As cyber attacks increase in frequency and scandals involving governments hacking into private computers become more commonplace, it's no wonder that one of the most promising fields in the current IT sector would be cyber security. In fact, recent research has indicated that cyber security has grown by more than one hundred percent in the last year. Clearly, anyone seeking a job in the information technology area would do well to start at the first line of defense against hackers.
The economy might still be limping along, but the IT industry remains as healthy as ever. IT outsourcing companies have become popular in recent years, but larger companies from hospitals to manufacturers are also hiring for a continually growing workforce of in-house IT professionals. If anything, the high job demand present in the early '00s has increased since the 2008 recession. Networking, a distinct career path in IT, remains one of the main stays.
A Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) is someone with considerable experience in information technology (IT) security fields who has also completed a rigorous exam to verify his or her qualifications. CISSP holders must also meet continuing education requirements to maintain their certification.
Computer forensics is no longer just about pulling files from a seized laptop. In 2026, digital forensics sits inside incident response, cloud investigations, mobile device analysis, malware review, insider-threat cases, fraud investigations, and legal discovery.
That is why salary data can look messy. A “computer forensics” job in a police lab may pay very differently from a digital forensics and incident response role at a defense contractor, bank, consulting firm, or managed security provider.
