Computer Security or Network Administration, which one has a butter job opportunity?

Question

I want to go back to college in order to improve my job prospect. I have two options either to read M.S in Computer Security or Network Engineering. I do not know which one has a brighter job opportunity. I will be grateful for your assistance in deciding which one to do. Thank you

Answer 1

I suspect that either program contains some of both subjects. You can't secure a network that has been poorly engineered and the best engineered network without top notch security is reduced to a lousy network. Beware of excess specialization!

Both fields are quickly moving but Network Security is truly an arms race. There are lots of best practices in network engineering but they don't change at the same pace.

Fine network engineering is important to the efficiency of the business but network security is critical to the life of the business and that gives it strategic priority in information intensive companies. For example, network engineering usually reports to a networking manager who reports to MIS who reports to the CIO. In most companies with intensive IT structures (like brokerage) there is a seperate Chief Security Officer (CSO) because of the strategic priority of security.

Also, I suspect there are many more trained network engineers than trained network security people (serious security threats began to rise exponently only about 1997)

So I would suggest the diploma read "security" but you take enough network engineering to speak the lingo and understand the basic architectural choices.

To help you evaluate this advice I will tell you I was founder of the company that built out 700 of the 1000 largest global WANs in the 1980s and early 90s. I worked directly with the CIOs of the top firms when this all got started (and before there were CSOs). Good luck, either choice works.

Answer 2

Computer security, beyond a doubt. Look up the standards for the "CISSP" (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) exam, and try for that. It requires at least 5 years paid experience in the information security world, plus a very difficult examination.

Network administration is increasingly being outsourced, there is little to no future in it.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I have found computer engineering is best job for good salary and reputable position in computer department of any company. Positions can be found in nearly any context from media applications to industrial programming and from web development to self-employment opportunities.It is a marriage of engineering and computer science, the student must have advanced knowledge and understanding of both mathematics and sciences in order to be successful. The lowest sector earned less than $57,810 a year, while the highest sector earned more than $135,780 a year.

Answer 4

Both are really great jobs, depends on what you're more interested in....strictly security, or access security within a group. I don't know which one deals alot with butter though.

Answer 5

Both have good job opportunities now.