Thanks in no small part to the portrayal of FBI agents on television and in movies, there’s a perception among many people that the agency is essentially “cops on steroids.” Most people associate FBI agents with generally offline work, including the traditional identification, tracking, and apprehension of the agency’s most wanted criminals. While that’s certainly one component of this important federal agency, it’s only one area that today’s FBI agents focus on. In fact, digital crimes and hacking have both become two of the biggest targets for new, highly trained FBI agents with extensive experience in computer science, computer program, and numerous other IT-related fields.
Meet the FBI Cyber Team: The Place Where Computer Science is King
While the FBI’s more traditional agents make a good fit for blockbuster movies and engage TV shows, the agency’s most important work is often going on behind the scenes as part of the FBI Cyber Team. Originally formed as a “special team” to investigate abuses of Internet credentials and potential issues of identity theft, the team has since become a permanent fixture within the agency. It’s responsible for investigating any large-scale hacking incident, the theft of any information, or the malicious use of computers for actions designed to harm Americans, American interests, or American allies.
The stakes for members of the FBI’s Cyber Team only get higher as computers become more central to our lives and hackers become more sophisticated in their attempts to leverage the power of stolen consumer information. For this reason, the FBI has a stringent list of requirements for those who wish to join this computer-centric team of analysts, special agents, and more.
Computer Science Degrees are the Foundation of Successful Cyber Agents
Virtually all of the FBI’s positions on the Cyber Team require nothing less than a four-year degree in computer science or a related field, like systems deployment or IT management. The agency almost always requires applicants to have real, on-the-job experience in a profession where they actually used these computer science skills on a daily basis. For higher-ranking positions, applicants will need to show that they also pursued additional, graduate-level education in computer science or a related field.
The uses of these degrees by new hires will vary based on ongoing events, including threats to consumer data security and national security that might arise in the digital universe. Some new hires will be responsible simply for monitoring data security or beefing up the FBI’s own layers of security. Others will become part of an elite team that investigates abuses of information and servers, while still others will become part of a team that reverse engineers hacking attempts to find the criminal and bring them to justice.
An Exciting Field for Advanced Computer Science Graduates
There is perhaps nothing more exciting than a career with the FBI, whether it’s in a more traditional unit that pursues offline criminals or in a position with the Cyber Team. For those who have the right academic qualifications, including a bachelor’s degree in computer science, the opportunities within the agency are nearly endless. From jobs that manage the FBI’s own IT infrastructure to position that track hackers down and bring them to justice, these jobs use every last skill learned in computer science classrooms and turn them into the country’s best hope at maintaining a safe and equitable Internet.
Related Resource: What Types of Government Jobs are Available in the MIS Field?
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