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What additional training/certifications/classes should I take to further my career in Cyber Security
Hi my name is Daniel I am a current cyber security prospect, I am looking to build myself, as well as my portfolio in the field and would appreciate any information or tips for a strong lucrative start.
Thank you for your time.
6 answers
Updated
Brandon’s Answer
Hi Daniel,
You should look into cyber security certifications through compTIA A+, Cisco Systems, or Google's 'Grow with Google'. There are also a few other sources that I am not aware of but I feel those would be a great place to start. Important note, these organizations/companies may have you pay money in order to take the certification exams but I am sure there is a way to find coupons/get them for free. I have taken a couple compTIA A+ exams and from my experience it is crucial to make sure make time to study and learn the material in order to pass. Especially with CyberSecurity which is a field that is growing daily! Hope this helps and best of luck to you!!
You should look into cyber security certifications through compTIA A+, Cisco Systems, or Google's 'Grow with Google'. There are also a few other sources that I am not aware of but I feel those would be a great place to start. Important note, these organizations/companies may have you pay money in order to take the certification exams but I am sure there is a way to find coupons/get them for free. I have taken a couple compTIA A+ exams and from my experience it is crucial to make sure make time to study and learn the material in order to pass. Especially with CyberSecurity which is a field that is growing daily! Hope this helps and best of luck to you!!
I appreciate your time and the information Brandon!
Daniel
Updated
Jonathan’s Answer
As the others have said, the CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ exams are great fundamental certifications that will help show that you have the basic skills. After that, you can choose to continue with CompTIA's CySA+, Pentest+, etc. and branch out as well to other exams. This link has a pretty cool chart that shows a vast majority of the most popular certifications and what domains they cover: https://pauljerimy.com/security-certification-roadmap/. If you have any particular interest in a certain subject, this will help guide you through what to take next.
Updated
Alex’s Answer
Hi Daniel,
This is a really great question! To start I would prioritize projects over certifications. That being said, it really depends on your interests and your drive. When you take a certification exam you are primarily showing employers that you have initiative. I have found that a good place to start would be the "CompTIA A+" certification. This provides a very broad overview of both security and networking concepts and standards. If you already have decent experience in networking and cyber security (like some college classes), then I would jump right to the "CompTIA Security +" certification as it delves deeper into all aspects of cyber security compared to the A+ exam. What I especially appreciate about CompTIA is that they provide student discounts and there are very inexpensive and valuable study materials available on YouTube and Amazon. Hope this helps and good luck!
Best,
Alex Nasca
This is a really great question! To start I would prioritize projects over certifications. That being said, it really depends on your interests and your drive. When you take a certification exam you are primarily showing employers that you have initiative. I have found that a good place to start would be the "CompTIA A+" certification. This provides a very broad overview of both security and networking concepts and standards. If you already have decent experience in networking and cyber security (like some college classes), then I would jump right to the "CompTIA Security +" certification as it delves deeper into all aspects of cyber security compared to the A+ exam. What I especially appreciate about CompTIA is that they provide student discounts and there are very inexpensive and valuable study materials available on YouTube and Amazon. Hope this helps and good luck!
Best,
Alex Nasca
Thanks Alex for the advice, I'll put this information to good use!
Daniel
Updated
Rob’s Answer
Hi Daniel,
I will probably go a different direction with my advice. Others have rightfully suggested Security+, CEH, CCNA/CCNP, PenTest+ certifications and I would continue to pursue those, however certifications never trump experience. My best piece of advice is to volunteer to work at Security Conferences. You'll get to see a lot, meet a ton of professionals and some protentional hiring managers. Use this experience to really understand the different areas of security and to network. Some big conferences include RSA, Blackhat & DefCon, however consider some of the smaller and more diversity focused events such as WiCyS, the Diana Initiative and Blacks in Cybersecurity. These conferences also offer options for scholarships to be an attendee.
Best of luck in your journey! :-)
I will probably go a different direction with my advice. Others have rightfully suggested Security+, CEH, CCNA/CCNP, PenTest+ certifications and I would continue to pursue those, however certifications never trump experience. My best piece of advice is to volunteer to work at Security Conferences. You'll get to see a lot, meet a ton of professionals and some protentional hiring managers. Use this experience to really understand the different areas of security and to network. Some big conferences include RSA, Blackhat & DefCon, however consider some of the smaller and more diversity focused events such as WiCyS, the Diana Initiative and Blacks in Cybersecurity. These conferences also offer options for scholarships to be an attendee.
Best of luck in your journey! :-)
Updated
Hannah’s Answer
I would also highly recommend learning cloud security and all of the major cloud service providers (GCP, AWS, Azure) have free learning resources on their websites.
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