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Any Cyber/Info Sec folks in here?

Posted on 4/16/18 at 11:14 am
Posted by TaderSalad
mudbug territory
Member since Jul 2014
24626 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 11:14 am
I've been doing some reading, and think Cyber security would be an interesting field to dabble in, potentially make a career change.

Anyways, looking for somewhere to start. Any good forums, blogs, etc out there that anyone would recommend?

FWIW, I am not in the technology field currently. This would be a cold turkey jump for me.

TIA
Posted by ell_13
Member since Apr 2013
84943 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 11:21 am to
quote:

FWIW, I am not in the technology field currently. This would be a cold turkey jump for me.
What's your background?

Without any kind of technical knowledge of servers, software, OS, apps, networking, SCADA, etc., you're going to have a really hard time jumping in somewhere even at the entry level where businesses hire software/computer engineers just out of college. 10 years ago, you probably could have, but it's a growing field now with lots of candidates to choose from. What's nice, though, is that when you get in the field and have experience both on the technical and regulatory side, you're a sought-after commodity.
This post was edited on 4/16/18 at 11:26 am
Posted by TaderSalad
mudbug territory
Member since Jul 2014
24626 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 11:28 am to
quote:

What's your background?



Investigations.

Read an article where Cyber industry has plenty of folks out there have more of the technical knowledge but lack the investigative/analytical mindset. Just seemed interesting. Looking for additional resources
Posted by ell_13
Member since Apr 2013
84943 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 11:49 am to
quote:

Cyber industry has plenty of folks out there have more of the technical knowledge but lack the investigative/analytical mindset
Most of the "tech" people I know in the industry are extremely analytical.

There are two things you generally have to know: 1) what am I protecting my system(s) from? and 2) how do I protect it/them?

Sometimes (very often), those two things are spelled out by a regulatory body. Once you have procedures and processes in place, then it's all about the tools. Virus protection, change control, intrusion detection (physical and electronic), patching, etc.
Posted by Centinel
Idaho
Member since Sep 2016
43319 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 12:03 pm to
I'll add to what ell said. To be effective at cybersecurity, you really need a solid background in networking and systems first. You can't find "not normal" if you don't know what normal is to begin with.

With your background, data forensics may be more achievable. Much smaller skill set required than an analyst/engineer like myself. You'll still need to get really smart on memory analysis, and have a good understanding of OS processes and such.

Not trying to discourage you by any means, I just want to give you a realistic expectation of the industry.

ETA: And the above is why there is still a huge shortage in the cybersecurity world. You just can't make an (effective) analyst overnight. And just about every college program is straight up garbage outside of the big boys like Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, MIT, etc.
This post was edited on 4/16/18 at 12:05 pm
Posted by TaderSalad
mudbug territory
Member since Jul 2014
24626 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 1:33 pm to
Appreciate the feedback, fellas.
Posted by LSURep864
Moscow, Idaho
Member since Nov 2007
10907 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 3:25 pm to
A+>CCENT>CCNA R/S> CCNA Security.

This would be a good certification path for you.

A+ being the only one I'd potentially skip.

No need to spend a ton of money for bs "higher education."

You can get all of those by self study. They will land you a job where you want.


Posted by jcole4lsu
The Kwisatz Haderach
Member since Nov 2007
30922 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 3:29 pm to
quote:

Investigations

I could see you leveraging that into a digital forensics career. SANS and EC-Council both have highly respected certifications in that field.
Posted by Centinel
Idaho
Member since Sep 2016
43319 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 6:04 pm to
quote:

SANS and EC-Council both have highly respected certifications in that field.



SANS, yes. I hold a GCFA.

EC Council? Not just no, but HELL NO. That entire organization is a joke. Stay far, far away from anything they produce.

Posted by ArkLaTexTiger
Houston
Member since Nov 2009
2461 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 9:14 pm to
If you want a job in CS just learn to say no.
Posted by el duderino III
People's Republic of Austin
Member since Jul 2011
2382 posts
Posted on 4/16/18 at 10:30 pm to
How old are you?

quote:

FWIW, I am not in the technology field currently.

quote:

interesting field to dabble in
If I'm being completely honest, I think you're significantly underestimating the amount of knowledge and skill required to even get a foot in the door.

I'm a data/systems analyst and work kind of in the intersection of appdev and financial reporting for a large corporation, with some pretty mediocre coding/sql skills and have been building computers since I was about ten. So I've got maybe a 6-10 year head start on you, depending on how much of college you want to count, and I wouldn't even dream of trying to get into cyber security.
Posted by gmrkr5
NC
Member since Jul 2009
14887 posts
Posted on 4/17/18 at 5:07 am to
This isnt really a field you decide to “dabble” in.

Posted by Centinel
Idaho
Member since Sep 2016
43319 posts
Posted on 4/17/18 at 11:24 am to
quote:

This isnt really a field you decide to “dabble” in.



Ain't that the truth
Posted by Brosef Stalin
Member since Dec 2011
39168 posts
Posted on 4/17/18 at 2:33 pm to
I can tell you firsthand that Baton Rouge is a bad place to try to get started in this field.
Posted by ell_13
Member since Apr 2013
84943 posts
Posted on 4/17/18 at 3:35 pm to
Why is that?
Posted by Brosef Stalin
Member since Dec 2011
39168 posts
Posted on 4/17/18 at 5:43 pm to
You can't even get an entry level job without 2-3 years experience unless you have connections.
Posted by jeff5891
Member since Aug 2011
15761 posts
Posted on 4/17/18 at 6:04 pm to
quote:

Cyber security would be an interesting field to dabble in,


. You haven't thought this through
Posted by jcole4lsu
The Kwisatz Haderach
Member since Nov 2007
30922 posts
Posted on 4/17/18 at 7:33 pm to
quote:

You can't even get an entry level job without 2-3 years experience unless you have connections.

There is no such thing as "entry level security". The few soc analyst positions that do exist are usually filled through internship placement.
Otherwise you need 5 years in a role with security responsibilities (think network admin that is also in charge of the firewall) and a CISSP.
Posted by VABuckeye
Naples, FL
Member since Dec 2007
35482 posts
Posted on 4/17/18 at 7:55 pm to
The guys I know up here in cyber security are mostly mad scientist genius types. Several never went to college, know networking inside and out and have every certification known to man. They think like computers and are mostly former hackers.
Posted by jdd48
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2012
22064 posts
Posted on 4/17/18 at 8:57 pm to
It's a great interest of mine. I have the OSCP cert.
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