An Explanation of Security Jobs
There are many types of security jobs available today in a variety of settings. Security itself can be divided into four major categories, each encompassing a wide range of duties that companies need responsible and vigilant individuals to perform. These categories are: IT, which includes data and application security, physical, which includes airport, school, and retail security, political, which includes homeland and national security, and monetary, or financial security. Listed are just a few examples of each of the major types of security, each representing jobs that must be performed by people all over the country.
IT security is undoubtedly the most rapidly expanding sector of the security field. As technology improves and changes, so too do the potential threats it can impose on those who use it. In order to protect people’s information and technology, every virus, worm, and malicious piece of code must be detected, blocked, or removed by software programmed by those employed within the IT security field. This work, while critically important in the digital age, is not what most would think of when looking for security jobs. Most would likely conjure up images of men and women in uniforms complete with badges and flashlights, the type of person who would be employed in the physical security category.
Physical security represents the security jobs that are the least conceptual of the security field. These are the men and women who patrol and protect in person, risking their own safety for the safety of their employers or their employer’s assets. A prime example of such a job in the years since 2001 would be airport security. While always a major component of air travel, airport security has been drastically expanded since the attacks of September 11th, meaning the demand for security personnel and technology in airports has increased. Airport security staff must scan each person and piece of luggage that boards each and every plane in order to ensure the safety of all passengers, airport staff, and airport property.
Another example of a physical security job is a school security guard. Any school where minors attend must have at least one security guard to monitor who enters and leaves the building, in order to protect the students from anyone who might take or otherwise harm them. This individual is also on hand to respond to any disturbances that may arise during or after school hours. Parents trust schools to protect their children each and every day, and schools trust their security guards to do the same.
Political security, while also thought of less often than physical security, is no less important. Like airport security, homeland security has been drastically expanded since 9/11, uniting the efforts of multiple agencies to protect the United States from external threats. Jobs within this field are less hands-on than those of security guards, and generally consist of intelligence gathering and analysis.
Monetary security refers to the financial protection of an individual or company from either external threats, such as theft and fraud, and internal threats, like embezzlement. Just as many of the jobs within the IT security field are more oriented towards technology then security itself, jobs within the monetary security field are often more financially oriented. Even the job of a bank security guard would technically fall in the physical security field.
Jobs in all four categories of the security field can be very rewarding. Not only do these people provide their employers with protection, they offer peace of mind, something that is invaluable in today’s world. Those who perform security jobs allow others to do their jobs more safely and effectively, making them an integral part of the job market.