Think of cybersecurity as a skill only for tech pros? Think again. As technology becomes more integrated into all aspects of our lives, cybersecurity is an increasingly important consideration in most careers across the job market.  With Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October) right around the corner, here’s a look at how cybersecurity applies to different fields.

Education

Teachers do a lot more than lectures and grade assignments. At the university level, many faculty are also researchers, collecting sensitive data and creating valuable intellectual property. Student records contain sensitive personal information that must legally be kept confidential. In addition, online learning management platforms, virtual classrooms, and digital learning resources must all be protected from cyberthreats.

Energy

The energy sector powers homes, businesses, emergency services, hospitals, communications, and more. It is also the most hacked industry in the U.S. Governments and utilities use online systems to control, monitor, and ensure the safety of our gas, electricity, and oil systems. It is critical to ensure the security of power grids from attacks that could cause massive outages.

Engineering

Cybersecurity is a crucial aspect across the vast and dynamic field of engineering. It involves everything from securing the digital systems that control smart buildings, to protecting sensitive data related to chemical formulations and processes, as well as safeguarding proprietary information concerning new materials and their properties.Finance

Hackers want money, so it goes without saying that any role in the financial sector requires an understanding of security best practices. From fraud detection and prevention, to safeguarding financial information from data breaches, all financial institutions have a fiduciary responsibility to meet the security requirements mandated by federal and international regulations.

Government

Few companies collects as much data about people as local, state, and federal governments. From critical infrastructure and voting systems, to public services and citizen data, cyber espionage is a central concern of national security. Whether you are a civil servant working for a government agency or an appointed or elected official, security will be a significant part of your job.

Healthcare and Social Work

Whether you plan to be a clinical provider, support a healthcare organization in another role, or work in social services, you will quickly find yourself needing to understand data security and privacy. With electronic health records and internet-connected devices being used by patients/clients and clinicians alike, protecting patient data and complying with HIPAA privacy and security requirements is a key responsibility.

Hospitality

When was the last time you visited a ticket office of a cultural venue or sports team, or walked up to a hotel front desk and saw them hand you an old-fashioned? Booking systems are all online now, storing the personal and payment information of guests, electronic keycards and apps provide secure room access, while ticketing and crowd management systems ensure capacity and safety at events.

Legal

Mary Crossley, Dean of Pitt Law, notes that in the legal field, privacy and confidentiality takes on a different dimension. "While everyone has an obligation to protect private or identifiable information, attorney-client privilege is a bedrock of the legal field. Confidentiality of all client communications is an ethical mandate, and even unintentional disclosure can be a matter for disciplinary action," she says.  Moreover, the business model of law firms is still very much premised on reputation. "The reputational harm of a large data breech could be catastrophic," Crossley notes. Data protection laws and regulations require lawyers and law firms to protect sensitive client information and case details, whether it’s being stored and archived, or transmitted during the electronic discovery process.

Manufacturing

Modern manufacturing relies on automated systems to control, monitor, and analyze industrial devices and processes. Because many of the devices used in the manufacturing process, as well as the products themselves, are internet connected, cyberattacks can bring production to a halt. In addition, companies must vigorously protect their trade secrets and proprietary information.

Media and Entertainment

Leaks of music, movies, and video games do more than spoil the surprise. They also cause massive financial losses and violate the intellectual property rights of artists and developers. Cybersecurity is necessary to prevent unauthorized distribution of content, implement digital rights management, and protect the broadcasting and streaming services used to access content.

Retail

Cybersecurity is an obvious concern for online retailers who need to keep their sites up and running, but it’s equally important for brick-and-mortar shops. Point-of-sale systems store data about transactions, payments, inventory, customer details, and other info that must be protected.

Telecommunications

Phones, computers, and networks are the infrastructure on which nearly all digital transactions take place today. Protecting them, and the data they transmit, is critical to ensuring the availability and reliability of the services we all rely on.

Transportation

Cars today have as many electronic controls as they do mechanical parts. Remote access, connected systems, and autonomous vehicles need to be as cybersecure as your computer. Then there are planes, trains, boats, and shipping containers. Cybersecurity protects air traffic and railroad control systems, as well as logistics and supply chain management systems.

Pitt IT Can Help You Understand Cybersecurity

You don’t have to be in an IT security role to be required to understand cybersecurity policies and risks. In nearly every role, in every sector of the job market, cybersecurity is critical to business. Don’t be the person whose bad click leads to a major cyber breach.

Pitt IT has many resources to help you become more cybersecurity savvy.

• The Pitt IT Security Hub has a wealth of resources and offers services to support departments in evaluating their cybersecurity posture.
• Panther Bytes blog will cover a variety of security topics throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Reserve 15 minutes each week to read up.
• Complete your cybersecurity training — it’s quick and easy, but incredibly important.
• LinkedIn Learning has individual course and entire learning path certificate options about cybersecurity for those who want to go more in-depth.

What’s more, students are invited to Tech Fest 2024 on Friday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the William Pitt Union. Go trick-or-treating on the Cybersecurity Trail to collect tons of treats and swag, OCC credits, raffle entries, and more, while picking up valuable tech tips! (There’s a special raffle for anyone who has completed their cybersecurity training, so get on that!)

Stay safe and prepare for the cybersecurity needs of your career.

-- By Karen Beaudway, Pitt IT Blogger