Which certs to get me started in cybersecurity?

Dabull25

I am starting a masters in cybersecurity in the fall. I have no experience in IT so while I am in school I am looking to get some IT experience in a job. Which certificate should I go after first to land a job that will gain me experience in this field?

higherho

If your getting a Masters degree in Cybersecurity then you don't need a certification to get you into the field. You have more than enough education, I would start looking for positions to gain experience. If you want to continue your education after your masters then certifications will help that. Their are a lot of roles within the cyber security realm (forensics, Information Assurance Engineers, Security Network Engineers, Incident Response, etc). Search what type of role you would like to get into and then you will have a better idea of what certification path will help you more. For example, a CISSP is a good overall managerial /security certification but if you want to be more of an engineer then OCSP is a better choice.

Dabull25

I am looking to get into the IT field while I am in school. I probably wouldnt be able to find a job without any experience or certification, right?

TBickle

You need to have an equal balance of both education and practical application otherwise you might lose out to someone who ACTUALLY has done the work. Nowadays, most employers actually test you on the material pertaining to the job. If you're interviewing for a Network Security position, they might ask you questions regarding ACL's, how to defend against DDOS attacks, and VLAN Hopping etc. Do you know about any of these things, or have your studies strictly been in the managerial end of this industry? If in the managerial end, I would HIGHLY suggest you begin looking at Cisco Certifications. Start off with a CCNA, then go for CCNA Security and CCNP security. If you prioritize your time right, it shouldn't take you more than 6 months to get through a CCNA.

Master Of Puppets

Cybersecurity with no experience in IT? Are you sure this is the best way? I have seen a lot of employers not take people seriously in situations like this unless they have significant knowledge on the subject(not that common). Usually, you don't want to try to get into IT with security.

antielvis

OP

To start, get yourself a good well rounded generalist level knowledge of how things work. You don't need to know things inside & out, but have an idea how Linux works, how Windows works, how a CISCO router works..etc.