How much do you like computers? So much that you would devote your daily working life to protecting them? If the answer’s yes, then well done — you’ve just passed the first test needed to become a network security specialist.

Whether part of an office intranet or a global network, no computer is an island — and this means security. “Mobile and remote working mean the network security challenge has never been greater,” says Nick Coleman, chief executive of the Institute of Information Security Professionals whose members include network specialists.

These guardians of the virtual defend networks against threats such as hackers, viruses and even employees. Their weapons: encryption, firewalls, passwords and an awareness of every type of unauthorised nasty that might ever assault a computer. “The key personality trait is inquisitiveness,” says Anthony Robinson, a network security specialist with the consultancy Accenture. “Network security is 70 per cent prevention, so we spend a lot of time asking ‘what if?’ and trying to guess where vulnerabilities lie.” Of course, it also involves dealing with incidents. Wally Jackson, the head of JANET-CERT, a team which looks after network security for a government programme, says: “Our team responds to crises. You need to be alert, quick thinking, and able to work under pressure.”

Good first degrees include computer science, engineering and maths, while a masters in information security gives you added value. Coleman recommends an industry certification such as CISSP (certified information systems security professional). These courses often require three years’ experience, so you may start in a different role. “Many of our specialists started as network or systems administrators,” Jackson says.

Typically for IT, networkers must update their skills constantly — Robinson spends two weeks a year in training. Graduate salaries start from about £25,000, rising to £50,000plus. The profession even has a James Bond-style appeal, says Robinson: “It’s perceived as quite sexy, for IT.”

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