Selecting between two highly advanced technologies that dominate the current technological era and deciding which of them would be the better choice to develop a career in technology would be quite a difficult task, as there are hundreds of different kinds of technology present in the market today. But the two main technologies that dominate the current technological era are cloud computing and cybersecurity. Both of the technologies have immense potential and are expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. In fact, both the technologies are expected to grow so much that by 2025, the cumulative spending worldwide on cloud computing and cybersecurity is expected to reach close to $1 trillion.
Both cloud computing and cybersecurity are rapidly growing technologies and have immense scope with great paychecks but are very different from each other in terms of scope, required skills and mindset. Here’s a complete comparison of both to help you choose which technology you should pursue and succeed in.
What Is Cloud Computing? Building the Digital Future
Cloud computing refers to a technology where computing services are provided “as a service” over the Internet. Computing Services: Computing services are the various Computing capabilities such as servers, storage, databases, communications and application services that a company can use to support the various operations of the organization. These can be provided by a company as a service from their data centers, or provided by a Cloud Computing vendor such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and others as services from the vendor’s data centers over the Internet.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ THE CLOUD COMPUTING ECOSYSTEM │
├────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Service Models │ IaaS | PaaS | SaaS │
├────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Top Public Cloud Providers │ AWS (31%) | Azure (25%) | GCP (11%) │
├────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Core Engineering Domains │ DevOps, Containers, System Scalability │
└────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┘
What Is Cyber Security? Defending the Digital Frontier
Cybersecurity is the term used to refer to computer systems, networks, equipment, and information which is protected from malicious attacks like cyber-attacks. It is in an era and period that is characterized by increasing digitization of the major business activities by companies that cybercriminals employ advanced methods to gain access to critical and confidential company information.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ THE CYBER SECURITY FRAMEWORK │
├────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Security Pillars │ CIA Triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, │
│ │ Availability) │
├────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Operational Domains │ Offensive (Red Team) | Defensive │
│ │ (Blue Team) │
├────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Core Technical Focus │ Penetration Testing, SOC, Threat │
│ │ Hunting │
└────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┘
Career Scope and Market Demand
The Exploding Demand for Cloud Professionals
Whether it’s banking, healthcare, e-commerce or artificial intelligence, all of these industries operate on cloud-based databases and microservices that can be scaled up as required. The global cloud market is constantly increasing in size as more and more companies switch from their old, on-site servers to automated online networks.
Cloud computing experts, who manage to automate their workflows and optimize their server costs, for example by using DevOps methods for new applications and data models, are frequently needed by companies, as they guarantee a stable and failure-free operation of their IT systems.
The Critical Need for Cyber Security Experts
For cybercrime, which affects organizations worldwide for billions of dollars each year, data protection in the form of strict enforcement of regulations and laws on the protection of personal information as well as frequent data breaches, cyber security is necessary.
According to a report by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2) there is a global shortage of millions of security professionals and therefore people with the necessary skills to perform the role of an ethical hacker / cyber security analyst of high quality are able to command high salaries and enjoy excellent job security as organizations cannot afford to leave their networks open to attack.
Detailed Salary Breakdown: Which Field Pays More?
Salaries of courses to study online are an important factor to consider when you are choosing between cloud computing and cybersecurity for a career change. While both are well paid, there are differences in salary increases between the two types of jobs.
Cloud Computing Salary Trends
- Entry-Level (0-2 years): Starting salary for recent graduates who join as Junior Cloud Engineers/Cloud Administrators in India is around ₹4 LPA to ₹8 LPA. Global salaries for such entry level roles start at $70,000 to $90,000.
- Mid-Level (3-6 years): DevOps engineers and cloud system engineers such as cloud technical leads are expected to earn between ₹10 LPA and ₹18 LPA.
- Senior-Level (7+ years): Cloud Solutions Architects and Lead Enterprise Cloud Engineers are paid generously in India at ₹20 LPA and above. In developed countries, top Enterprise Architects earn upwards of $160,000 +.
Cyber Security Salary Trends
- Entry-Level (0-2 years): Security practitioners just starting out such as a SOC Analyst or Junior Information Security Analyst can expect salaries around ₹4 LPA – ₹7 LPA in India, or $65,000 – $85,000 globally.
- Mid-Level (3-6 years): Experience as penetration testers and security engineers can earn up to ₹16 LPA in India.
- Senior-Level (7+ years): CISOs, Lead Security Consultants and Cloud Security Architects can earn up to ₹20 LPA while senior Cyber Security professionals can earn ₹35 LPA + in India. However, their global counterparts can earn 150,000–250,000+.
Best Certifications to Kickstart Your Career
These certifications will prove knowledge in respective domains and will enhance the perception of the candidate's skills at interviews.
Leading Cloud Computing Certifications
- BEGINNER: CompTIA Security+ / Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- INTERMEDIATE: GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) / Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
- ADVANCED: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) / Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).
- Advanced Level: Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect / AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional.
Leading Cyber Security Certifications
- Beginner: CompTIA Security+ / Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).
- Intermediate: GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) / Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP).
- Advanced: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) / Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).
The Perfect Hybrid Path: DevSecOps & Cloud Security
You don’t have to rule out a whole career path. Both the cloud computing and the cyber security fields are rapidly converging into one huge tech ecosystem that organizations can’t wait to jump into. As organizations start to build cloud-based applications, they are no longer able to throw security under the bus as an afterthought. Rather, security has to be embedded into the application development process – a practice known as DevSecOps.
THE CONVERGENCE POINT
┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ CLOUD COMPUTING │ │ CYBER SECURITY │
│ (Infrastructure) │ │ (Defense) │
└────────┬─────────┘ └────────┬─────────┘
│ │
└──────────────┬──────────────┘
│
┌────────▼────────┐
│ CLOUD SECURITY │
│ & DEVSECOPS │
└─────────────────┘
• Highest Hiring Demand
• Top Salary Tiers
• Cross-Domain Versatility
You can become either a cloud security engineer or a DevSecOps engineer. The abilities required to set up a network in the public cloud and ensure its safety against cyber-attacks result in the highest salaries of this group of professionals.
How to Find Your Right Career Path?
Find Your Right Career Path by answering a few simple questions.
Cloud Computing if you:
Enjoy creating, developing, and innovating new technologies.
Enjoy working on automation, deployment, and infrastructure.
You appreciate working with logical, systematic learning curves and architecture approaches.
You want to help startups and enterprises to scale their application globally.
Choose Cyber Security, if:
You enjoy working on challenging logic problems, investigation and finding a solution.
You enjoy working in fast-paced environment and being able to adapt.
You are keen to investigate what makes software break down and penetrate networks.
You have a commitment to constant education for addressing global cyber threats.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Cloud Computing easier to learn than Cyber Security?
Yes. Cloud computing has a more structured learning path compared to information security, which begins with learning of networks, operating systems and programming. Once the above is mastered, it’s easier to secure the system and test for vulnerabilities in it.
2. Can I switch from Cloud Computing to Cyber Security later in my career?
Transitioning from Cloud Computing to Cyber Security is easy, especially if you have background knowledge of Cloud Architecture as it would be easy for you to get into Cloud Security and even Network Defense.
3. Which field offers better remote work opportunities?
Both domains are highly suited for remote and hybrid work. In Cloud Computing most of the work is online and is accessed over the Internet, hence Cloud Engineers can work from anywhere. In Cyber Security too, most of the tasks like Vulnerability Assessment, Threat Analysis, Security Consulting etc. can be performed by Cyber Security Professionals remotely.
4. Do I need a computer science degree to start a career in these fields?
No, a formal computer science degree is not required to pursue a career in either of these fields. Several top companies hire people with degrees in BCA, MCA, or even B.Tech, and also provide ample training within the organization to get the person up to speed with the latest technologies. Many folks even opt for certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect or CompTIA Security+ or even opt for for bootcamps and hands-on-labs to get started in these exciting fields.
5. Which domain has a higher salary ceiling at senior levels?
Both areas offer top salaries to executive and architects alike. While senior Cloud Solutions Architects and DevOps Directors might command a higher base in mainstream software companies, top-tier Cyber Security Specialists, Off sec experts as well as CISOs command high salaries due to severe lack of talent in this field to protect digital assets.
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SevenMentor
Expert trainer and consultant at SevenMentor with years of industry experience. Passionate about sharing knowledge and empowering the next generation of tech leaders.