Is Systems Security/Systems Admin a good career?

jerseytech

Hi All,

I'm currently a Systems Administrator with a focus on AirWatch to secure our laptops, and shortly secure our phones. I've been given the task to become the AirWatch SME. I built the whole on-prem AirWatch infrastructure, so I'm learning a lot about Systems Administration on top of Systems Security and Compliance. Since they want me to focus on securing systems, my question is, is that a hot field? I really enjoy it.

636-555-3226

Security's just about the most-demanded and least-supplied field globally for any job type (not just limited to IT) for the next 5-10 years. So, yeah, it's a hot field.

UnixGuy

As far as I know, not it's not a hot field on its own, it's more like part of the job. You need to know more about networking, TCP/IP, tcpdump, wireshark, IPS/IDS, certificates, DLP, AV, ....etc .etc.......

or GRC if you're not going the technical path

jerseytech

UnixGuy wrote: »

As far as I know, not it's not a hot field on its own, it's more like part of the job. You need to know more about networking, TCP/IP, tcpdump, wireshark, IPS/IDS, certificates, DLP, AV, ....etc .etc.......

or GRC if you're not going the technical path

I'm definitely going the technical path, but networking is extremely boring to me.

UnixGuy

Knowing networking (in my opinion) is the bare minimum. I've done sysadmin for years, and securing systems isn't exactly too complicated of a task to specialise in, but if you're going that path then perhaps pick up malware analyis? look at a course like SANS GREM.

InfoTechQA

I agree with UnixGuy. Security and Networking kind of go hand in hand to some extent. After all, you're "securing" a "network" and other aspects of the environment. Good deep and wide on both subjects if you really want to make it big.

beads

There is also a lot of push within the security field in general to learn, know and apply a great deal more 'hacking' and network penetration skills into the mix to secure the network itself. A good understanding of penetration testing helps with vulnerability, forensics and code testing skills. We may see the field properly split into two distinct paths to reflect the technical and non-technical paths of security.

There are a number of high demand low quality entries into various IT fields right now. Add data science/analytics/big data and IT project management as prominent examples. Oh wait the last two require real skills and training - never mind.

- b/eads