Networking or Security Career Path?

Sweece

Hey all,

This question is for those who have been working in either Networking or Security for a few years now.

I currently have two job offers right out of college: a Junior Network Engineer position and a Security Analyst role.

I have interviewed with both companies and I have found myself being so torn as to which job to accept because I just love both. I was originally pursuing InfoSec because I knew the salary might have more potential for growth, but after getting to know the Networking team, I might see myself having more fun dealing with actual hardware rather than sitting around doing vulnerability scans. But I also love security and have always wanted to work my way up to a Security Engineer role. So my question is, Networking or Security for a career path? What has more growth potential? What has more opportunities? I'm really not hung up on salary all that much, I just want to enjoy what I do... but I enjoy both. I need someone with experience in these fields to help me out and tell me why you love Networking or Security and why.

renacido

There is a way to do both in a way, as a network security engineer/analyst (they focus on network monitoring, firewalls, segmentation, NIDS/NIPS, packet analysis, etc).

I'd consider what you'd be actually doing day to day in each, as well as what you'd be able to learn in each position, and how much you'd enjoy that, as well as how that prepares you for the next level of your chosen career path.

I love security because it makes me apply all of my IT expertise, it involves a lot of investigation and detective-like thinking, and unlike any other field in IT you have adversaries constantly challenging you. It's us vs them, good vs evil. And the tactics, techniques, and procedures (or TTPs as we call them) are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated.

Best of luck, hope this helps.

NEODREAM

Having a good understanding of networking will definitely help in the long run when it comes to security and vice versa. You can't go wrong really with either path as you could probably transition a few years down the line if you ever decide to switch. The two paths compliment each other very well!

shimasensei

Like what renacido said, Network Security. It's the path I am pursuing right now. These are the two areas I have found myself to be passionate in IT.