Lesson video

Hello.

My name is Mrs. Holborow, and welcome to "Computing." I'm so pleased you've decided to join me for the lesson today.

In today's lesson, we're going to be looking at why cybersecurity is important and some of the pathways into a career in cybersecurity.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit "Cyber Threats and Security." This lesson is called "Careers in Cybersecurity," and by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe the importance of cybersecurity and explain different career pathways into the field.

Shall we make a start? We will be exploring these keywords throughout today's lesson.

Career, career, the job or series of job that you do during your working life.

Salary, salary, a fixed amount of money agreed every year as pay for an employee.

Pathway, pathway, a series of actions that can be taken in order to achieve something.

Look out for these keywords throughout today's lesson.

Today's lesson is broken down into two parts.

We'll start by describing the importance of cybersecurity and then we'll move on to explain pathways into cybersecurity careers.

Let's make a start by describing the importance of cybersecurity.

Cybercriminals use a wide range of techniques to target their attacks towards people and technology systems. They are constantly evolving their methods to exploit both humans and technology.

Jun has a really good question.

How can people and organisations protect against cyber crime? Maybe pause the video here whilst you have a think.

Cybersecurity techniques are used to protect against cyber crimes.

Cybersecurity is about actively protecting systems, networks, and data from cyber attacks.

Without cybersecurity, our digital lives would be unsafe, unreliable, and unprotected.

Sam says, "Cybercriminals would very quickly be able to successfully attack people, companies, and governments." Cybersecurity matters in the everyday life of people.

Effective cybersecurity protects personal information, such as photos, passwords and bank details, stops online scams and identity theft, keeps your phone, laptop, and social accounts secure.

Effective cybersecurity is also important on a wider scale with businesses and governments.

Businesses need cybersecurity to protect customer data, accounts and money.

Governments need cybersecurity to protect national security and important infrastructure, such as healthcare and transport.

If individuals, organisations, and governments fail to maintain effective cybersecurity, there is a strong chance they will become victims of cyber crimes.

They may experience things such as data breaches, identity theft, financial loss, reputation damage, and system shutdowns.

In certain countries like the UK, laws exist that require businesses to protect personal data.

One of these laws is called the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR.

Failing to comply with this law can lead to large fines.

To reduce the risk of becoming a victim of cyber crime and to comply with the law, organisations take cybersecurity very seriously.

Cybersecurity is so important to organisations that many have dedicated teams who work to ensure that their systems, network and data stay protected from cyber attacks.

Time to check your understanding.

Organisations may have cybersecurity teams because A, they have spare budget and resources, B, the team is needed to prevent, detect, and respond to threats, or C, IT support is a legal requirement.

Pause the video whilst you have a think about the answer.

Did you select B? Well done.

Organisations may have cybersecurity teams because a team is needed to prevent, detect, and respond to threats.

True or false? Laws exist to protect personal data that companies may hold.

Pause the video whilst you have a think.

Did you select true? Well done.

Remember, GDPR is an example of one of these laws.

Okay, we're moving on to our first task of today's lesson, task A.

You work for a charity that raises awareness of digital safety for teenagers and young adults.

The charity are currently updating their website and have asked you to write some content about the importance of cybersecurity that can be included on the new webpage.

Write a paragraph that describes what cybersecurity is and why it's important.

Remember, the audience for this is teenagers and young adults.

Pause the video here whilst you have a go at the activity.

How did you get on with writing your paragraph? I'm sure you did a fantastic job.

Let's have a look at a sample answer together.

Remember, this is only a sample answer, so yours will probably look different.

Cybersecurity is about protecting important information and data, like passwords, photos, and bank details.

Cybersecurity is important to everyone, including individuals, businesses, and governments because without it, malicious hackers could access devices, steal data or damage important systems. Effective cybersecurity helps keep us safe online.

As more of our lives take place on the internet, cybersecurity plays a vital role in making sure we can use technology safely and securely while making it harder for the cybercriminals to succeed.

Remember, if you want to pause your video here and add any detail to your answer, you can do that now.

So we've described the importance of cybersecurity.

Let's move on to explain pathways into cybersecurity careers.

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing job sectors.

There are many exciting and varied careers to explore in the sector.

A career in cybersecurity can offer excellent opportunities to grow and progress.

As the digital world keeps expanding.

The need for cybersecurity experts is increasing too.

Careers in cybersecurity can offer a great salary and the opportunity to do meaningful work.

Sam's got a question.

Sam says, "What is a salary?" Jun has an answer.

"A salary is a fixed amount of money that you get paid every year as an employee, and it's usually paid to you monthly." So your salary will be divided by 12 and paid each month.

Salaries in cybersecurity jobs can range from 18,000 pounds a year to over 150,000 pounds a year.

In general, the more experience and skills you develop in cybersecurity, the higher your salary will be.

A career in cybersecurity can offer the flexibility to work in many interesting and exciting areas.

For example, in healthcare, in finance, in technology, in government, in gaming and in education.

Some cybersecurity careers are highly technical and require specialist skills.

For example, security analysts, a penetration tester or ethical hacker, or a security engineer.

A security analyst monitors networks and systems to detect and respond to cyber threats.

A security engineer designs and builds secure IT systems and tools to protect data.

There are some important skills that are essential to technical careers in cybersecurity.

Let's have a look at some of them now.

So the knowledge of computer and operating systems, internet and network systems, coding and scripting, cyber threats and security tools.

Other careers in cybersecurity may be more focused on strategy, communication, or investigation.

For example, a cyber security awareness trainer who may go into an organisation to train employees, cybersecurity policy advisor, or a compliance officer.

Let's have a look at these roles in a bit more detail.

Cybersecurity awareness trainers teach employees or the public how to stay safe online.

Cyber policy experts develop rules and strategies for how organisations should manage cybersecurity and respond to threats.

Compliance officers make sure that companies follow laws and regulations about data protection, like GDPR and cybersecurity.

There are a number of key skills that are essential to careers in non-technical cybersecurity, such as communication, problem solving, critical thinking, organisation, and a basic knowledge of cybersecurity concepts.

Time to check your understanding.

Here's a true or false statement.

There are opportunities for both technical and non-technical careers in cybersecurity.

Is this true or false? Pause the video whilst you have a think.

That's right.

The statement was true.

Well done.

People who have a career in cybersecurity can work A, in many different industries and organisations, B, only in computing organisations, or C, only in government.

Pause the video whilst you have a think about your answer.

Did you select A? Well done.

Remember, there are many different jobs in cybersecurity that can be in a range of different industries and organisations.

There are many different pathways that can lead to a successful career in cybersecurity.

The path you take will depend on your individual interests, strengths, and the area you want to work in.

A good starting point for a cybersecurity career would be to study computer science at GCSE and A Level at school or college.

This will give you a good foundation for cybersecurity and technology careers.

After GCSEs or A Levels, apprenticeships can be a great way to work, earn money and learn at the same time.

In an apprenticeship, you can learn from experienced professionals and gain a qualification at the same time.

You can apply for and search for an apprenticeship through the link oak.

link/national-apprenticeship-service or directly through big employers.

Another pathway to study courses like cybersecurity, computer science or digital forensics is at university.

A university degree can give you both valuable technical knowledge and hands-on experience.

Many university degrees also offer placements or internships to help you gain real hands-on skills.

There are also many online courses where you can learn and gain qualifications at your own pace.

These can provide the flexibility to learn and build a career in cybersecurity whilst working around other commitments.

Andeep says, "You can also get involved in cybersecurity clubs and competitions to build your skills and have fun while you're learning." That's a great suggestion, Andeep.

Clubs and competitions can be a great way to explore cybersecurity outside the classroom and work in teams to solve problems. Aisha says, "I'd like to explore a career in cybersecurity.

Where can I find real jobs?" Do you have any suggestions? Maybe pause the video here whilst you have a think.

To find out more about pathways, jobs, and careers in cybersecurity.

Try searching online using terms like cybersecurity careers or jobs in cybersecurity.

Aisha says, "I've just found a great job online!" Here's the job Aisha has found.

The job title is apprentice penetration tester.

Key tasks: to test websites and systems to look for Security flaws.

Skills needed: problem solving, interest in technology, basic understanding of computers and coding, willingness to learn from others.

Entry requirements: GCSEs, especially maths and computer science.

Starting salary: 18,000 to 25,000 pounds a year.

Time to check your understanding.

Here's another true or false statement.

You must first study a degree at university before starting a career in cybersecurity.

Is this true or false? Pause the video whilst you have a think.

Did you select false? Well done.

There are many other different career pathways into cybersecurity, such as apprenticeships and online qualifications.

Jun says, "I'm considering a career in cybersecurity but I'm not sure of the different pathways into it." Write a paragraph to explain the different pathways into cybersecurity.

Pause the video here whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on with your paragraph? Let's have a look at a sample answer together.

There are many different ways to start a career in cybersecurity.

A good start would be to study GCSE and A Level computer science.

After this, an apprenticeship would be a good pathway into cybersecurity as you get to learn from others on the job whilst a earning money and gaining a qualification.

Another pathway would be to go to college or university to study for a higher qualification, like a degree.

Some higher qualifications also have industry placements so you can gain-on-the-job skills, as well as a qualification.

Did you have a similar response? Let's move on to part two of task B.

I'd like you to search online to find two different jobs in cybersecurity.

I'd then like you to write down the details of the jobs you find using the table below.

So you need to record the job title, the job description, the skills needed, and entry requirements, and then the salary, if you can find that too.

Pause the video whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on? Did you manage to find some jobs in cybersecurity? Well done.

Let's have a look at a couple of examples.

Remember, you will have probably found different jobs, so your table will look different from mine.

So the first job was a cybersecurity apprentice.

The job description is to work with the wider IT team to safeguard systems, data and devices.

Skills needed, time management, self-motivated, willingness to learn, team player, and good communication.

The entry requirements are GCSEs, A Level, Level 3 ICT qualification or similar.

And the salary is 23,000 pounds a year.

The next job is a software security architect.

The job description is creating security architectures, identifying and addressing security concerns.

Skills needed, broad understanding of security concepts, understanding of C, C++ and Java.

Entry requirements are a master's degree in computer science or related subject and 5 to 10 years' worth of experience.

And the salary is 100,000 pounds a year.

Okay, we've come to the end of today's lesson, careers in cybersecurity, and hopefully you've learned a little bit about the options there are.

Let's summarise what we've learned together in today's lesson.

Cybersecurity protects data, systems and people.

Cybersecurity professionals are in high demand across a range of industries.

There are technical and non-technical career opportunities in cybersecurity.

There are many different career pathways into cybersecurity.

I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson, and I hope you'll join me again soon.

Bye.