Hello! Just a question or two!

injury

Hello everyone,

I'm going in the Army as a 25U and I was googling around, found this site had A LOT of valuable advice on what to do after getting out of the Army. After I read all the great advice, I decided to join up...I've gone to a community college for CIS and that was OK, but as a 25U, I'm going to be a glorified IT guy with some networking skills. I know some VB, C/++, well versed in CSS/XHTML...

Didn't really know where to post an intro, so here it is!

I would like to know where I should start! I'm reading up on the CompTIA Sec+, seems like the obvious place to start, but it also seems like the least likely to help get me a job!

Any advice, welcomes or whatever are welcome!

Thank you all!

powerfool

Being that you are in the military, the DoD 8570 is both a blessing and a curse. It is a pain to adhere when you have it as a constraint, but when you are looking to get some assistance, you can use that constraint to justify training and vouchers. Currently, the most valuable and versatile certification in the 8570 is the CISSP... but, building up to it via the Security+ and/or SSCP isn't a bad move for someone.

Beyond that, it depends on what you want to do. Most of the folks here are more of the systems or networking tilt... some folks to development though. There are fairly defined paths depending on what you want to do.

Best wishes.

SteveLord

Your AKO account can get you access to Skillsoft. You'll find CBT courses on just about anything, including some practice exams. You can also get access to Books24x7 from there as well.

https://usarmy.skillport.com/skillportfe/custom/login/usarmy/login.action

injury

Thank you very much for the warm welcome and the pertinent information! I think that with a 4 year enlistment, I'll probably only be able to hit IA Level-II (right?) but I'm reading more of the DoD 8570, trying to get an idea of what they expect from people. Also I noticed CEH isn't on their list of certification requirements. Can I still attempt this certification?

Thank you stevelord for the valuable info! I'll check it out!

afcyung

The IA level you need to be certified to is based on the duties you will perform. While it makes sense to start at IA level 1 and then at some point move to a level 2 position its possible you may be put right into a level 2 position. In the Air Force we get our IA certification at the end of our technical training. So for a sys admin they get Sec +. I can't comment on how the army does it but I would think they provide the training for the certification you need as part of your technical training before you get sent to your first duty station. Your recruiter should be able to answer this question for you.

With regards to the CEH, can you take it? Sure, the question I think you are asking is if the Army/DOD will pay for it. Unless your IA position is a CND position that requires a CEH they will most likely not fund the certification for you. However there are other alternatives like tuitions assistance, I know in the Air Force they provide you 4500$ for a certification, its a once in a life time sum of money and there are some strings attached like anything with the DOD but its a good deal nonetheless. I believe that TA benefits are the same for all DOD components but again your recruiter should be to tell you what the Army offers for TA and other benefits you have while in.

I wouldn't focus to much on what cert you need because they will train you for the cert.