# I want to get into Computer Security.



## teutoniswolf

Hello all, thank you in advance for your help and advice. I am currently studying for my A+ cert. Was thinking of this order in which let me know what you think. A+ followed by experience, while im getting experience ill save enough to start working on my Net+, than after that Sec+. Is that a sound approach, I will have to know networking to do anything in IT but having a solid knowledge of it will greatly help out my security approach. Are there any other certs or advice you would throw out the for security?

Thank you in advance yet again!
In Christ,
Danny


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## greenbrucelee

you should go for A+,Network+ and security+ along with MCTS windows 7 or MCITYP windows 7 however just like networking you will not walk into security without any experience so you need to start at the bottom and work your way there.


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## PinoyIT

Good luck. Security is even harder to get into than networking. You'll have to work your way up as you have to really understand the network before you can secure it. Don't expect to get into a infosec job right away but be patient and just keep working on it. You'll get there eventually.


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## gandip

To be honest there is no shortcut for Getting onto Security stuff. you got to start from basic like greenbrucelee mentioned. Here my proposal for you.
Screw CompTIA.
1st CCNA
2nd Microsoft Windows 2k3 or 2k8
3rd CCNA security / Linux level 100 training
4th CEH
Cheers,
Gandip


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## PinoyIT

Hmmm you pretty much contradicted yourself there. No shortcut. Start from basic. Then you tell him to screw CompTIA and jump right into CCNA. CompTIA A+ is the basic that you need to get an entry level IT job. Security+ is more valuable than a CEH.


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## greenbrucelee

gandip said:


> To be honest there is no shortcut for Getting onto Security stuff. you got to start from basic like greenbrucelee mentioned. Here my proposal for you.
> Screw CompTIA.
> 1st CCNA
> 2nd Microsoft Windows 2k3 or 2k8
> 3rd CCNA security / Linux level 100 training
> 4th CEH
> Cheers,
> Gandip


sorry but thats just plain wrong.

You are saying to start out basic, the CCNA is not basic, MCSE 2k3 and 2k8 is not basic, CCNA security and linux is not basic, CEH is not basic

Having any of these certs without experience is the same as writing yourself out of the IT market because you would never get anywhere.


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## gandip

greenbrucelee said:


> sorry but thats just plain wrong.
> 
> You are saying to start out basic, the CCNA is not basic, MCSE 2k3 and 2k8 is not basic, CCNA security and linux is not basic, CEH is not basic
> 
> Having any of these certs without experience is the same as writing yourself out of the IT market because you would never get anywhere.


sorry my bad. I should have mentioned that working should in parallel. But to be honest CCNA is starting point. If you review the CCNA topic it start right from OSI/TCP which i guess is the starting point Networking world. After understanding how network works (Thanks to CCNA concept) you are now ready to enter the world of server. Understanding how server operates will boast you to understand the security of server.I mean the implementation. And finally you start with core hacking/Security stuff.
In nutshell
1.network
2.Infrastructure
3.Core Security.
Worked for me but it depend on you. sorry for bad english. ray:
Last but no least:_ in order to get job you must be certified, will be addon on your resume independent of experience. _


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## PinoyIT

The problem is finding that first job, and that's where the A+ and Net+ certs come in handy. The job market is tough right now and employers are very picky so what worked for you then probably won't work now. 

There is a way to jump into the infosec field right away and that's being lucky enough to find an internship while in college. Another way, if you're in the US, would be getting a scholarship from the DoD if you're pursuing a degree in Cybersecurity. Either way it would involve going to college or you could just join the military.


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## greenbrucelee

gandip said:


> sorry my bad. I should have mentioned that working should in parallel. But to be honest CCNA is starting point. If you review the CCNA topic it start right from OSI/TCP which i guess is the starting point Networking world. After understanding how network works (Thanks to CCNA concept) you are now ready to enter the world of server. Understanding how server operates will boast you to understand the security of server.I mean the implementation. And finally you start with core hacking/Security stuff.
> In nutshell
> 1.network
> 2.Infrastructure
> 3.Core Security.
> Worked for me but it depend on you. sorry for bad english. ray:
> Last but no least:_ in order to get job you must be certified, will be addon on your resume independent of experience. _


thats why you should do network+ before going anywhere near the CCNA or even ccent. The network+ will teach OSI etc but doesn't focus on just cisco related kit. That is why the CCNA is for when you specifically work with cisco kit its a good idea to get but for just general networking then you go for network+.


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## asmDash

U need a degree. Just certs are useless. Get at least a bachelors if not more. What career are u looking forward to specifically?


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## greenbrucelee

asmDash said:


> U need a degree. Just certs are useless. Get at least a bachelors if not more. What career are u looking forward to specifically?


sorry but you do not need a degree. A degree helps but it is not a neccessity. I know a guy in idaho who earns $250,000 a year as an IT consultant and he left school with just basic school qualifications.

I also know a guy in tennesee who went into the army from leaving school, he now creates and writes practice exams for certifications and there is a woman in tennesee I know who left school at 16 because she was pregnant got he GED when she was 30 and now is systems specialist for a very well known blue chip company.

Getting into IT is difficult and its not about what qualifications you have its about what experience you have and no certification or qualification can count as experience.

All qualifications and entry level certs do is make you look more attractive to an employer but in reality one person going for a job with a year or two experience versus someone with loads of entry level certs and degrees the person with the experience will get the job every time.

Knowing what I know now, after leaving school I would have gotten an entry level job whilst doing some entry level certifications and then done a degree part time. Instead I left school then went to university then got a job whilst doing some certs.


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## asmDash

greenbrucelee said:


> sorry but you do not need a degree. A degree helps but it is not a neccessity. I know a guy in idaho who earns $250,000 a year as an IT consultant and he left school with just basic school qualifications.
> 
> I also know a guy in tennesee who went into the army from leaving school, he now creates and writes practice exams for certifications and there is a woman in tennesee I know who left school at 16 because she was pregnant got he GED when she was 30 and now is systems specialist for a very well known blue chip company.
> 
> Getting into IT is difficult and its not about what qualifications you have its about what experience you have and no certification or qualification can count as experience.
> 
> All qualifications and entry level certs do is make you look more attractive to an employer but in reality one person going for a job with a year or two experience versus someone with loads of entry level certs and degrees the person with the experience will get the job every time.
> 
> Knowing what I know now, after leaving school I would have gotten an entry level job whilst doing some entry level certifications and then done a degree part time. Instead I left school then went to university then got a job whilst doing some certs.



im just going off of what 90% of the job reqs i see in this category state. nearly all of them require bachelors + experience. im not saying its literally impossible to get a job without one, it just makes it way easier to get one. especially if you live in a location such as i do and these types of jobs are very uncommon.


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## greenbrucelee

asmDash said:


> im just going off of what 90% of the job reqs i see in this category state. nearly all of them require bachelors + experience. im not saying its literally impossible to get a job without one, it just makes it way easier to get one. especially if you live in a location such as i do and these types of jobs are very uncommon.


the problem is finding jobs that are advertised by IT managers and not jobs advertised by HR departments. It managers know what is required HR departments think they know what is required.

If you see a job asking for an MCSE for 1st line support then you know whoever wrote the advertisment has absolutely no idea about IT.


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## asmDash

greenbrucelee said:


> the problem is finding jobs that are advertised by IT managers and not jobs advertised by HR departments. It managers know what is required HR departments think they know what is required.
> 
> If you see a job asking for an MCSE for 1st line support then you know whoever wrote the advertisment has absolutely no idea about IT.


also i am heading for the field of security and management (jobs like CISO and such) so pretty much i will be one of those guys that decides who is hired and who isnt. for me i would look for a degree.


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## greenbrucelee

asmDash said:


> also i am heading for the field of security and management (jobs like CISO and such) so pretty much i will be one of those guys that decides who is hired and who isnt. for me i would look for a degree.


a degree doesn't make you any more better than someone without one. I know plenty of graduates who are clever when it comes to studying but when it comes to real life they are as thick as pig ****

Please be fair when it comes to taking people on.


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