global’s Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity.

Our program is completely online and was designed to provide you with everything you’ll need to build a successful career in this extremely competitive industry.

Completing our program will increase your odds of accumulating the experience, foundational knowledge, and abilities needed to deliver real-world value to any business from your first day on the job.

Do I Really Need a Degree in Cybersecurity to Get a Job in The Industry?

Not necessarily, however, getting your degree in cybersecurity could significantly increase your odds of getting one of the best jobs in the industry. 

Many companies who are looking for cyber security professionals will expect you to have at least a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, or alternatively, a degree in computer science or information technology. 

By completing our Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity you can send a clear signal that you’ve got all the required skills and abilities needed to launch a successful career in the industry. 

And if you’re not totally sure about getting into the cybersecurity field, then you may want to consider our  Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology or our Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science as other potential starting points for a high-tech career. 

Completing any of these programs will show that you’ve developed the essential skills and abilities needed to set yourself apart from other applicants in this highly competitive industry. 

How Will CSU Global’s B.S in Cybersecurity Help Prepare me for a Career as a Cyber Operations Specialist?

Our fully online Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity program is designed to give you the tools and experience needed to handle the most important job responsibilities of cyber operations specialists, including tasks like:

As a student in our program, you’ll be given the opportunity to develop all the skills and knowledge you’ll need to succeed as a cyber operations specialist, as we’ll train you to:

With the foundational knowledge and essential skills at your fingertips, you will be well prepared to succeed in this competitive, challenging, and fast growing industry. 

Earning your degree at CSU Global could play an incredibly important role in helping to kickstart your career in the field. 

What Else Can I Do to Increase My Chances of Success? 

Earning a degree in cybersecurity is certainly the best way to prepare you for a long and successful career in the industry, but it’s not the only thing you can do to help improve your odds of success. 

According to Cipher.com, completing a related cybersecurity certification program could help you build important skills and gain the first-hand experience you’ll need to build an impressive resume that helps you land your first job in the field.

Cipher explains that the work you’ll do in a certification program will allow you to strengthen your skills and prove to potential employers that you’ve mastered the required skills and abilities needed to succeed in this role. 

They suggest considering the following cybersecurity-focused certification programs:

To be clear, you don’t necessarily need to complete a certification program to get a job as a cyber operations specialist, however, this industry is incredibly competitive, so it may help you get your foot in the door.

The amount of time and effort you put into developing your skills, abilities, and academic qualifications could not only help you get hired but also make it easier for you to deliver real value once you’ve been hired into this challenging role.

Should I Get My Degree in Cybersecurity Online?

Yes, regardless of which degree or certification program you decide to pursue, we strongly suggest earning your academic credentials online instead of in person.

We recommend this simply because in-person programs are less efficient compared to studying online, which offers greater flexibility and freedom.

Studying with us at CSU Global means you’ll get to take advantage of multiple impressive benefits that our unique, 100% online programs provide, including:

These advantages are especially helpful if you’ve got a busy schedule consisting of work and family commitments, as being able to study from home can save you a substantial amount of time.

If you’ve always wanted to pursue higher education, but were concerned with finding the time to complete your schoolwork, then studying with us online at CSU Global could be the perfect fit.

Why Should I Choose CSU Global’s Cybersecurity Program?

Our 100% online Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity was designed to provide you with everything you need to launch a successful career as a cyber operations specialist.

This program is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which ensures that your degree will be recognized and respected by companies looking to hire competent cybersecurity professionals.

Our program is also widely recognized as one of the best programs in the industry, as it currently holds several excellent rankings, including:

This program’s curriculum will allow you to study and gain competence in the areas associated with the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) exam, as well as prepare you for other highly regarded certifications in the field.

CSU Global itself is also widely accepted as an industry leader in higher education, having recently received several impressive rankings, including:

Finally, we offer affordable tuition rates, and a Tuition Guarantee that confirms your tuition rate won’t increase as long as you remain enrolled with us.

To get additional details about our fully-accredited online Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity, please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.

Ready to get started today? Apply now!