Hello Guys,

My name is Nicolas, I am 22 and I am writing from east part of Europe.

I have worked for 2 years and half in a 2nd level technical support team (quite generic: Windows, Mac OS X, Networks, Office) and now I have 1 year contract with an American Telecommunications Company and I work as Network Specialist (2nd level Support).
I remotely support the network infrastructures of some companies, and we have to provide technical support on Cisco devices (Routers and Switches), assure the continuity of the service and the network performance, implementing changes (configuration changes), and so on..

The only certification I hold is the Cisco CCNA.

On March 2013 my 1-year-contract will be expired, and what I want to do, is to go back to my home country, and be focused for 2/3months in a row on OSCP course and try to get the certification, in order to move my career towards a new position as penetration tester.

Since September, I am also enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Distance Learning Program.

From now to March, I would like to as much as possible to fulfill some prerequisities I think is nice to have before starting the OSCP class.

At the moment I have the following IT skills:
- Very good knowledge of Windows OS;
- Good knowledge of Mac OS X OS;
- Basic GNU/Linux knowledge;
- Basic SQL and Programming languages knowledge(I am doing Java J2Se class this semester, at my Uni, and during my high school I have studied a bit C and C++);
- Good knowledge of HTML and CSS;
- Good Network knowledge (CCNA level, with some elements of CCNP switch).

And I would like to gain this:
- General Network Security;
- GNU/Linux (Backtrack);
- Python;

About Python, I have bough the book "Think Python"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Think-Python-Allen-B-Downey/dp/144933072X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1349784319&sr=1-8

About the other 2 sections, I would like to receive some hints from you, if is possible.

I would like to receive also some feedbacks/suggestions about my idea to gain the prerequisites needed and If I need something more/else in order to achieve the certification

Thanks!
Nicolas.

That's pretty much it, for 'required' knowledge.  As I've told others, a little pre-requisite BASH / scripting knowledge won't hurt, either.

Good luck, and ask questions along the way, whether here, or on the offsec forums / irc channels.  If you don't understand something, ask for help to understand it, but also know that you'll be expected to learn and research a lot, for yourself, as well.

First of all, thanks to both.

Second of all: what do you think about my small roadmap before March?
Grasp a bit of Python, Network Security in general and GNU/Linux knowledge?

May you suggest any books for the security?
Beside of Think Python, I thought might be interesting get this book as well:
"The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Made Easy"
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Basics-Hacking-Penetration-Testing-Syngress/dp/1597496553/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349786171&sr=1-9#reader_1597496553)

Regarding GNU/Linux, I will start by download a backtrack image and I will put it in a VM on my Mac Air, it has 1GB of Ram, but I guess will be enough until march, to know at least a bit about moving file, directories management, assign rights to the user, change file permissions, create simple scripts and so on, it won`t take too much hopefully.

So, I believe that in march/april I will be able to do about 30/40hours per week (I will not work as I said, I will have only college courses i guess) and have the following IT skills:
Windows, GNU/Linux, Mac, routing, switching, TCP/IP, Python/Java/SQL (basic), probably enough to start.

According to ShadowZero, I will try to get a bit of knowledge of C as well, I have the K&R at home and I can review it for a bit

Once I will be enrolled in the class, of course I will post my questions and my doubts, it will be really important to me also because I cannot take more than 3/4 month without a job, and hopefully with that I can start straight into the new career path!

Thanks for the welcome Ajohnson!

Yeah, I have gave a look already to that thread, but it gets messed up after some posts.

About the Laptop, yeah, I know 1GB is gonna be probably not enough, but I think would be at least enough to discover and try some bash scripts and console/shell commands.

Once you read a little basic of python. You can enrol for Securitytube python scripting expert course.. its about $250 and the course starts from basic and goes advanced; course is aimed to target ethical hacking/networking aspects of python.


http://securitytube-training.com/certifications/securitytube-python-scripting-expert/

I have decided to go for the SecuryTube Python certification in 2 weeks (when I will receive my salary )

I think is a good way to reach an high-level of Python (and a nice-to-have certification) in a really rapid way.

I will use all the next 5/10 days to read the book I have bough, just to grasp some basic concepts, then I will go ahead with the cert.

Somebody has done it or is doing it?
How long does it take approximately, by starting with a basic knowledge of programming language?

Thanks guys!

Best way in my opinion to learn, is to have a problem and solve it with python. Its such a fantastic language to learn simply because there is SO much community support and resources available.

Sorry for another post.

I have seen this cert. as well: eCPPT

What do you suggest as starting point?
OSCP or eCPPT?

Or are "similar" and one of them is enough?

Thanks!