Deusto University has prepared a programme to train professionals in computer security

Today, most information travels through cyberspace. In recent years, personal data and economic transactions in companies’ virtual environments have been subjected to cyber attacks. In this scenario, a new job description is responsible for diagnosing and preventing threats to computer systems. This is the cybersecurity officer, a position that is currently in great demand in the labour market.

Pablo García Bringas, Vice Dean for External Affairs, Lifelong Learning, and Research. University of Deusto

Therefore, the various Basque universities are already training future professionals in cybersecurity because it is a very good job opportunity. Although a few years ago the best chance of getting a job was in multinationals or research centres; today, cybersecurity officers do not need to limit their options to these types of companies. The ‘Basque Country 2018 Cybersecurity White Paper‘ estimates that there will be a 38% increase in the need for these professionals. Consequently, Basque companies will need 5,200 computer security experts. To this end, four out of five companies will increase their budgets in order to employ people with this profile.

«With these future perspectives, more and more people are considering cybersecurity as a professional career and are looking for training resources to specialise in the field», explains Pablo García Bringas, vice-dean of External Relations at the Deusto University School of Engineering. With this in view, they have prepared a cybersecurity programme this year in which students will acquire the cross-cutting skills and abilities to work as cybersecurity officers. Classes for this 180-hour course will start in September.

 

Who can enrol??

Cybersecurity is designed for people who are curious about security, although it will require some IT-related experience. This includes professionals from the IT sector who want to broaden their knowledge in this field, as well as young people in training who want a higher degree of specialisation..

What are they going to learn?

There are three modules. The first is dedicated to cybersecurity governance. 15 hours dedicated to information protection, cryptography, identity management, security incident management, compliance with standards, and ethical and legal aspects.

In the second module, the classes will deal with cybersecurity in local networks, such as LAN or WIFI, perimeter security, and ethical hacking. In addition, students will have to prepare a personal project.

 The third module will analyse threats and countermeasures, as well as the fundamentals of forensic analysis, security in virtualised environments, and cybersecurity in critical infrastructures. It will also require a second personal project.

The job profile

A cybersecurity office will be responsible for the privacy and protection of the data of companies and organisations and will deal with cyber attacks. According to the person’s profile and specialisation, the following positions are available:

» Network administrators
» Security systems administrators
» Cybersecurity and risk analysis consultants
» Security architects
» Security software sales agents

» Senior security and ethical hacking consultants
» Information security experts
» IT security officers
» Cybersecurity officers 

 

Two students share their experiences

  


Iskander Sánchez-Rola – Former student

Iskander Sánchez-Rola took the 2013-2014 course of the Deusto University Cybersecurity Programme. He is currently working at Symantec, a U.S. multinational corporation that develops and markets software with a focus on computer security. At Symantec, he serves as a senior researcher in the field of security management and processes.

Sánchez-Rola suggests that every company and institution should have a professional dedicated to computer security; hence the importance of such an expert. «There is a great demand in the sector. I think there’s an opportunity for those who specialise», he says.

«With knowledge in computer security, we will be able to guarantee maximum levels of security and stability of the information systems in our charge».
Sánchez-Rola encourages young people to focus their studies on what the labour market requires as well as what they are passionate about.


Iker Pastor López – Former student

Iker Pastor López is currently working at DeustoTech, the Deusto Foundation’s new technology transfer and research centre. He took the 2009-2010 course of the program.

«I started my career in cybersecurity, initially in the companies that supported the master’s degree.Seeing that both large and small and medium enterprises were aware of the importance of cybersecurity convinced me to take this master’s degree», he says.«It’s a very high degree of responsibility. More and more companies have personal or sensitive data stored on their systems and the loss of these can lead to legal issues.

Not to mention the economic cost of an attack on production systems».In his opinion, with the boom in technology, «it hasn’t been difficult to find a job». However, he considers that this sector has few female workers and, therefore he hopes women will join this new field.