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Hi all

I want to start developing my skills within the cyber security field however I’m not too sure where to start. Currently I have very little knowledge in this field so I am looking for some entry level courses. Does anyone have any recommendations on where I should start looking?

Thanks in advance!

Edit:

I am currently working in a sys admin/sys eng/helpdesk role and would like to develop my skills in cyber security.

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If you are new to IT, you will need to know how computer works, Once you know how computers work, you need to know how network works. When you have deep understanding of these two areas, you can then start to get into security. So your path would be CompTIA Computer plus, CompTIA Network plus and CompTIA Security plus would be good start

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Sorry I should have mentioned I am currently in IT with 6 years of experience in helpdesk/sys admin roles. However thank you for the advice! I’ll definitely have a look at the CompTIA certifications.

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Look into CompTIA security or CCNA coursework. This will help solidify your networking background, With this deep understanding start learning about firewall and eventually CISSP course work

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I’m guessing you’re talking about the cybersecurity field in general. The problem is that there are so many facets that it would probably be best to get an understanding of the different sub-fields that are out there to see what piques your interest so you can make an informed decision on the particular path you need to delve deeper in. So, one thing that I would highly recommend is getting a firm foundation in networking, such as Sanpatel mentioned - i.e. CompTIA Network+ as that is a basis for a lot of what cybersecurity is about. As a matter of fact, 40% +/- so of Security+ overlaps with Network+. Now, the next question: are you looking for paid instructor-led training, self-study, a combination of both? I can tell you ITProTV is doing a free security training weekend coming up, so you can get a feel for the Security+ class, along with the other courses they have available. Some other places to look: Spiceworks Learn , of course!, Udemy (inexpensive - NEVER pay full price on their courses, they’re always having sales), Coursera (free unless you want a certificate of completion), Professor Messer on YouTube (is great imho, not to mention free! Covers A+, Net+, and Sec+ and has study groups), and last, but not least Cybrary (also free, but there’s a paid subscription if you want to delve into deeper stuff).

@michelle-itprotv

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Yeah I second Mike here on this … def get your start with CompTIA Security+ and the like. You can find stuff on some sites like edx.org as well as they offer some free courses etc too. You can start them, see if you like it and then nearer the end pay to get the creditation etc.

@michaelmtallman @spiceuser-j7jky

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Obviously, it took me a while since Sanpatel’s comment was the only one when I started my reply - lol. Cisco isn’t a bad choice either, look down the page a little bit to see what certifications fit what area CyberOps Associate is equal to the CCNA baseline it looks like.

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Oh you can also look up CareerAcademy as well as they have sales for all courses sometimes for like $99 for a year. Those include Security+, CCNA etc. Also maybe JK might be able to advise on some others too.

@jkzfixme

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Security Plus is a great starting point and there are a lot of great resource like https://www.professormesser.com/

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. You should also be connecting with my local security groups be it an IT pro-focused user group or a more broad DC group, so get a better understanding of the real-life day-to-day actions of infosec and its many facets.

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As MichaelMTallman mentioned above, ITProTV is having a free weekend this weekend where you can watch ITProTV CompTIA Security+, CISSP, CEH, and CySA+ for free all weekend long. To watch the training over the free weekend, just sign up for a free membership. There’s no obligation and no credit card required to sign up. You can sign up for a free membership here . Then, when you long on this weekend, you’ll be able to access those courses. There’s also about 60+ hours of content that’s always available to our free members.

ITProTV has a variety of security courses beyond what’s available on the free weekend, but I recommend trying out the free weekend so you can get a feel for ITProTV’s style of training and see if it’s right for.

Also, if you do decide to sign up as a paid member you can use the code SPICE30 for 30% off the lifetime of your personal membership. Check out our pricing options here .

Let me know if you have any questions and best of luck on your learning journey!

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a lot of people had some great suggestions here, I am a huge proponent of Cisco and believe that a firm understating of networking is the baseline for a proper layered security approach. That’s great that ITProTV is offering a trial, go watch a bunch of videos and see what tickles your fancy ! Shameless self plug I run a CCNA user group here on spiceworks https://community.spiceworks.com/user-groups/ccna . I am also a big fan of udemy that periodically has 10 dolla holla sales on courses. Some are good, some are bad. For a couple bucks the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.

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Hey OP - if you’re looking to start developing your cybersecurity skillset, I’d encourage you to take a look at Infosec Skills ! Like others have said, the field of cybersecurity is very wide and very deep, so it’s important to have a plan going into it. A good way to keep yourself on track and build some resume points is to follow a certification track! You could check out CompTIA’s or ISC(2)'s certifications - both of these cover a wide array of topics and have entry-level and high-level certs. If you’d like to give Infosec Skills a try, you can get your first month for just $1 when you sign up with promo code: Spiceworks2020 - and let me know if you have any questions!

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I think the CompTIA Security+ certificate is a great place to start. Another popular certification is the CISSP. These certs will provide some background training and may also allow you to move to an entry level cybersecurity position. As many have said, the field is very large, so these two entry level certs may help you determine how to better narrow your focus depending on your interests and talents. Good luck!

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I beg to differ on the CISSP being “entry-level” lol - in order to actually become certified, it requires you to have FIVE years of experience in at least one (or maybe it was two) domains, with some education usable to replace up to two years of the experience requirement. It’s popular because many companies require it, but you can’t just get the cert and expect to land a job without having the tangible experience bit. One of my good friends who has been doing cybersec for 20 years (I know this as he worked for me when I was the CERT Chief in the National Guard from 2000-2003) said it was one of the hardest exams he’s ever taken. And he runs an MSSP (Managed Security Services Provider)!

@jamessouthern

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The advice I would give before anyone thinks about doing anything in IT security, think passed the buzzwords like ‘cyber’ and if you thinking it will be a way of making loads of money, there are easier ways to do so, but the most important one, it isn’t a 9-5 career path.

It’s currently 2120hrs here in the UK, I’m on here answering some questions and reading up on forums and vendor pages of all the crap that’s happened or come out today. I was on a train this morning at 0532 going into London to do some things before my clients staff got in so as to not disrupt their business and I was at another customer at 1800hr tonight to do similar, in-between I was doing other non disruptive work, I have a similar day planned for tomorrow. I don’t mind, I enjoy it

I spend a lot of (not this year though) at trade show and conferences to keep up to date with what’s out there and I even help organise the largest UK community led free security conference, that takes about 7 months for a volunteer team to do part time and we need to persuade a lot of people to give us a lot of money so we can do and provide free tickets.

Criminal do not care about your work hours, they care little for your family life and really have no concern for weekends, when an average SysAdmin leaves work at 5 on Friday and get’s back at 9 on a Monday, someone has over 2 days to play before they may be discovered.

So, if you are considering getting in to ‘cyber security’ prepare to read, prepare to spend your evenings and weekends studying (still do and I’ve been doing this for many years), get on Twitter and start following people and get involved in the community on there, you will hear of a lot of security thing there first and hours before it will make the news or websites, also you’ll make very good contacts who will help you further and support you. You’ll also need to think about a healthy work/life balance to stay sane.

You just need to decide what in security you want to do? red team?, Blue team?, web?, apps?, python?, PowerShell?, networks? Hardware? The list is endless.

Seek out your local DC (DefCon) group, these are basically meet up of people interested in security, they are great, welcoming, go there and ask questions, introduce yourself to people https://defcongroups.org/

Find your nearest Bsides conference, go there and do the same BSides / FrontPage

If you’re in the UK, I’ve created a StartMe page with all the UK conferences and and DC groups, their twitter feeds, websites and YouTube Channels. https://start.me/p/aLDxJ0/uk-infosec-community

I can’t tell you that exams you should take until you know what you want to do, e.g, CISSP (more or a management exam), OSCP, GCIH or CREST.

That said, doing a CompTIA exam is a good idea to start, they are entry level exams and even if you don’t go into security, they will be useful for any IT carrier

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Preach on, Brother Brian!

No truer words have or can be spoken, Brian hits the nail on the head. This field is NOT for the faint-hearted, nor those looking for a cushy tushy 9am - 5pm job - there’s rotating shift work, weekend work, et al. Even if you do not go all in at this point, getting a firm foundation in InfoSec will help you long term.

@brianwhelton

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There’s already been several good suggestions here.

Furthermore, check the below links:

Best online cybersecurity courses of 2020: free and paid certification programs, degrees and masters:

The Cybersecurity Training and IT Career Development Platform

Top 5 CompTIA Certification Courses to Pursue:

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Hey OP - Awesome to see that you are wanting to pursue a career in Cybersecurity!

I have some resources that you might find helpful (if you’re interested):

  • How to Break into Cybersecurity ebook: How to Break into Cybersecurity | ISC2
  • If you’re after any other certifications, I’d look at the SSCP or the CISSP . With applicable experience, it’s a great way to complement your skills and knowledge in the field.
    • If you don’t have enough experience, you could pursue a SSCP or CISSP certification through our Associate of (ISC)² program. With this program you can take any of our certification exams without the required work experience. When you pass, you become an Associate of (ISC)² as you work to gain the necessary experience to achieve full certification. Along the way, you receive exclusive (ISC)² resources to help you learn, grow and thrive throughout your journey.
    • If you’d like to go after the CISSP, we actually have 40% off discount going on for Online Instructor-Led Trainings when you bundle with an exam voucher. Check out more info, here !
  • " How You Can Become a Cybersecurity Hero " sheet that goes through everything the field demands.
    Feel free to let me know if you have any questions. Happy to help out more if I can!
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Essential cyber security measures

Even the smallest firms will find it quite simple to implement the following processes and tools. When you combine these, you’ll have a basic level of protection against the most prevalent IT threats.

Strong passwords are essential for internet safety. Make your password tough to guess by doing the following:

Using a combination of capital and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols to create a password that is between eight and twelve characters long, avoiding the inclusion of personal data, and never using it for multiple accounts using two factor authentication.

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Hey OP! Awesome to see that you’re trying to grow your knowledge on cybersecurity! We offer Security Awareness Training along with Privacy Training if you’re interested in that too. We also have a free resources section that you could check out to help with your learning. I hope this helps out and good luck!

@Inspired_eLearning