future employemnt

krbrooks

What does the current and near future employemnt situation look like for security type work? Any thoughts?

Pavlov

I would think in this day and age of high paranoia that security would be a good employment area. However, this would only be good news for those experienced in security, not the newbie just entering. No matter how high you score on any test nobody will hire you to be a security specialist without years of experience to back you.

krbrooks

Hmmm then whats the point? Would the cert not help round out your experience and help increase opportunity? There must be lower level jobs or jobs that only entail a smaller part of security. I see it helping technicians and network folks. I do desktop support for the government and I see a lot of problems and potential problems relating to security. Just the little I know. Why would that cert not increase my value and potential? I don't think people get hired as a top guy right out of the box. The government works in groups and teams with people having different areas of expertise, security being one of them. We don't have any one of two people responsible for it. What do you experience in your job. What would your goal be in obtaining the cert?

Pavlov

Government vs. the rest of the world. In today's economy most companies don't have multiple IT depts. Heck most of the companies I've worked for it's been at most me and 3 other techs responsible for everything. But indeed the cert would only add value and could help in a Jr. security position, although I don't know what that position would be.

alathea

Im just getting out of the military, I know what you mean. That line from Armageddon about the people in the little room that get paid just to think s**t up and the others backing them up? Not a joke.

Your line of questioning interested me, since Im all former security/military and currently a corrections custody officer that has to get out of physical security work because of my health. Ive got lots of 'dorm' learned trouble shooting experience from when I was in college a few years ago, and am looking at going back full time for a BS in IT/Comp. Sci. Cruising the net looking for resources and thinking about a security emphasis...If I cant beat them up or shoot them, I guess I can try to out hack them, right? I hope that over the next few years I can secure an internship with a government or non government agency to learn what the heck im supposed to be doing.

No real point to this ramble, your post just struck a chord.

C

RussS

I think for the most part the Security+ certification will be more about indicating that an administrator has a reasonable understanding of compuer security. There are so many admins out there that have absolutely no clue about simple things like hardening their systems and closing down unused services - hell you just have to look at the volume of spam that we recieve from servers that are running unsecured SMTP relay to realiset this. A friend who has about 12 staff working for him in Australia has requested that all of them undertake Sec+ at the companies expense to aid in the satisfactory running of their facilities.

For someone looking at the security field to be an Analyst there are far more relevant and recognised certifications such as CISSP. A local employment agency told me that anyone in that field with less than 5 years experience wouldn't even have their resumes read.