With the close of another academic term at St. Petersburg College, we send our very first female certified ethical hacker, Amber Stone, into the workforce to pursue her career as a white hat.

“If you want to work in a dynamic and challenging field, then cybersecurity is for you!” Stone said.

“Critical thinking, attention to detail and curiosity has led me through SPC’s ethical hacking training. Hard work and determination will bring you to certification. This is not a field that you can sit back and learn at leisure. There’s always a new threat waiting to be discovered.  It’s exciting to be in the forefront of this field of knowledge and empowering to know that you can take action to protect people from these unseen dangers.”

Ethical hacker career opportunities

A specialization in the cybersecurity field, a white hat – or ethical hacker – is a hacker who tests an organization’s computer systems for vulnerabilities and recommends methods for them to minimize those threats before those systems are jeopardized.

Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects faster than average growth for Information Security Analysts with a median pay reaching more than $40 an hour. Ethical hackers fall under this career cluster.

Earn industry certifications at SPC

Many of SPC’s Associate in Science degree programs have at least one opportunity to earn an industry certification, in addition to an SPC certificate or degree.

The Carl D. Perkins IV Grant for Career and Technical Education funds these and other FREE certification opportunities for career and technical education students, not only those interested in the field of technology.

SPC can train you for a long-term Information Technology career. With degrees and certificates in computer programming, cybersecurity, computer networking, web development and technology management, the college offers degrees that prepare you for the best technology jobs.

To learn more, email Julia Meyer, and find out how you can #GetCertifiedSPC FREE too.