Information Assurance Career Overview
Information assurance is the process of providing the right information securely to the right people at the right time. This process is used for making the best advantage in business. In order to handle the information assurance (IA) responsibilities, you must have specialized skills. However, it does not mean that there are limited opportunities for these professionals. If you want to select an information assurance career, you can learn different types of IA responsibilities for moving within that area.
Information Assurance Training
Information security technology is fast growing and it demands the security of sensitive information. Therefore, managing the transmission of information, its storage and processing, etc. is highly risky. A bachelor degree is essential for building a career in the field of cyber security or information assurance and you need to study topics such as information ethics, hackers, hacking, computer security, etc. as a part of the course.
Those in the information assurance field must be trained for maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information of an organization. A Bachelor of Science in Information Assurance empowers students to acquire skills needed for handling secure operational procedures and improving IA practice. You must have a high school diploma or equivalent to enroll in an IA training program.
Some of the topics covered in this training program are:
Information security
Software and hardware concepts
Cyber security
Ethics in the age of information
Information systems in organizations
Telecommunication systems,
Cyber terrorism
Disaster recovery
Policy planning
Security mechanisms
Needs assessment
Information assurance awareness
Information Assurance Schools
The duration of a bachelor degree in information assurance is 4-years maybe more depending on credits taken and after the successful completion of the course. You can work as an information systems security professional, senior systems manager, system administrator or cyber security specialist. You will be responsible for the security of data information systems in an organization. You can seek employment in various fields such as education and health departments, military, governmental agencies, law enforcement, private industries, etc.
If you want to make further advancements in your career, you can obtain a master degree in information assurance, which is offered by several universities. If you have a master’s degree in IA, you can seek management positions in information technology departments.
Information Assurance Certification
The certification for information assurance professionals is issued by the Information Assurance Certification Review Board (IACRB). In order to get this certification, you must appear for an examination conducted by IACRB. There will be multiple choice and hands on practical examinations. By conducting this two-step process, the IACRB is experimenting whether the candidate has required knowledge in theories and concepts. There will also be a second step, which is designed for testing the ability of candidates for handling the responsibilities and technical skills related to IA.
Skilled IA professionals are essential for handling complex information security puzzles. If you have a certificate in information assurance, the employers can easily make out that you are highly proficient beyond book knowledge. A certification in IA is a valuable method for differentiating the skill levels of professionals in information assurance.
Information Assurance Salary
The salary of an information assurance professional is determined by a number of factors, such as experience, certification, place of work, geographical location, etc. However, the highest recorded information assurance salary is around $150,000 per year. An entry level IA professional can earn around $70,000 per year.
If you are seeking employment as information assurance analyst in Maryland and Washington, you can earn around $82,000 and $83,000 respectively. New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Orlando are the highest paying cities for information assurance professionals.
The information assurance salary in New York and Chicago are more than $150,000 and $140,000 respectively. You can earn around $133,000 per year in Atlanta and Orlando. Besides, you will also be eligible for getting paid holidays, overtime, and other bonuses.