Which program should I specialize in for network security ( the field I want to major in ) to become better or more related to in this genre? So far I've been taking HTML and Java but I don't think that's exactly it. What do I want to use?

what programs are available to you? i assume this is college. pick whichever has networking or security in the name. obviously basic coding classes are only intro.

look into certifications. i dont mean college certifications, i mean cisco and whanot.

The CCENT courses from cisco will give you a good start, don't think learning a programming language will necessarily help you became better at network security, it's mostly configuration stuff and packets you need to know through and through.
If you're a microsoft guy you could look at Windows Powershell if you want something more related to "coding", it's mostly a text based tool to configure Microsoft platforms quickly, either manually or scripted.

This post was edited by Civill on Aug 2 2013 11:47pm

I learned a little bit of network security app stuff over the summer and all I can say is I hope you know some discrete math!

Are they available online? The CCENT courses? And Windows Powershell you recommend ? Alright i'll give it a try ty

After thinking about it a bit i think your best course of action is

1. slowly work through a Cisco course, either through a college or at home working through the material, this will explain to you the OSI model, how packets are the lifeblood of networking, layer 2/ layer 3 devices, how routing works etc.
This is all vital stuff if you want to be competent as either a system or network engineer, so definitely spend a good time studying this stuff.

2. learn a general scripting language, I suggest python because of the simplicity of syntax and the very powerfull tools it has, it's amazing for data manipulation aswell.

3. learn how to configure both unix and microsoft servers, i've personally been lacking in the former for quite some time and it genuinely hurt me in the long run.

I'd probably leave the powershell till you've got 1. and 2. down to a peg, it's mostly a configuration tool as i said so not top priority, i wasn't really thinking straight the first time i replied

This post was edited by Civill on Aug 7 2013 06:05pm

Literally going to do all this. Any other suggestions I need to take?

On top of what's been suggested, you could download a Linux distribution like Debian or a Unix clone like FreeBSD and learn iptables or ipfw for learning firewall rules and routing packets. Nobody (competent) uses a Windows box for routing or firewall, so either Cisco or Linux or a Unix clone are your best bet.

The best books in my experience for any subject are the O'Reilly and Associates books. I've had a subscription with them for years which gives you access to pretty much any subject you want. they're normally written by either the people who invented the technologies or actively work on the distributions or development of them.

This post was edited by notFrench on Aug 9 2013 08:00am

Good advice!

Another thing i forgot to add:
Check out a program called packet tracer by cisco(most likely on the site of pirates wink wink), you can basically drag and drop networking devices and then configure the routers/switches, good CLI practice, and very usefull to wrap your head around some of the more esoteric configurations since you can see the packets flow across the network.
Also allot cheaper than just buying the hardware.

This post was edited by Civill on Aug 9 2013 08:33am

understanding TCP/IP networking from a programatic point of view will help you alot imo. (easy way to apply it in practice is with AutoIt. (albeit doesn't support multithreading, youll understand why thats a problem when you get the basics)
e.g. understanding packet forging, arp poisoning, DLL injection, SQL injection, file binding, code obfuscation, header changes and basic malware habits will make you a hell of a lot sharper when it comes to applying your skills. there are alot of ways to get around intrusion detection, the more you understand how to find it yourself without relying on other software the better off you'll be imo.

there may come a day where your network will be infected by malware that won't be easily recognized.

This post was edited by Glyph89 on Aug 12 2013 06:13am