Chapter 10: Will Your Future Be in Cybersecurity
This chapter covers the legal and ethical issues that arise when working in cybersecurity. It also discusses
educational and career paths for cybersecurity. There are educational paths towards certifications that
you may wish to pursue with the Cisco Networking Academy. Some of these certifications are
prerequisites to Specialization Certificates in many areas of networking, including cybersecurity.
The Networking Academy Talent Bridge page (netacad.com under Resources) provides good information
to help you write a great résumé and prepare for a job interview. It also contains listings for Cisco and
Cisco Partner jobs. Three external Internet job search engines are presented for you to explore.
Cybersecurity Legal and Ethical Issues, Education and Careers
Cybersecurity professionals must have the same skills as hackers, especially black hat hackers, in order to
protect against attacks. One difference between a hacker and a cybersecurity professional is that the
cybersecurity professional must work within legal boundaries.
Personal Legal Issues
You do not even have to be an employee to be subject to cybersecurity laws. In your private life, you may
have the opportunity and skills to hack another person9s computer or network. There is an old saying,
<Just because you can does not mean you should.= Keep this in mind. Most hackers leave tracks, whether
they know it or not, and these tracks can be followed back to the hacker.
Cybersecurity professionals develop many skills which can be used for good or evil. Those who use their
skills within the legal system, to protect infrastructure, networks, and privacy are always in high demand.
Corporate Legal Issues
Most countries have some cybersecurity laws in place. They may have to do with critical infrastructure,
networks, and corporate and individual privacy. Businesses are required to abide by these laws.
In some cases, if you break cybersecurity laws while doing your job, it is the company that may be
punished and you could lose your job. In other cases, you could be prosecuted, fined, and possibly
sentenced.
In general, if you are confused about whether an action or behavior might be illegal, assume that it is
illegal and do not do it. Your company may have a legal department or someone in the human resources
department who can answer your questions before you do something illegal.
International Law and Cybersecurity
The area of cybersecurity law is much newer than cybersecurity itself. As mentioned before, most
countries have some laws in place, and there will be more laws to come.
Ethical Issues in Cybersecurity
In addition to working within the confines of the law, cybersecurity professionals must also demonstrate
ethical behavior.
Personal Ethical Issues