THE MAP
Cybersecurity is an industry where people from other professions or career paths can come and thrive.
But this industry is also critical as people and organisations are entrusting you with their data or customers’ data.
Understanding the core concept and basics of cybersecurity is easy when you are not studying it from a desperate place.
Cybersecurity is not the career to study when you are too desperateor looking for quick cash.
It takes timeand from research, it pays.
THE BASICS
IT Fundamentals– If you come from a non technical background, check out Cisco skillsforall ‘Computer Hardware Basicsand ‘Operating Systems Basics’
2. Networking – this is all about how computers interact with themselves and the internet. You can check out Cisco skillsforall ‘Networking Basics’, ‘Networking Devices’ and ‘Networking Defense‘. You should check out NetworKings on YouTube too.
3. Security – Check out Cisco skillsforall ‘Introduction to Cybersecurity’, and ‘Cyberthreat Management’.
4. Career paths – Check out Cybrary ‘Introduction to IT & Cybersecurity’
LEARNING
You can take courses on Coursera but make sure it entails the basics. Once you have learnt the basics, you can go ahead and learn about Linux and Windows OS.
Taking the course is one thing, documenting your process is another. Please make sure you take pictures and write articles, or short posts on Linkedin about your process and lessons.
These courses are just the basics of cybersecurity. It is a starting point. You have to be ready to put in the work, create your timeline and follow through.
AREA OF INTEREST
You can call this niche too. Personally, I usually advise people that once they get the basics of these topics, the next thing to do is identify the path they want to take in cybersecurity and practice it.
Also, you have to make sure you are very focused on your career path. Knowledge is good to have but gather the one related to your path.
In cybersecurity, many people sell ethical hacking or SOC analysis as the major path. So they make others feel bad for not knowing some of the tools or doing major projects in it.
If it is not your niche, Skip them all.
Till you find a need for them.
BOOTCAMPS
Once you have identified your area of interest, if you don’t want to walk alone, you can apply for a boot camp or fellowship.
For my journey, after getting the basic knowledge of these topics.
I attended the 3 days Halogen boot camp. Then the tech4dev one-month boot camp and finally the 1 year Cybergirls fellowship.
This was my trajectory and it doesn’t have to be the same for you.
You can create your personal study plan after researching.
SUMMARY
I highly recommend knowing the basics of all these topics before applying for boot camps or fellowships in cybersecurity.
Most boot camps and fellowships usually ask about your knowledge of cybersecurity.
This is not because they won’t teach you from the beginning. They just want to know what you have done for yourself to increase or widen your knowledge or passion for cybersecurity.