Cyber attacks: a company’s worst nightmare in the digital age

Still wondering if cybersecurity consulting is a job that really pays?
Here are 3 dramatic examples that prove that cybersecurity is one of the most strategic sectors of the 21st century…

And that companies are prepared to pay you a lot of money.

1. US vs. Iran cyberwar

In 2010, the Stuxnet worm was discovered in the facilities of Iran’s Natanz nuclear power plant. It’s a computer virus designed by the USA to spy on and sabotage industrial systems.

This was a key moment in history: it was then that companies and even governments fully realized the extent to which cybersecurity flaws could trigger or contain international conflicts.

2. Sony entertainment: 2 months of paralysis and a shattered reputation

In April 2011, hackers succeeded in breaking into Sony’s servers, which were riddled with security holes. They succeeded in making the PlayStation Network inaccessible to 77 million users worldwide.

It took Sony over 2 months to clean up their servers and secure their users’ browsing. But the damage had already been done: hackers were able to access users’ personal data: names, addresses, passwords…

Today, Sony still has a bad reputation for not properly securing its users’ sensitive data.

Data theft from extramarital dating site causes suicides

In July 2015, Ashley Madison, an extramarital dating site was hacked by a group of hackers: The Impact Team.

They threaten to publish the stolen personal data if the company doesn’t shut down.

The company refuses to give in to blackmail and tries to close the loopholes in its site. In August 2015, the hackers published 60GB of data on the Dark Web.

Lawyers, investigators and infidelity trackers made use of it. Some users have even been blackmailed, divorced or committed suicide.

“Every day, somewhere in the world, at least one company falls victim to hackers.”

So companies need heroes who can protect them 24/7. And that’s where you come in as a freelance or in-house consultant.

These companies are ready to pay you up to €10,000/month to ensure their digital protection. That’s a TJM of €500 if you have advanced cybersecurity skills.

To help engineers like you achieve your professional goals, we have developed a program of professional cybersecurity training courses.