Security Software Developer: Probed to develop, scan, and harden a system’s code through the use of secure software development practices. The cyber security coursework for Towson’s best cyber security undergraduate programs includes Data Structures, Software Engineering, Programming Language, and Discrete Mathematics, among others. I'm currently working as a software engineer doing backend C++ work. A software engineer can take up roles in a variety of industries in addition to the cyber security field. A cyber security degree will provide you with knowledge that is much more comprehensive in tackling things such as data breaches when compared with software engineering. Additionally, cybersecurity engineer tops a recent list of the “5 Most In-Demand Cyber Security Jobs,” by industry blogger Philip Casesa, who has ranked it the most in-demand security position for three straight years (2018, 2019, 2020). From experience I find most development work now is joining together various API's with little thinking involved (all the interesting stuff seems done). For over two decades, the path into the field of cybersecurity involved earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science and then acquiring more specialized skills on the job or through certifications. Computer Science Conclusion In the end, it all just boils down to your personal preference and interest. Job satisfaction of software engineer vs cyber security. Security Software Developers (often nicknamed “DevOps”) have the ability to both develop a program while implementing the best possible security solutions for a system. After that, as with other information security jobs, work as a cyber security engineer is hardly routine. Cyber Security Or Software Development - posted in IT Certifications and Careers: So Im torn between 2 choices for a degree. According to Burning Glass, the average time to fill an open cyber security engineer position is 41 days, slightly higher than a “generalized” software developer/engineer position (39 days). Students must meet take at least 30 credit units at Towson University. Salary-wise, both data science and software engineering pay almost the same, both bringing in an average of $137K, according to the 2018 State of Salaries Report. The areas of cybersecurity that most often require coding knowledge are generally higher-level jobs that focus on some sort of software engineering or analysis or penetration testing (see our article on how to become a penetration tester here, complete with interviews). In other words, it’s taking employers a lot of time to find available cyber security engineers, suggesting a … If you currently work in networking, software development, systems engineering, financial and risk analysis, or security intelligence, you’re in luck because CyberSeek has outlined cybersecurity career pathways that begin with these roles, known as feeder roles. Learn how to become a cyber security engineer >> A Day in the Life of a Cyber Security Engineer A day in the life of a Cyber Security Engineer likely starts with a large pot of coffee. I'm earning good money but finding the job less than satisfying.