Atmospheric ambitions

Q: I am thinking of doing an MSc in atmospheric science from Calcutta University. Could you please tell me about the prospects in this field?

Manisankar

A: Atmospheric science is the study of the blanket of air surrounding the earth. By meticulously analysing the past and present data on international climatic trends, atmospheric scientists can calculate the threat of global warming and even
predict the catastrophic hurricanes and tsunamis.

Meteorology (weather, climatology) and aeronomy, which studies the chemical and dynamic processes in the earth’s atmosphere, also fall under this category.

As an atmospheric scientist you can join government research laboratories to study the interaction between the atmosphere and the oceans, polar ice caps, and the flora and fauna.

These are all part of the new and upcoming field known as global change research or earth systems science.

Atmospheric chemists can also team up with meteorologists and computer modellers to map the chemical changes in pollutants that adversely affect the air quality.

After we were ravaged by disasters like the tsunami and the hurricanes, atmospheric scientists have once again gone back to the drawing board to ascertain the accurate path prediction of hurricanes.

Atmospheric scientists also have access to cutting edge technology like radar systems to study microbursts and other related phenomena and with research tools like superfast supercomputers at their disposal to simulate past climate changes as well as the basic atmospheric processes that occur every day, this has quickly emerged as a very challenging and exciting field.

As a result, this ‘yet unheard of branch of science’ is now attracting many students to its fold.

Making it big in multimedia

Q: I am in the final year of BCA and am also interested in multimedia applications. I want to know about the job prospects in this field?

Subinoy Roy

A: Multimedia integrates video, audio, text, illustrations, graphics, photographs, animation and colour. It has also become an increasingly popular tool for commercial artists, graphic designers and animation specialists. It finds application in a large fields like advertising, publishing, print and electronic media, architecture, entertainment and others. Artistic talent is mandatory for anyone aspiring to enter this field. If you wish to work as an independent professional, some background in graphic designing would give you an edge in the field.

The remuneration depends on the industry in which you are working since print media salaries are lower than those in the electronic media.

Securing the cyber world against hackers

Q: I am an undergraduate BSc student. I want to pursue Internet security as a career. Could you give me some information on it?

Shweta Jain

A: With our increasing dependence on computers, the proliferation of web services and e-commerce, the need for developing “foolproof” e-security systems to safeguard networks and databases from rampant hacking has emerged as the number one global concern today for info-tech companies.

Companies are spending as much as three to four per cent of their annual budget on information security (IS) and are hiring smart hackers to test the robustness of their network security systems. But IS is not merely about installing firewalls and scanning discs and files for viruses. It’s also about managing and securing the knowledge and intellectual property of the organisation.

Job opportunities exist in financial institutions, insurance companies, banks, research institutions, media and entertainment organisations, government, defence and law enforcement agencies. Multinational companies also insist on security certifications.

To work in this domain, you require a thorough knowledge of an operating language like C, C++ coupled with one UNIX operating system and an assembly language.

Make sure you are comfortable with networking, TCP/IP and various other protocols.

A specific course in the subject would definitely be an asset. Particularly one that focuses on the application of the technologies used to secure computer systems. Core technical modules include the study of computer security architecture, firewalls, user authentication methods and security techniques for both Windows and UNIX platforms.

The course should also provide sufficient knowledge of other areas like cryptography, biometrics, risk management, intruder detection, hacker techniques, incident handling and recovery, system forensics investigation and the auditing of e-commerce systems and IT infrastructure.

Today, information security has emerged as one of the most critical issues in IT and consequently one of the most sought-after specialities. The cyber cop’s work can be highly challenging. You’ve got to be on your toes all the time to stay ahead of these smart hackers. There’s never a dull moment in this job ? you’ll find a new challenge every day!