Looking into security but what direction and what is the market like?

Salt0912

I have lots of support exp under my belt lets leave it at that, I have been wanting to get out of the black hole of helpdesk. I am looking into mobile development for IOS,ANDROID and Windows PHONE my other option is security(blackhat) with cloud(securing the cloud) with citrix or vmware certs? I dont know but it seems like a very stable and secure job. I like to go into government if I could. I just need some advice from the people that have been in this field for awhile.

I'm not trying to get a bunch of certs that wont be beneficial to me at all.

redz

Market is fantastic for security. If that's the path you want to take, start with a CompTIA Security+ and a quick/painless operating environment cert (MCTS, CCENT, whatever is most comfortable for you). That'll get you DoDI 8570 compliance for an IAT I/II spot.

If you're trying to go government it'll be pretty easy with help desk experience and a Sec+ to get a Jr ISSE job with a defense contracting firm. Generally better than help desk money. Easier if you're cleared, but several companies (Booz Allen Hamilton comes to mind) will pay for your clearance, too. Several also offer great education benefits; I got my CISSP, CAP, CNSS 4011/4012/4015/4016A, and a few USMC-specific IA certs this way over the course of 3 years... all company-paid.

After that, you'll be primed for a real government job - Connections, experience, certifications, et al. I can only speak for security, however.

Arod95

not trying to steal the thread. @redz I was wondering how would you get into getting recruited by a defense contracting firm? is it a country wide thing or is it more common in specfic states? because I got wide range of certs gonna go for ccna, security+, and ccna:s this year. plus I have just a few months ago got a help desk job. I'll probably stay for a year or two and wanted to look for something better. Thanks for any info

redz

Arod95,

My recruitment was extremely atypical, but I can give you a bit of advice... Northern Virginia, between Fredericksburg and Washington DC, is the ideal area. There are tons of Navy and Marine Corps defense contracting firms in this area, along with many other federal agencies.

Look into the firms who're hiring - Hewlett-Packard, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics... those are a few of the bigger ones. Find their recruiters on LinkedIn and contact them directly if they have an open position. I've had the best luck that way. If you don't have any luck, find a small firm who is either winning work or subbing to a large firm that is. There aren't a lot of junior level information security personnel in the area, and tons of firms are looking for them.

It'll also make it easier if you google who is winning contracts (HP just won a massive one) and contact their recruiters directly.

I don't want to hijack this too hard - any other information you need, or more specific advice as to who to contact, feel free to PM me. EDIT: I'm not smart enough to get into my inbox, so, I guess don't PM me.

halaakajan

What do you mean by you want to get into blackhat? You want to be the guy on the other side?