Home
Calendar
Certifications
Columns
Features
Forum
Resources
Vitals
Latest Additions
April 2013 Free Giveaway Sponsor - eLearnSecurity
Human Intelligence to Navigate the Security Data Deluge
February 2013 Free Giveaway Winner of SANS CyberCon Training
Interview: Bugcrowd Founders on Herding Ninjas for Crowdsourced Bug Bounties
Network Forensics: The Tree in the Forest
March 2013 Free Giveaway Sponsor - Mile2
Book Review: Violent Python
February 2013 Free Giveaway Sponsor - SANS
Holiday 2012 Free Giveaway Winner of Metasploit Pro by Rapid7
Course Review: SANS FOR408 Computer Forensic Investigations – Windows In-Depth
The Security Consulting Sugar High
Tutorial: Fun with SMB on the Command Line
Interview: Ilia Kolochenko, CEO of High-Tech Bridge
October 2012 Free Giveaway Winner of LearningGate Training
The Broken: Assessing Corporate Security in 2012 to Make a Better 2013
EH-Net Login
Welcome Guest.
Username:
Password:
Remember me
Lost Password?
No account yet?
Register
Who's Online
We have 35 guests and 2 members online
Free Business and Tech Magazines and eBooks
You are here:
Home
Resources
Career Central
Soon to be college graduate looking for the next logical step
EH-Net
May 18, 2013, 08:32:33 AM
Welcome,
Guest
. Please
login
or
register
.
Did you miss your
activation email?
1 Hour
1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
News
: Go back to The Ethical Hacker Network Online Magazine
Home Page
Home
Help
Calendar
Login
Register
EH-Net
>
Resources
>
Career Central
(Moderator:
don
) >
Soon to be college graduate looking for the next logical step
Pages: [
1
]
Go Down
« previous
next »
Print
Author
Topic: Soon to be college graduate looking for the next logical step (Read 4303 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
mjones
Newbie
Offline
Posts: 3
Soon to be college graduate looking for the next logical step
«
on:
March 25, 2011, 12:53:58 PM »
I will be graduating this Spring with my Bachelors in Computer Information Systems and a minor in Computer Forensics. I would love to get into the Security field of IT, with forensics being a "back up" plan of sorts.
I have the basic A+/Net+ certifications under my belt and I plan on taking the Security+ exam around graduation. I have held a few IT internships over the years so I do have some real world experience, albeit nothing on the side of forensics or security.
In my searches for possible jobs I have never found a job involving Security that doesnt require years of experience, which makes sense. Would the best career path for me to take involve any entry-level IT job and then just try to wiggle my way into security/foreniscs?
I would love to hear some other members career paths and how they arrived at the level they are at today. Any advice I could get would be fantastic.
Logged
millwalll
Guest
Re: Soon to be college graduate looking for the next logical step
«
Reply #1 on:
March 25, 2011, 01:24:02 PM »
Hi mjones,
I am pretty much in the same boat. I have tried to apply for jobs but with no experience finding it hard. I am thinking of getting any It job and using money to get security certificates.
I was planing to do the security + too but the material is pretty old(2008). They are updating it in May so might be worth waiting until then.
I think you maybe better off getting IT job and trying to work your way in.
Hope this helps
Logged
chrisj
Hero Member
Offline
Posts: 1163
Re: Soon to be college graduate looking for the next logical step
«
Reply #2 on:
March 25, 2011, 02:03:43 PM »
The way I did it... I started off as a janitor. Don't laugh.
Cliff notes version:
Applied and got a job shipping and receiving for one of the original internet backbone companies. Not enough work, so they had us be janitors too. Built Point of Presence (think data closet, but also routed internet traffic through it). Wired building for VOIP and Data. Found out what they did, lots of time spent doing personal study, and transferred to their Network Ops Center.
Things learned there: Locks, Unix, Networking. Interest in defense after company was hacked.
Changed to a Teleco. Worked they're SONET and IP NOCS.
Things learned there: Fiber Optics, Laser Communications, more networking, Wireless networking. Unix administration. Interest in War driving and war walking.
Laid off, back to school. CIS degree and Anthropology degree. Managed a bar.
Some interest in security, some interest in physical security. Encryption and tunneling.
CO-OP as a data base reports writer. Used tunneling to get around the school's blocks on some sites. Tunneled connections home to do homework and things when there were not reports to write programs for.
Changed to Automotive Data Center. Watch over Electricians installing equipment and cables (cat5, cat5e, Fiber optics). Go between network engineering vendor and auto company. Did wireless audits (look for rogue APs in sites), and ran the network sniffers.
Learned Sniffing and how to look at packets. Network data graphs.
Changed to publishing company. Started as the Unix / Linux admin. Used tunneling to play around and test things from home. Then showed how to test remotely from my desk. Firewall admin got mad that I could tunnel around the rules. Punishment was taking over the firewall. Set up VPN connections, hunt out people breaking the AUP, locked down the firewall more, etc.
Currently, work for an IT company. Maintaining Load Balacers and server farms, making changes to firewalls, and setting up VPN for B2B and remote user access.
---
Every chance I got, I offered to work the security side / Defense. Some times I got to, some times I was ignored. When I could, I got in good with the security groups. Not in their department, but at least came off as someone that had skills, and understood the security side too. I've spent a lot of time over the last 14 years studying up on things on my own time.
Logged
OSWP, Sec+
tturner
Sr. Member
Offline
Posts: 432
Re: Soon to be college graduate looking for the next logical step
«
Reply #3 on:
March 25, 2011, 02:04:03 PM »
That's exactly what I did. I went from helpdesk > field tech support > sysadmin > IT management > hybrid security role w/disaster response/incident handling focus > pure security role. Ask any of us and we probably took a slightly different path to get there. You absolutely have to have the basics first though or the value you will provide will be minimal.
For instance, how do you pentest a database when you don't even know how a database works? Sure you can fire up sqlmap and see what happens or try some generic SQLi but what do you do when the injection is occurring at the wrong point or standard techniques don't work? You fall back to the basics and use critical thinking skills to solve the problem.
Get a normal boring IT job but keep a security focused perspective. Your employer will pick up on your interests and you will learn the core skills that will serve you well throughout your career.If that fails to deliver, once you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals, start shopping elsewhere for a security role.
Logged
Certifications:
CISSP, CISA, GPEN, GWAPT, GAWN, GCIA, GCIH, GSEC, OPSE, CSWAE, CSTP, VCP
WIP: OSWP, GSSP-JAVA, GXPN
Udacity on hold, again. I suck.
http://sentinel24.com/blog
@tonylturner
http://bsidesorlando.org
lorddicranius
Sr. Member
Offline
Posts: 447
Re: Soon to be college graduate looking for the next logical step
«
Reply #4 on:
March 25, 2011, 02:18:59 PM »
Mike Murray posted a great article over at The Hacker Academy's blog:
http://www.thehackeracademy.com/the-key-skill-set-of-great-penetration-testers/
He references an article posted over at InfoSecInstitute:
http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/ideal-skill-set-for-the-penetration-testing/
Both are great articles I thought and may help you out a bit.
Logged
GSEC, eCPPT, Sec+
securitygal
Newbie
Offline
Posts: 1
Re: Soon to be college graduate looking for the next logical step
«
Reply #5 on:
April 11, 2011, 10:58:12 AM »
Send me your resume as I work with a National Consulting Firm. They occassionaly have entry level jobs, and will see if your background is a fit for their college recruit class.
pluther@preciseresource.com
Logged
Pages: [
1
]
Go Up
Print
« previous
next »
Jump to:
Please select a destination:
-----------------------------
EH-Net
-----------------------------
=> Calendar Of Events
===> ChicagoCon 2007
===> ChicagoCon 2008s
===> ChicagoCon 2008f
===> ChicagoCon 2009s
=> Ethical Hacktivism
=> News Items and General Discussion About EH-Net
===> Greetings
=> Special Events
-----------------------------
Ethical Hacking Discussions and Related Certifications
-----------------------------
=> General Certification
===> Networking
===> OS
===> Security
=> Compliance, Regulations & Standards
=> Control Systems
=> Cyber Warfare
=> Forensics
===> CCE / MCCE - (Master) Certified Computer Examiner
===> CHFI - Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator
===> EnCE - EnCase® Certified Examiner
===> GCFA - GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst
=> Hardware
=> Incident Response
===> CSIH - Computer Security Incident Handler
===> GCIH - GIAC Certified Incident Handler
=> Malware
===> Advisories
=> Mobile
=> Network Pen Testing
===> CEH - Certified Ethical Hacker
===> CPTC - Certified Penetration Testing Consultant
===> CPTE - Certified Penetration Testing Engineer
===> CSTA - Certified Security Testing Associate
===> eCPPT - eLearnSecurity Certified Professional Penetration Tester
===> ECSA - EC-Council Certified Security Analyst
===> GPEN - GIAC Certified Penetration Tester
===> OSCP - Offensive Security Certified Professional
=> Physical Security
=> Programming
=> Social Engineering
=> Web Applications
=> Wireless
===> CWNP Certs
===> GAWN - GIAC Assessing Wireless Networks
===> OSWP - Offensive Security Wireless Professional
=> Other
-----------------------------
Columns
-----------------------------
=> Editor-In-Chief
=> Andress
=> Gates
=> Haddix
=> Hadnagy
=> Heffner
=> Hoffman
=> Linn
=> RichM
=> Murray
=> J. Peltier
=> Weidman
=> Wilson
-----------------------------
Features
-----------------------------
=> /root
=> Book Reviews
=> Opinions
=> Skillz
===> Examples
===> May 06 - Star Hacks, Episode V: The Empire Hacks Back
===> July 06 - Hack Bill!
===> Sept 06 - Netcat in the Hat
===> Nov 06 - Hitch-Hackers Guide to the Galaxy
===> Dec 06 - A Christmas (Hacking) Story
===> Feb 07 - Charlottes Web Site
===> April 07 - Microsoft Office Space
===> June 07 - Serenity Hack
===> Oct 07 - Worst. Ethical. Hacker. Challenge. Ever.
===> Dec 07 - Frosty the Snow Crash
===> March 2008 - It Happened One Friday
===> Oct 2008 - Scooby Doo and the Crypto Caper
===> Dec 08 - Santa Claus Is Hacking to Town
===> Feb 2009 - Brady Bunch Boondoggle
===> July 2009 - Prison Break
===> October 2009 - SSHliders
===> December 2009 - Miracle on Thirty-Hack Street
===> December 2010 - The Nightmare Before Charlie Browns Christmas
-----------------------------
Resources
-----------------------------
=> Career Central
===> Looking For Work
===> Looking To Hire
=> Links to cool sites.
=> Mass Media
=> News from the Outside World
=> Tools
=> Tutorials
===> Tutorial Requests
Loading...
Exclusive Deal
SANSFIRE 2013
June 15 - 22
5% Off
w/ Code
:
EHN_5
SANS Deals 4 EH-Netters
5% OFF
Any
SANS Course
in Any Format!
Coupon Code:
EHN_5
Including
SANS Rocky Mountain 2013
&
SANS Boston 2013
Polls
Compared to this year, 2013 will be:
Great!
Better.
About the same.
Little worse.
FUBAR!
Recent Forum Topics
OSCP - Offensive Security Certified Professional
: Class Scheduled 6/8 - Linux n00b
(5) by
MrTuxracer
Career Central
: Starter cert?
(0) by
Alert
Ethical Hacktivism
: lulzsec in it for the money
(7) by
Georgydfea
News Items and General Discussion About EH-Net
: [Article]-Holiday 2012 Free Giveaway Sponsor - Rapid7
(20) by
Georgydfea
News Items and General Discussion About EH-Net
: Наконец то ра
(4) by
Georgydfea
Web Applications
: Nessus and Nikto
(4) by
Seen
Tutorials
: Need guidance
(7) by
impelse
Malware
: EICAR?
(2) by
SephStorm
Network Pen Testing
: Cracking salted MD5 hash
(4) by
n37sh@rk
CEH - Certified Ethical Hacker
: Passed my C|EH
(3) by
n37sh@rk
Mass Media
: EC-council hacked, irony at his best?
(0) by
j0rDy
Web Applications
: SQL Injection into an INSERT statement.
(6) by
eyenit0
Network Pen Testing
: Solution for sipXtapi INVITE Message CSeq Field Header Remote Overflow
(1) by
m0wgli
Web Applications
: dns
(2) by
H1t M0nk3y
Other
: BSides Boston
(0) by
3xban
Career Central
: InfoSec in Central, FL
(2) by
tturner
Web Applications
: Web vulnerability scanner
(4) by
H1t M0nk3y
EH-Net News Feeds
Latest Additions
Privacy Notice
for TDCC & All Properties
© 2013 The Ethical Hacker Network
Joomla!
is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL License.