When Do You Need Technical Background Person

*This blog was originally published in March 2018 and last updated in September 2022.

As organizations and governments around the earth are increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats and proceed to go hacked, there's a growing need for people to be trained in cybersecurity to help defend against this increasing threat. Cybersecurity is a fast-paced, highly dynamic field with a vast assortment of specialties to choose from, assuasive you to work almost anywhere in the world, with amazing benefits, and an opportunity to make a real difference. Accept you considered a career every bit a cybersecurity professional, but weren't actually sure if you had the background needed for success? Don't sell yourself short!

But Don't I Need a Cybersecurity or Computer Science Degree?

Absolutely non. Many of the best security professionals I know have non-technical degrees such as English, pre-Med, or Psychology majors or fifty-fifty backgrounds in fields such as auto-mechanics, graphic designers, or stay-at-habitation moms. Just similar the famous saying, "Anyone tin cook" from the Pixar movie, Ratatouille, so too can anyone get started in cybersecurity. Speaking as a history major who rode main battle tanks for a living, you lot can have a successful career in cybersecurity, even if y'all bring a not-technical groundwork to the tabular array. In many cases, having a non-technical background can really be an advantage in cybersecurity as you bring unique experiences and perspectives that we demand.

Many people retrieve cybersecurity is all almost hacking into or breaking things, but cybersecurity is actually learning about and helping protect how both technology and people work. The fundamental to your success is non a technical background, only your willingness and want to larn how technology works and to never stop playing. In addition, at that place are a growing number of fields in cybersecurity that practice not focus on solving technical problems, just instead on human problems. These require softer skills, such every bit policy evolution, security awareness, and training, governance, security communications, privacy or cyber law, and ideals.

Getting Started

In many ways, cybersecurity is like to technology or healthcare. There are so many unlike paths you can specialize in, from mobile device forensics and incident response to penetration testing, endpoint security, secure software development or security awareness. In fact, the National Found of Standards and Technology (NIST) has created a framework list all the unlike jobs and opportunities in cybersecurity. If you are interested in learning about many of the unlike fields and specialties that exist, this is a swell identify to offset exploring.

Don't worry virtually what path you should take at offset. Give yourself fourth dimension to play with and understand the unlike technologies and fields. Over time, your interests will guide your path. (Interject Yoda phonation here.) To become started, I'd recommend you offset become an overview of the basics.

Coding: Explore the basics of coding. Coding is what software programmers (often called developers) do. They create the operating systems and applications that run your computers, mobile devices, and web applications that power the Internet. Perhaps beginning offset with simpler languages such equally Python, Hypertext Markup Linguistic communication (HTML), or Javascript. If you detect that you savor coding you can then move on to more than avant-garde coding languages and frameworks. Not sure where to kickoff? Consider online preparation such equally Lawmaking Academy or grab any beginner's coding volume. All yous need is a reckoner and some guidance and you can start coding right abroad.
Systems: Larn the nuts of administrating the operating systems that run the computers (chosen servers) that support and run organizations and the Internet. The two most common operating systems are Linux and Windows. If the resources are bachelor, I recommend you outset with Linux start and larn how to administer Linux using the Command Line Interface (CLI), equally opposed to the Graphical User Interface (GUI). Learning how to administrate a Linux system from the command line, to include scripting, is an extremely powerful skill that will assistance yous no matter what path you take. It's besides easier to change from Linux to Windows than the other style around
Applications: Applications are programs that run on servers, these are what provide the services organizations need to function. For example, applications like file servers, DNS servers, mail servers or web servers. Your chore is to come across if you lot tin can install, set upward, and configure such applications to function properly.
Networking: A network is a group of computers or devices that communicate with each other. Learning how a network works is an invaluable skill, to include configuring them to interconnect with each other and the Internet. Other skills include capturing and analyzing network traffic. You don't realize it, but you lot most likely already accept a network at home. Think of all the devices continued to your abode Wi-Fi network.

Not sure where to start learning with any of the four areas listed? Start by searching on Google or YouTube. In that location is no single site or resource where yous can learn everything you lot need, then over time you will utilise a variety of different resource. Start with the basics and grow over time (information technology takes years to really learn all this stuff). In addition, the skills you develop now in searching and learning most these topics are critical not only for starting your career but a key part of your unabridged career.

Build a Lab / Hands-on Learning Environment

Ane of the best means to acquire all of the higher up is to prepare your own lab at dwelling house. A lab is a drove of computers and applications that you can experiment and learn, a safe environment to make mistakes. Make all the mistakes y'all want, then merely reboot or reinstall the systems and start all once again. It'due south relatively unproblematic to create your own home lab, equally y'all can create multiple virtual operating systems on the aforementioned physical computer at home, or setup up a lab online in the Cloud, such equally using Amazon's AWS or Microsoft's Azure. Not sure where to offset? One time again do a quick search on Google or YouTube. In that location are numerous sites that can walk you through how to prepare your lab properly. Don't worry virtually the best mode to start, simply start.

Some other option is to place all the different devices on your dwelling Wi-Fi network. Once you fix your lab or map your dwelling house network, start interacting with all the different computers or devices on your home network and acquire everything y'all can. Have a browser on i estimator connect to a webserver you lot set upwardly on another reckoner. Capture the network traffic from your business firm'south thermostat and decode what information yous are actually sending to the Internet. The possibilities are endless. However, don't start hacking into and breaking things until yous starting time understand the fundamentals of how these technologies work.

Learn from Others

The other key element toward launching your career in cybersecurity is to meet with and learn from others. Try attending a cybersecurity conference in your surface area. Just about every major urban center has several events a yr. One of the best series of conferences is Bsides, which near likely has an effect near you lot.

Can't go far to a conference or looking for more interaction? Many cities have monthly cybersecurity community meet-ups. Once you attend one, your network and opportunities will flourish. You tin can also join online cybersecurity or technology communities, there are even communities that serve special demographics, such as Women in Cyber.

In addition, there are numerous cybersecurity professionals you can follow online and learn from. Equally you begin to acquire what areas interest you the most, you volition find experts in that field y'all can follow. Here are some idea leaders I follow on Twitter, for example:

@briankrebs
@schneierblog
@lennyzeltser
@robertMLee
@hacks4pancakes

Cybersecurity Programs

Undergraduate certificate programs similar the Document in Applied Cybersecurity at the SANS Technology Institute offer a rapid pathway for college students and career changers who want to enter the cybersecurity workforce. No prior cybersecurity feel is required for that program and students proceeds the foundational skills needed to enter the workforce in 7 to 18 months, studying online or at live weeklong SANS events held across the country and around the world.

For the younger learners who want to get a head start on their career path, at that place are several programs available to help them get started. CyberStart America is a free national program for high school students to chief cybersecurity every bit a gateway to the industry, upward their digital skills, and compete for college scholarships!

College students accept gratis programs designed specifically for their needs as well. At Cyber-Fasttrack, you all compete in a two-day Capture-the-Flag event for the chance to win a scholarship worth $18,000 from the world'due south largest and almost trusted cybersecurity college.

In Summary

If yous've been curious about getting started in cybersecurity, don't let your didactics or background determine your career path or limit your options. No matter what your background is, you bring something unique and special to this field, which we badly demand. As long equally you accept passion, and desire to larn and assist others, yous're on the correct track. Never lose that desire to learn. Once you start to develop your skills and you begin to develop a network of people, trust me, the opportunities will come.