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In our last article, we proposed that one of the largest issues with Cyber Security breaches is that we simply do not have enough qualified people to do the work. In this article, I want to provide some tips on how to learn Cyber Security. Here are some tips that will get you started in the industry.
Prerequisite #1 - Passion for Technology
This is the single largest factor we can provide. If you truly have a passion for something, the act of investing and growing within that passion becomes second nature. To flourish in this industry, this kind of passion is required. Technology comes and goes, changes and becomes more efficient or scalable. The ability to learn new technology and adapt is paramount. This is a phenomenal industry that has incredible potential and growth and this is still the ground floor. This is something no one can teach or provide and if you genuinely have this, you have a very tangible path to success.
- "Sensible people get paid for playing"
- Allen Watts 1973
Prerequisite #2 - Commitment
This is only a tiny bit behind Prerequisite #1. The reality is becoming a Cyber Security professional will not happen overnight. It will require your time, studying and likely a financial investment in either equipment or education to make it happen. But you are worth that investment.
Start with the Basics
The very core of Cyber Security begins with learning how the IT world works. We cannot secure digital assets unless we know the basics.
The most common way to learn the basics is to go to a 2 or 4 year University and get a degree in Computer Science or Computer Information Systems. These look great on a resume and can often be a filter for HR searching for jobs so a degree is never bad to have. The University degree will provide well rounded general skills and should provide a good foundation. The two year degree programs often provide less academic background but better hands on skills and sometimes even filter into certification paths that we will talk about next. As a whole, the four year degree is more valuable but you can get still start your career with just a two year degree.
Another great option is to obtain certifications. Certifications are tests that are provided by vendors or other groups that show employers that the individual has a skill in a particular discipline. In many cases, employers will require a candidate for a job to have one or more of these completed. These are a great starting point for anyone new to the industry who cannot go and jump into a college setting. When studying, I recommend downloading the exam objectives and reviewing all the topics and researching each one as they are listed. Once you feel comfortable with the technology, move on to the next. The best ones to start with are CompTia Certifications as those are vendor neutral and generally novice friendly.
Build a Lab
One of the single biggest challenges in IT and Cyber Security is the catch 22 of the industry. Employers want experience but how do eager aspiring technology professionals get that experience? One of the best answers to that is to build a lab. This can be as simple as installing virtualization software on your workstation or as elaborate as building a rack of servers or routers to simulate a corporate network. No matter what you want to learn, a lab of some kind is an amazing resource to test and break things, from configuring firewall rules to building an email server to learning how to hack. It's a giant sandbox where you can break things, learn things and become that professional you strive to be without any consequences of costing a business money. When I got started, I took anything and everything people were willing to give me and purchased the items I needed to learn. It was one of the single biggest reasons I passed certification exams and I cannot stress how useful and important this piece of the puzzle is. To get started, I recommend using VirtualBox to create Virtual Machines. It is free to use and you can even get a trial version of Windows or free versions of Linux to get started without any money. A link to Virtualbox is here: https://www.virtualbox.org/
Get Training
There are more resources available now than ever before. YouTube is a fantastic resource to get started but to really get prepared to take a job or pass a certification exam, purchasing an online course from a good instructor is a very good means to place yourself in the best position to pass. The ROI from that passed exam in the form of a Cyber Security Analyst or Engineer salary is easy to calculate and worth the investment.
How can we help?
What are your biggest challenges with getting started? What questions do you have about certifications? Let us know in the comments below!
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