Hello and welcome to the forums, Kevin.

There are many certifications available in the security-field. A few of the most seeked ones for starters are eventually Security+ by CompTIA (vendor-independent) and CCNA by Cisco (vendor-specific). Others, such as the CEH by EC-Council are said to be entry certs too, though I think that they may be too hard for the very beginning if one haven't have any previous knowledge in this area.

You may also search a little through the forums (also note the stickies) where many good recommendations were given. Beside certifications you may also read a few books (plenty recommendations can be found through search) as well as building your own lab for testing purposes.

Is there a specific area in it-security you are interested in?

You might think about that degree as well. There are plenty of schools out there offering security programs now.