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Destination: Cyber Security

t22

Hello Friends,

I'm a recent college grad on the job hunt and wanted to stop by for some guidance.

Basically, I have a degree in business admin and some leadership experience. Nothing really on my resume as far as tech skills other than basic HTML/CSS. This doesn't really reflect my desire to delve into the IT world, so I'm wondering what you recommend as far as programming languages or certifications.

I would love to end up in a career dealing with cyber security. But where do I start? Should I start with a certification to learn the basics of networking/infrastructure and have something to show for it? Or should I learn a language?

Right now, I am interested in a consulting firm that has a security analyst position. They do mostly infrastructure security. This makes me think I should pursue something like the CCNA (Security?) cert. I'm a quick learner, but with no experience is this a lofty goal to achieve over the next couple of months? Perhaps the CompTIA Network+ followed by the Security+ would be a better option.

On the flip side, I'm interested in another consulting firm that offers software solutions in addition to infrastructure design and partnerships with Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, etc. They typically hire computer science majors with experience in Java, C#, C++, SharePoint, and HTML. So, should I learn a language? If so, which one? I have read a lot of positive posts about Python for beginners. Then maybe I could pick up C++? Is Java still viable or would I be wasting my time on a dying language?

I would like to spend time making myself marketable to both companies. In the end, I would like to start down a path that will eventually lead me to a career in cyber security consulting. Sorry this is such a wordy post, but any and all feedback would be appreciated!

Thank you all.

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Comments

wes allen

There are some great thread on infosec in the security section here - spend a bit of time reading through those and you will have a better idea of the options and the path ahead. But, short answer is if you want to do network security, you need to know networks pretty well first. Same with coding. There are some non technical positions to look at as well, stuff like risk management and policy development, that might make more use of your degree, because it can take years to build the tech skills up to the level you would need.

JDMurray

My first question to you is, "What do you think the term cyber security means?"

Answer that and people will have more accurate suggestions for how to develop your career in whatever it is you want to work in.

dmoore44

I'm a quick learner, but with no experience is this a lofty goal to achieve over the next couple of months?

If you're referring to your chances of landing an INFOSEC job with no experience... yes. If you're referring to your ability to get the CCNA... not really. The CCNA is an entry level cert, and the material isn't too difficult to grasp.

In a broader sense, my advice to you, if you're interested in a successful INFOSEC career is to start at the bottom - either in networking (Cisco), or in systems (pick one: Microsoft, Linux, web apps, etc...) and specialize in it. Know everything there is to know - become an expert. Once you've done that, then you can start expanding your knowledge in to other specializations like security.