According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS), the demand for cybersecurity experts is growing 12 times faster than the current job market as a whole.

And, cybersecurity professionals report — on average — a salary of $116,000. That’s more than the governor of Colorado. Or Wyoming. Or Arizona.

The easiest and most direct way to get into the field, is to take a course on the discipline, at a college or institution. If you’re a veteran, you can check on and manage your G.I. Bill benefits online by clicking here.

You can even use these benefits and apply to this program, which is run by the DHS and the National Security Agency (NSA) and is a pathway to enrolling in a hyper cybersecurity-focused course load hosted by a number of accredited colleges and universities.

Are There Any Other Tools That Help Vets Get into Cybersecurity?

Yes.

There’s this one — it’s online cybersecurity training (over 800 hours of courses) that’s free to government personnel and vets. It covers topics like hacking, surveillance, malware and risk management.

Also …

You can download DHS’s “Veterans Guide” to a cybersecurity career, click here. To download their “Veterans Toolkit”, click here.

For more on job and career resources for veterans, click here.