How To Get Into Cybersecurity With a Human Resources Degree

It's not uncommon for someone to choose a major and later decide they want to do something different with their lives, even if they've already graduated. With cybersecurity becoming an in-demand field, many professionals in various industries, including human resources and business, can work towards switching their career paths to find a role in cybersecurity.

If you already have a degree in human resources but want to switch to cybersecurity, you can take a few steps to reach your goals. Keep reading to learn more about how to get into cybersecurity with a human resources degree.

Can You Work in Cybersecurity With a Bachelor's in Human Resources?

Generally speaking, a degree in human resources by itself will not enable you to work in cybersecurity. While human resources degrees can teach you many valuable skills, they won't teach you the technical skills you need to succeed in a cybersecurity career.

Cybersecurity experts require a different skill set than HR professionals due to their different responsibilities. HR professionals deal mainly with people, while cybersecurity experts deal primarily with networks, devices, and data systems.

Steps for Transitioning Into Cybersecurity With a Human Resources Degree

With additional training and education beyond your bachelor's degree in human resources, you can pursue a career in cybersecurity. You'll need to learn the concepts and functions of cybersecurity, and you can do so in a few different ways, even if you already have a bachelor's degree in another discipline.

Learn the Necessary Technical Skills

Cybersecurity experts need many different skills to carry out their work. Some examples of these necessary skills for a career in cybersecurity include:

• networking and systems administration
• knowledge of operating systems, including Linux
• programming languages including Python, C, C++, JavaScript, and SQL
• cloud security
• network security
• security incident response

Some of these skills can be self-taught if you're naturally good with computers, but you may need to find a program to help you learn everything you need to know.

Additionally, there are numerous soft skills you'll need that your career in human resources may have already helped you develop, including:

• communication skills
• decision-making skills
• problem-solving skills
• project management skills

Consider Earning a Second Degree

One option for those in human resources who want to transfer to the cybersecurity field is to earn a second degree. Students can choose between a second bachelor's degree in a cybersecurity program or a master's degree in cybersecurity.

Second bachelor's degree programs are usually much shorter than the first because you can skip general education courses that were already earned and focus specifically on your cybersecurity major. They typically take two years of full-time study to complete.

Master's degrees in cybersecurity also take about two years. Many programs accept students with a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field, like human resources, but you will likely need other courses as prerequisites, such as computer science and calculus.

Cybersecurity degrees at both levels may be offered as their own degree program or as a specialization within a computer science or information technology program. They often cover topics like:

• algorithms
• cybercrime (e.g., cyberattacks, data breaches, and malware)
• firewall installation
• information systems
• information security and network security
• risk management and vulnerability assessment

Both bachelor's and master's degrees in cybersecurity are available on campus and online. Your program may offer internships, so you can get hands-on experience and mentoring from a cybersecurity professional.

Find a Cybersecurity Bootcamp

Another option for a program is a cybersecurity bootcamp. Bootcamps are usually offered online and take several months to complete, as opposed to the two or so years it takes to complete a second degree.

Cybersecurity bootcamps usually cover the same topics as a degree program but in a more compact, accelerated format. These don't often include internships.

Network With Cybersecurity Professionals

Networking with cybersecurity professionals can help you transition from a role in HR to a cybersecurity career path. Some of the best networking opportunities can be found through your degree or bootcamp program.

Taking advantage of internship opportunities is a great way to get your foot in the door and receive mentoring from a professional in the field. You can meet with your professors or advisors to ask about networking opportunities and learn about local cybersecurity conferences and seminars.

Build Your Portfolio

Portfolios are a great way to show potential employers what you're capable of. When you're first starting out, you can often include projects from your degree program or bootcamp or from any internships you completed.

This can help you land entry-level roles. From there, you can continue to add to your portfolio as you proceed through your cybersecurity career path.

Complete a Cybersecurity Certification

Several different cybersecurity certifications are available for cybersecurity professionals. While these certifications are not a requirement, they can help you land a cybersecurity job. Some common cybersecurity certifications include:

• Certified Information System Auditor (CISA) from ISACA
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from ISC2
• Certified Security Analyst from EC-Council
• CompTIA Security+ from CompTIA

Keep in mind that some of these certifications may require a few years of experience in the field, which means you might not be able to obtain this until after you've been hired and have been working for a while.

Top Cybersecurity Career Paths for Human Resources Majors

Human resources and cybersecurity aren't exactly related fields, but there are some good cybersecurity career paths for those with a background in human resources. We've listed some below.

Cybersecurity Engineer

Cybersecurity engineers are advanced cybersecurity professionals. While they keep computer systems and sensitive information safe from security breaches like all cybersecurity professionals, their primary role as part of the cybersecurity team is designing, implementing, and maintaining security measures.

Typically, you'll need to start in an entry-level role, such as a cybersecurity analyst, before you can move on to working as a cybersecurity engineer. However, many skills you learn from an HR degree, like communication, problem-solving, and risk assessment, will translate nicely into a cybersecurity engineer career.

Security Architect

The roles of a security architect and a cybersecurity engineer overlap greatly, as both are responsible for designing, building, maintaining, and troubleshooting IT security. However, security architects focus more on designing and building cybersecurity programs.

This type of security specialist needs strong communication and problem-solving skills, which you'll likely have developed through your HR program. They also need various technical skills to protect digital assets from security threats.

Penetration Tester

Penetration testers run simulations and tests that mimic real cyber threats in order to test a security system for vulnerabilities. They may work within a company's cybersecurity department or work for an outside consulting firm.

Penetration testers are very similar to ethical hackers. Ethical hackers, however, are usually given the freedom to use a wider variety of tools across a whole system; penetration testers usually focus on one specific area at a time.

Cybersecurity Analyst

Cybersecurity analysts are entry-level cybersecurity jobs. They usually work under cybersecurity engineers and are responsible for monitoring networks and firewalls and investigating security breaches.

This can be a good role for those switching from human resources to cybersecurity because it's entry-level. It gives professionals a chance to hone their skills before moving to more advanced security jobs within the cybersecurity field.

Security Auditor

Security auditors analyze and asses an organization's technology infrastructure to find problems. This audit can help an organization identify its vulnerabilities without doing penetration testing.

HR professionals may enjoy this type of cybersecurity career because it's data-focused, just like some HR roles. HR professionals with strong organizational skills will likely do well in this role.