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Dec 24 2015 05:17pm
I'm thinking of going down that path, applied for a network security specialist program at my school. I don't have any experience really but I am pretty smart and computer saavy. Wondering if you guys know a good place to start learning (videos, forums, etc). If you do have a job in cyber security how is it? is it hard to get a job? Etc etc
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Dec 25 2015 11:15pm
not sure if that's really a programming question. you might wanna ask here: http://forums.d2jsp.org/forum.php?f=188
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Dec 31 2015 09:01am
"Cyber security" is a huge field that encompasses a LOT of different career paths (coding, auditing, compliance, networking, policy, and many more), without more specific detail from you as to what exactly you'd like to do I don't think too many here can give you any solid pointers of where to start and what to learn. That being said, learning networking and security basics are almost always a good place to start. Look at study materials for certifications like Network+ and Security+, professor messor .com is a nice (and free!) resource to get your mental feet wet. Security jobs are also (generally) NOT entry-level positions, they're more of a specialization beyond some other IT profession and most entry-level security gigs are actually mid-level tech jobs. And this makes sense, how can you secure something if you don't know how it works? Can you secure your house if you don't know where the windows and doors are?

As for actually getting a job, that depends on a lot of variables. Local job market, your experience and how you can market it, and the type of firm you'd be applying to. Many of the larger companies use HR software to screen applicants, and a lot of these will filter out candidates without a degree. This is less of a problem in smaller shops where humans actually look at resumes. If you want a career in security you're probably better off if you were to take a helpdesk/desktop/jr admin position to get relevant experience while trying to make the transition, but at the same time make contacts. Networking with people is one of the best ways to get infosec jobs, a lot of it is who you know.

Here's a few good blog posts about careers in infosec:
https://danielmiessler.com/blog/build-successful-infosec-career/
http://tisiphone.net/2015/10/12/starting-an-infosec-career-the-megamix-chapters-1-3/
http://tisiphone.net/2015/11/08/starting-an-infosec-career-the-megamix-chapters-4-5/

I'd say to look closely at the jobs you'd like to apply for, what are their duties, responsibilities, requirements, etc., and then look at what it would take to get to that place. From there you should have a pretty good idea of how to work backwards to find a learning path.
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