Cybersecurity Threats Every Aspiring IT Professional Should Understand

Cybersecurity Threats Are Growing — And Companies are Underprepared

As cyber threats grow more advanced, understanding cybersecurity risks is essential for aspiring IT professionals. The World Economic Forum reported an 8% increase in the cyber skills gap in 2024—with two-thirds of companies struggling to find qualified talent. That’s why students enrolled in programs like Campus’s Associate of Science in Information Technology (AS in IT) must learn to recognize and defend against common threats early in their training. Here's why it matters:

Why Cybersecurity Knowledge Is Essential for IT Students

Protecting Sensitive Systems and Data

In their future careers, IT students will manage and work with systems, networks, and sensitive data. An understanding of cyber threats is key to protecting sensitive information from breaches and misuse. This includes personal, academic, or company data.

Building a Robust First Line of Defense

An awareness of cybersecurity threats is key to defending potential attacks. What does it mean to understand cyber threats? For students, it means being able to identify and respond to threats swiftly. IT students who know how threats operate can spot suspicious activities and respond accordingly.

Promoting Safe and Responsible Digital Behavior

IT students learn how to identify dangerous websites, use strong passwords, and avoid potentially risky only actions. Doing so can help them prevent financial loss, identify theft, and reputational damage. Also, learning about digital footprints and the long-term fallout from online behavior promotes responsible digital citizenship.

Gaining a Competitive Edge in the Job Market

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects cybersecurity roles to increase by 28% from 2016 to 2026. An understanding of cybersecurity threats prepares IT students for such roles. It provides a competitive edge in the job market and provides them with the skills required in many IT roles.

Adapting to Constantly Evolving Threats

Attackers are steadfastly developing new ways to exploit emerging vulnerabilities. Thus, IT students must stay apprised of existing threats so that they can effectively anticipate and defend against them. They must be ready to deploy formidable security measures and adapt to new challenges.

The Leading Cybersecurity Threats 

There are a number of cybersecurity threats IT students should understand, including:

Phishing Attacks

These involve attempts to trick people into disclosing sensitive information such as financial details, passwords, or user names by impersonating trustworthy entities, typically via text or email. Those who are victimized can face unauthorized access to their personal and academic data.

Malware and Ransomware

Malicious software such as spyware, worms, ransomware, and viruses exist. And they can disrupt online activities or steal data. Some types of malware can even take control of your system, unbeknownst to the victim. Valuable data could be lost, and digital activities could be interrupted.

Social Engineering Tactics

These tactics trick users into sharing private information or clicking harmful links They are often what appear to be legitimate communications, texts, emails, or phone calls from what appear to be trustworthy sources.

Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks

These are attacks that are meant to disrupt and overwhelm network services, rendering them unavailable to legitimate users. Critical resources such as servers are typically targeted. As a consequence, companies can potentially lose money and have their reputation damaged. Attacks can also result in customer dissatisfaction.

Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

Here, bad actors intercept communication between two parties to alter data, eavesdrop, or impersonate one side, potentially resulting in compromised data integrity. They hack into connections or exploit vulnerabilities in network protocols, inserting themselves without the knowledge of the communicating parties into the data flow. Such interception can result in data manipulation.

Malicious Messaging on Social Media

With this cyberthreat, scams used through social media platforms such as WhatsApp or Facebook seek to trick users into going to phishing sites or disclosing personal data. These electronic messages, which are designed to deceive users, can be delivered via comments, posts, messages, or even advertisements.

Mobile Malware and Camfecting

With widespread use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, cyber attacks have become more prevalent. Such attacks include what’s called camfecting, in which hackers access and control webcams remotely to invade privacy. This is done without the user’s knowledge or consent.

Best Practices for Cybersecurity Readiness

By implementing the following best practices, you’re creating a multi-layered defense against cyberattacks. In turn, this greatly lessens the risk of successful attacks and enhances the security of systems and data.

• Use strong authentication and access controls to block unauthorized access
• Regularly update and patch systems to fix known vulnerabilities
• Deploy firewalls and antivirus tools to detect and stop threats
• Encrypt sensitive data to maintain confidentiality
• Backup data securely to enable fast recovery
• Train students and staff to reduce human error
• Build an incident response plan to act quickly during a breach
• Monitor network activity and perform security audits regularly
• Restrict physical access to sensitive equipment
• Use spam filters to catch phishing and malicious emails

Launch Your Cybersecurity Career with Campus

Campus offers an in A.S. in Information Technology—preparing you for real-world roles in cybersecurity, IT support, and network security.

Apply to Campus today and take the first step toward becoming a cybersecurity professional.