How To Get Into Cybersecurity
I get this question often from students, peers, and professionals who want to make a career change. Instead of sending a Google Doc which only a few people will see, I decided to make this available to others who may have be looking to make a jump. There are many paths which can lead allow you to launch your professional career into Cybersecurity. I’ve been fortunate enough to be at the right place, at the right time on numerous occasions based on my curiosity and desire to keep learning. You will see many posts saying that there is a Cybersecurity shortage yet I believe that if software, hardware, and products took a bit more time to implement security during the Software & Systems Development Life Cycle (Hardware & Software).
Do you need a degree to get started?
No.
Do you need certifications to get started?
No.
Can I get into the field if I network and I have potential?
Yes.
Will I have a successful career in technology without getting a degree & certifications?
It depends.
Why should you listen to me?
I got my first full-time salary job without a degree at 20 years old. It wasn’t through sheer luck though, the right opportunity presented itself combined with 2 years of hands-on experience through teaching myself basic Linux/Windows commands, how to run a print statement in Python, and ability to whiteboard the basics of how a 3-way handshake works in TCP/IP which I learned on my free-time while waiting tables at TGI Fridays.
What does it take to be successful?
On average, it takes 10,000 hours to achieve mastery, not only that but a recent article I read mentioned that good teaching can also speed up the process of learning. If you’re an individual who is not looking to go to school or study for a certification, I would recommend to spend on average 20-48 hours on self-study for building your foundation of knowledge in computers, software, hardware, and emerging trends as you this career requires securing the production systems with data that storage sensitive information such as credit card numbers, health data, or simply the systems that are responsible for generating revenue at that company. Sure you can get away with no experience for an entry level role the first few years but it will be very hard to get into a really sexy role where everyone on the team had to sacrifice a lot of time to achieve their seat at the table or create their own table by adding value to the larger community.
For individuals who want to learn the hands-on skill as they don’t aspire to get a degree or already have one in something else, see post below.
If you have the resources to attend college and learn better from a group setting below is an article I wrote that can help you identify a program in Cybersecurity.