On October 20, the Edison High School STEM Academy welcomed Sourav Banerjee, Associate Partner of Cybersecurity Consulting Services at IBM, to deliver a presentation on career opportunities in the cybersecurity industry amongst others.
Banerjee highlighted the exponential growth of cyber threats in recent years and emphasized the need for skilled professionals to counteract them, especially within the context of information technology systems, and their myriad applications. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as quantum computing and generative AI (GenAI) has increased attack speed and jeopardized established encryption techniques.

“Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing field with an annual growth rate projected to be greater than 10% year-over-year,” said Banerjee. “It requires talented personnel such as yourselves to help meet the growth of skilled personnel.”
The presentation covered a range of topics, from fundamental principles of network security to advanced concepts like ethical hacking, threat intelligence, and quantum-safe computing. Banerjee used real-world examples and personal experiences to illustrate the necessity of practical knowledge, underscoring the importance of adaptability and continuous learning in the cybersecurity domain.

Banerjee also explained the different applications of cybersecurity in different industries, such as finance, retail, healthcare, energy, education, and government, in addition to the importance of securing data and intellectual property

“Cybersecurity requires a varied set of skills, from computer science coding to user interface and product design, organizational management to sales and marketing, finance, and legal and regulatory skills,” said Banerjee. “You can have a very fulfilling career in any of these fields,”

With high school being the time for students to choose their career paths, Banerjee’s presentation helped bring to light other career choices.

“The most interesting part of the presentation was when [Banerjee] went over different types of hackers, which allowed me to see the different roles that people have in real life as cybersecurity specialists,” said Tanush Kulkarni ‘25.

“​​I would pursue a career as a cybersecurity specialist after the presentation because I learned how valuable it is and how huge of an impact it can make,” added Vedant Talati ‘25.

Students also expressed interest in the field after Banerjee discussed different cybersecurity competitions.

“[Banerjee] brought up different types of hacking and protection,” said Mithil Mishra ‘25. “Specifically, the mention of the red and blue team contests sounded more like a game of ‘capture the flag’ than a defensive measure for a big company.”

With October being National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Banerjee concluded his presentation by encouraging students to explore all fields of cybersecurity and technology.

“Cybersecurity requires a very inquisitive mindset to understand and secure the systems, the foundations of which are set in your schoolwork,” Banerjee said. “I was very happy with the interaction and questions that showed the promise of great cybersecurity professionals.”