If you want to learn how to become a cryptanalyst, you need to learn more about the profession first. Basically, cryptanalysts are responsible for examining and interpreting the secret encryption systems that are used for police, military, and political organizations. By decoding these messages, you can help ensure the confidentiality of agencies, corporations, and individuals and keep unwanted users out of the system. Your job would be secure banking, email, the Internet, and many other information systems. Using advanced mathematical methods, you can ensure that the wrong eyes are never on your employers’ private data.
If you want to become a cryptanalyst, you will need to have very strong math skills as your job duties will involve obtaining computational number theories and cryptographic number schemes. You will need to have the skills to analyze, design, and implement algorithms to solve number theory problems, as well as encrypt messages so they are hidden from unwanted users. You’ll need to be constantly on the offensive to make sure hackers can’t crack your codes, which means frequent changes to your encryption methods.
There isn’t exactly a direct educational path to becoming a cryptanalyst, but there are some commonalities among most professionals working in this field. Most have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or math, and many also have a math-related master’s degree. If you want to teach at a university or get a job in a research environment, you’re probably even expected to have a Ph.D. But with a bachelor’s degree, you can at least break into the field with an entry-level position. Make sure to focus on other subjects like English and economics when you are completing your studies, as these will serve you well in the field of cryptanalysis.
You may be able to find cryptanalysis work within commercial, government, and military organizations or agencies. If you are hired by a retail company, for example, you will be responsible for the encryption systems in their online stores. The starting salary for entry-level positions in this field is around $39,000, while the average salary is around $76,470 and the maximum salary is around $112,780.