Can You Get Into Cybersecurity With a Law Degree?
If you have a law degree, there are roles for you in the cybersecurity field, including as a cybersecurity lawyer, compliance officer, or a cybersecurity professional.
Cybersecurity isn't just a technical pursuit, several information security and data privacy sub-careers branch into other industries, like law.
Whether you're looking to become a cybersecurity lawyer or enter this rapidly expanding industry as a high-demand cybersecurity professional, there are ways to achieve your new career path. However, entering a new career path isn't always as easy as applying for a new job.
How Does Cybersecurity Relate to Law?
The field of cybersecurity is growing due to the increase in technological threats to companies and governments. Many organizations gather data. This data is often the target of cybercriminals and hackers for their gain or digital warfare. Data privacy is an important legal matter as valuable information getting into the wrong hands can cause problems, such as losing money from bank accounts and other forms of identity theft.
Additionally, companies keep data on their financial status and even future projects. Data breaches most commonly are client data, but companies can suffer threats to intellectual property and other problems related to inadequate data protection.
More companies are beginning to staff in-house cybersecurity teams of technical and legal experts. There is a demand for people with a legal background, even though most of the work done in cybersecurity is technical.
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How Laws Protect Individuals and Organizations From Cyber Threats
Regulatory bodies have begun to put more rules in place to protect companies and their client's data. These regulations set standards for companies to follow risk management around data security. Compliance with privacy laws is essential for businesses to protect themselves and their clients.
Challenges of Enforcing Cybersecurity Laws
One of the biggest challenges of enforcing cybersecurity laws is that cybercrime isn't limited to a single country. The international nature of cybersecurity can make prosecution hard when the cyber-criminal is in a different nation than their victim. This means the cyber-criminal is subject to other laws. In some cases, cybercrime will violate international law and won't be subject to a single country. There are also cases where cybercrimes will be considered national security threats, which will be out of the jurisdiction of most lawyers.
How Can a Law Degree Be Beneficial For a Career in Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is a technical field, but it is highly beneficial to have an understanding of security law. Understanding changes in cybersecurity laws can aid in incident response and ensure companies stay compliant. Legal studies are constantly evolving, and lawyers know that they need to stay up to date on changes in law through new legislation or court rulings. Cybersecurity professionals need to react to changing threats and developing technologies.
Steps for Getting a Cybersecurity Job With a Law Degree
Although many career paths in cybersecurity law are available, sometimes you might want to change careers. If you'd like to switch from a legal career to a job in cybersecurity, there are several steps you should take first.
Consider Earning a Second Degree
The first step you can take is considering a second degree. Although completing law school is a graduate program, if you didn't pursue a computer science undergraduate degree you might not have all the qualifications needed to begin work in cybersecurity.
Returning to school to complete an information technology or cybersecurity degree program can help provide you with the technical skills needed to begin working in cybersecurity. There are many online master's and bachelor's degree programs that can be completed on your schedule to help prepare you for your new career.
With a legal background, such as a Juris Doctor, you'll have the ability to understand compliance law and other aspects of the legal side of cybersecurity better. Most degrees required to practice law can translate easily to a cybersecurity legal team in a role like a compliance officer. However, additional schooling will be needed for a more technical role.
Network With Cybersecurity Professionals
Legal professionals know how important it is to network and meet with lawyers at other companies or firms. Networking is important for cybersecurity professionals too, especially if you're trying to switch careers. Talking with people who perform this work daily will give you a deeper knowledge of cybersecurity and the various specializations.
The cybersecurity industry is rapidly expanding, meaning many people are still very new. However, meeting with more veteran members can help you decide if you want this career.
Complete a Cybersecurity Certification
You might not need to earn a second degree, depending on your career goals within cybersecurity. Instead, various cybersecurity certification programs can be completed in person and online. These programs are designed to teach learners of different levels and are a great way to start your cybersecurity education without committing to a full-time degree program.
In addition to being online, certification programs usually are much shorter than a degree and can be completed in weeks to months.
Learn Cybersecurity Technical Skills
Learning technical skills is one of the biggest barriers to entry for aspiring cybersecurity professionals. There are multiple options to learn these skills. The most obvious is to pursue a cybersecurity degree. These programs will teach you the most relevant skills needed to begin work in the field. Earning a master's degree in cybersecurity is one option that you should be able to complete in about one to two years, which can make transitioning your career easier.
Certificate programs also teach skills associated with cybersecurity and can be completed much quicker. Most employers won't treat certifications the same as a degree when hiring. Therefore, it's important to check with potential employers or job postings to see if there are degree requirements.
Lastly, many resources are available online to help you learn how to use different technologies, the basics of coding, identifying vulnerabilities in security frameworks, and more. Through videos and sandbox environments, you can learn and practice these skills on your own time.
Build a Portfolio
Consider building a portfolio before applying to cybersecurity jobs. A portfolio for cybersecurity professionals is usually a collection of work you've done in the past, but this can be speculative work done in sandboxes or other testing capacities. Your portfolio is designed to display your skills in a practical way that a resume can't. Especially for someone new to the field, it's important to show future employers that you can do the work.
