Stuck and having trouble, suggestions?

Well I love security, I am in an ISSM role and while I do enjoy my work, I would like to be in a slightly more technical role. The problem is that I just don’t know what direction to go in. I feel like a kid in a candy store, I like all of IT and I can’t really definitively say I want to go this route for security.

I have heard people say get a strong fundamental knowledge of networking by getting your CCNA. I cracked open a book and played around with packet tracer and I have no real interest in learning it. I am not going to be a switch guy or a router guy so I just can’t stomach learning all of that and then just forgetting it all in a couple months after.

I played around with amazon web services (AWS) as part of their affiliate program and find a real interest in cloud technology so might be considering following this route.
I have played around with JAVA and actually find an interest in this. Thinking about taking a couple JAVA classes and see if I enjoy that aspect of IT.

I really want to go in a direction that I can utilize my security background, but also be on the cutting edge of technology. Something inside of me tells me to go the virtualization route, but I just don’t see a lot of opportunity for security in that type of position.

Like I said, I feel like there are just too many options to pick one and go. I have no doubt that if I just picked one and went I would be great at it, I just can’t decide on what to do.

Would it be a mistake going the virtualization route without CCNA type knowledge?
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

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Comments

Jon_Cisco

If you are currently happily employed I would suggest studying a topic that interests you. It will be a lot easier to maintain focus and you don't have to worry as much about what needs to be on your resume this month.

Long term when you find a direction you will need to learn some things that don't interest you but the reward will be that it is career focused.

Good Luck!

RouteMyPacket

Cyberscum wrote: »

Well I love security, I am in an ISSM role and while I do enjoy my work, I would like to be in a slightly more technical role. The problem is that I just don’t know what direction to go in. I feel like a kid in a candy store, I like all of IT and I can’t really definitively say I want to go this route for security.

I have heard people say get a strong fundamental knowledge of networking by getting your CCNA. I cracked open a book and played around with packet tracer and I have no real interest in learning it. I am not going to be a switch guy or a router guy so I just can’t stomach learning all of that and then just forgetting it all in a couple months after.

I played around with amazon web services (AWS) as part of their affiliate program and find a real interest in cloud technology so might be considering following this route.
I have played around with JAVA and actually find an interest in this. Thinking about taking a couple JAVA classes and see if I enjoy that aspect of IT.

I really want to go in a direction that I can utilize my security background, but also be on the cutting edge of technology. Something inside of me tells me to go the virtualization route, but I just don’t see a lot of opportunity for security in that type of position.

Like I said, I feel like there are just too many options to pick one and go. I have no doubt that if I just picked one and went I would be great at it, I just can’t decide on what to do.

Would it be a mistake going the virtualization route without CCNA type knowledge?
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

You ave your CISSP and "want" a more technical role? As in performing actual Engineering design/configurations? Your CISSP won't help with that at all.

"IT" is like anything else in life, you have to know what you want before you can begin taking the steps necessary to get there.

Step 1: What do I want out of my career?
Step 2: How do I go about taking the steps necessary to get there?

Those first two are critical..or there is a alternate version I see so many choose

Step 1: Land an "IT" job..ask for as much money as possible, call myself a "Sr." Admin or "Sr." Engineer but never study to improve, collect my check. In at 8:15AM, out at 4:45PM.

Step 2: Complain about pay and how you know everything but nobody listens bla bla bla. Rinse and repeat

zxbane

I would suggest the CCNA even knowing you have no intention of directly working with routers/switches necessarily. I was in IT for 4 years working as a Sys Admin and in IA before circling back and getting my CCNA and I will say it made me realize how little I did know. Just learning the concepts of networking are crucial to working in any concentration of IT in my opinion, even if you won't use the Cisco commands day in and day out, the routing and networking concepts are crucial to having a better understanding of how things work.

AwesomeGarrett

LOL, the alternative version is right on the money!

yeah yeah

Not sure what sector you work in as an ISSM, but may want to inch your way to an Information Systems Security Engineer. ISSE's can keep their IA (and C&A) skills along with getting hands-on with actually securing systems along the SDLC.

Cyberscum

Jon_Cisco wrote: »

If you are currently happily employed I would suggest studying a topic that interests you. It will be a lot easier to maintain focus and you don't have to worry as much about what needs to be on your resume this month.

Long term when you find a direction you will need to learn some things that don't interest you but the reward will be that it is career focused.

Good Luck!

This is my train of thought, but I fear that if I choose the cloud route (where my interests are) I might end up having to give up security as a primary role. I guess its just one of those things that you will never know until you try it out.

Also, another fear is having to start a career all over. I have no job expierence in cloud tech, only what I have done with AWS and other cloud services on my own. I guess its all a crap shoot, gotta follow what I enjoy in the end.

Cyberscum

RouteMyPacket wrote: »

You ave your CISSP and "want" a more technical role? As in performing actual Engineering design/configurations? Your CISSP won't help with that at all.

"IT" is like anything else in life, you have to know what you want before you can begin taking the steps necessary to get there.

Step 1: What do I want out of my career?
Step 2: How do I go about taking the steps necessary to get there?

Those first two are critical..or there is a alternate version I see so many choose

Step 1: Land an "IT" job..ask for as much money as possible, call myself a "Sr." Admin or "Sr." Engineer but never study to improve, collect my check. In at 8:15AM, out at 4:45PM.

Step 2: Complain about pay and how you know everything but nobody listens bla bla bla. Rinse and repeat

I truly understand what you are saying. I see far too many people in the alternative. I want to do what I enjoy.

As far as technical goes, I do alot of technical stuff Microsoft associated. But my interests do are not in MS. I would love to get into a cloud security engineering or design role or maybe a software security role but just don’t know what cert will get me started in the right direction.

Cyberscum

yeah yeah wrote: »

Not sure what sector you work in as an ISSM, but may want to inch your way to an Information Systems Security Engineer. ISSE's can keep their IA (and C&A) skills along with getting hands-on with actually securing systems along the SDLC.

Any idea on how to get started in a ISSE role? Or at least a place where I can get more info on the career paths of ISSE's?