Computer security is a quickly growing industry out of necessity, as opposed to being market driven like the computer gaming industry.
In the past, computer hacking was mostly done by individuals who were more juvenile than criminal. Although some of the virii and worms released did massive damage to infested computers, they seldom stole data.
Nowadays, hackers team up with spammers and other cyber criminals. Large criminal organizations participate in computer hacking. Not only that, but entire countries (and big ones at that) also support hacking groups to gain access to confidential information from other countries.
Because computer security is a adversarial field, the amount of available work is almost unlimited. Furthermore, computer security touches almost every facet of computing: desktop operating systems, networking appliances, servers, application programs, and etc.
To discourage white hats (the good guys) from turning into black hats (the bad guys), the salary of computer security personnel tend to be quite attractive. This is especially the case with personnel who have access to sensitive data.
In order to become a computer security expert, there is a lot of necessary training. A bachelor’s degree is a minimum. To work on the cutting edge, a strong programming and mathematical background is a must.
The computer security industry has the following characteristics: