Newcomer to cyber security, general questions

I enrolled in a Master of Science in Formation Assurance, I have an undergrad in business admin- finance. I do not have any IA or IT experience, I am in my first week of my first class which is a 300 level undergrad class to prep me for my masters courses... it wa not mandatoy, but recommended. I anticipate to finish the degree in about 2 years hopefully a little less, but I don't want to rush.

I was thinking if starting to study for one of the certifications and try to pass one before graduati f, specifically I was looking at the Security+ and one of the GIAC like GPEN... which seems to be required by a lot of government employers and contractors.

Is that a good or bad idea?

I an hoping to land an internship too, but right now I have no coursework under my belt. I am still sending out resumes though.

What can I do to help land an internship? Is trying to pass a certification while in school too aggressive? Will security+ help me stand out once I graduate? Any other advice on IA and getting an internship would be helpful. Thanks.

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Comments

TheFORCE

Security+ will help you but being so new I'd suggest you don't attempt GPEN. It might be too advanced for you at this point. Studying for school and at the same time studying for certifications is something that most of the people on this forum do everyday. Just dont rush and take it slow. Security+ is a good fundamental certifications and you will learn a lot from it, especially coming from an non IT background.

SaSkiller

Sec+ is a good starting point, but you want to look at what area of security you would like to get into. That is really going to tell you what certs you can acquire that will be beneficial.

Before looking at GPEN, I advise looking at CEH. Some people may be surprised but IMO there was significant overlap.

I don't know anything about getting internships, I would talk to your school, see if they have advisers who can assist, also look at civilian employers and see if they have programs for interns, what they look for.

SoCalGuy858

+1 for the Security+. Great way to get familiarized with security, and no experience requirements needed! In addition to programs for interns, keep your eyes out for recent graduate / career development / "pathways" programs that some companies may offer. I've seen quite a few of these with flexible entry standards, so you may be able to leverage your BS degree along with your newly-enrolled status to snag one of these jobs.

What, if any, non-IT work experience do you have?

GregDK85

TheFORCE wrote: »

Security+ will help you but being so new I'd suggest you don't attempt GPEN. It might be too advanced for you at this point. Studying for school and at the same time studying for certifications is something that most of the people on this forum do everyday. Just dont rush and take it slow. Security+ is a good fundamental certifications and you will learn a lot from it, especially coming from an non IT background.

I agree, I think GPEN maybe towards the end of my degree, I will be taking an Offensive Security Course and similar courses towards the end of my studies. Thanks for the feedback, it was very helpful.

I was looking at the Gibson study guide for Security+, do you recommend any study guides or methods? Thanks

GregDK85

SoCalGuy858 wrote: »

+1 for the Security+. Great way to get familiarized with security, and no experience requirements needed! In addition to programs for interns, keep your eyes out for recent graduate / career development / "pathways" programs that some companies may offer. I've seen quite a few of these with flexible entry standards, so you may be able to leverage your BS degree along with your newly-enrolled status to snag one of these jobs.

What, if any, non-IT work experience do you have?

Thanks for the reply, I have been looking at some of the pathway programs - specifically the government and contractors like Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, Boeing, etc.

Non-IT experience includes working for a collections call center for a few months, and odd jobs, I worked as a security guard in night clubs while in college, I had a small landscaping business.

GregDK85

SaSkiller wrote: »

Sec+ is a good starting point, but you want to look at what area of security you would like to get into. That is really going to tell you what certs you can acquire that will be beneficial.

Before looking at GPEN, I advise looking at CEH. Some people may be surprised but IMO there was significant overlap.

I don't know anything about getting internships, I would talk to your school, see if they have advisers who can assist, also look at civilian employers and see if they have programs for interns, what they look for.

Thanks for replying

I will look into CEH, the reason I didn't look at it because it seems more intense and also has a work requirement or am I wrong? I guess my main motivation is to get a certificaton or certifications that will help give me an advantage on when looking for internships or entry level job once I graduate... since I do not have an IT undergrad degree or IT experience.