Amber Styles-Emberson
IT Security Communications Manager at FIS Global, Little Rock

Age: 29
Hometown: Dardanelle
Degree(s): Arkansas Tech—BS in Emergency Administration and Management, MS in Homeland Security and Emergency Administration
Certifications: Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) certification and is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM)

How did you break into your field?
My internship helped me break into the field. As a part of the undergrad program at ATU, you’re required to complete a 400-hour internship. I did mine with the Arkansas Department of Information Systems State Cyber Security Office. I was able to learn about the technical side of emergency management and communication as well as contingency planning. I got my first job out of college there. This experience led to my love of helping people from a communications standpoint and the very interesting world of cyber security.

What was your training or schooling like?
It was a really hands-on major and with ATU being the first school in the nation to offer the degree, they really take pride in making sure you have the opportunity to test your skills through externship opportunities. Moving into the continuity of operations and information technology realm, I was able to focus on areas that can impact every type of organization.

Why do you love your field?
I love my field because I love being able to help people. Whether I am helping our employees be more secure through cyber awareness training, or assisting creating a continuity plan that could be implemented after a devastating tornado, we all need to be more prepared for the unexpected.

What would surprise students the most about your field?
We are so dependent on technology and many never give a second thought to what they would do if their businesses lost power for an extended period of time or their computers were unavailable. The downtime caused by manmade events or natural disasters can cost an organization thousands of dollars if there is not a plan in place.

What’s the outlook of your industry?
As long as disasters continue to happen and as long as hackers continue to hack, there will be a need for emergency management and information security. From a global perspective, there is a very large demand for professionals in this industry.

Your advice to students considering your field:
Take as many opportunities to learn more as you can. Get involved with local organizations, develop relationships with others in the field, find a mentor and get a good internship.

Jobs in Information Security

Why it’s hot: Further proving that IT careers are anything but boring, this disaster planning/crisis management/technology hybrid job is increasingly in demand across the globe, in just about any industry you could be interested in. The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services predicts the field to grow by more than 26 percent by 2022.

The Major: Emergency Administration and Management, Information Systems/Technology, Computer Science

The Job: IT Security Communications, Information Security Analysts, Computer and Information Systems Managers

The Paycheck: According to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, information security analysts earned an average of $57,670 in 2013, while computer and information systems managers took home $107,230.