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Cybersecurity
- Do you like detective work and crime shows?
- Do you like to take things apart to see how they work?
- Do you want a job where you can protect people from harm?
- Do you want to work in a growing tech field?
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CLICK HERECybersecurity could be your future career.
Cybersecurity specialists make sure that computer systems and networks are designed and operating in a way that they are safe from digital attacks. They are the people responsible for protecting our digital spaces. They defend against cyber criminals who attempt to destroy data, extort money from users, or disrupt normal business operations. Cybersecurity professionals protect governments and companies from having secrets stolen, being defrauded, held up for ransom and otherwise victimized.
Working in cybersecurity requires being able to get inside a criminal’s mind to try to figure out how they think and operate. Cyber attacks are a serious and constant problem.
In this Toolkit, you will explore what it's like to work in cybersecurity, what kind of jobs are available, and how you can prepare for careers in cybersecurity. There are activities for you to figure out whether you enjoy this kind of work. If you persist through the activities it is an indicator that this could be a field where you’ll be successful as a career.
Cybersecurity could be your future career path.
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Want to get started right now?
Try to get a friend or classmate to give you their phone’s passcode. What is the most effective way to get this passcode?
- Ask them directly to borrow their phone with a fake reason you need it
- Offer to give them your passcode in exchange for theirs
- Send them a text pretending to be someone who needs the code (get creative - pretend you’re a phone company representative)
- Borrow their phone and go through the recently deleted notes app (many people keep their passwords stored in notes.)
- What is another idea you come up with?
All of these are common methods of cyber attack.
- Honey Trap - a threat actor fakes an online relationship to gather sensitive information.
- Quid Pro Quo - a threat actor pretends to provide something in exchange for the target's information or assistance.
- Spear Phishing - a threat actor sends a fraudulent email disguised as a legitimate email, often pretending to be from a trusted source. The message is meant to trick the recipient into clicking on a link that installs malware.
- Imposter Domains and Websites - criminals register look-a-like “domains” such as www.homedep0t.com where the letter “o” has been replaced with a zero. This allows criminals to pretend to be an actual company, entice users to interact with a fake website and combine this with phishing emails. Sometimes fake websites contain fraudulent phone numbers that will trick users into calling a number where the operator on the other end is posing as an employee of a real company.
You can learn more about hacking by watch these short videos - here and here
Learn cybersecurity on your own
Here’s a good way to learn some cyber security technical skills.Option 1 - Play around for a few minutes, a few hours or as long as you want. Visit TryHackMe
- Sign up. It’s free. There is no charge and it is safe to use the site.
- Choose your level. There are beginner friendly videos and tutorials.
- Try the tasks in the ‘Introduction to Cybersecurity’ module
- You can earn a badge of completion for each of the modules you work through
- Spend as much or little time as you want, - You’ll be hacking and defending in no time at all.
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Do you enjoy doing these kinds of activities? Are you good at them? Would you enjoy these kinds of challenges everyday? Cybersecurity could be your future career path.
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Understand the Biz
Consider Where You Can Work
There are many different jobs within cybersecurity.
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This is a table of organization of a cybersecurity team in a large company.
- The yellow boxes refer to teams. Each box can represent many people.
- Each of the green boxes represents a director or Vice President (VP).
- The blue boxes are the executives who lead the team.
This team has a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who both report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is the head of the company.
The CISO is responsible for all cybersecurity issues in the company. They have divided the work into 3 teams:
The Job Outlook
Cybersecurity is a “Bright Outlook” career. It is in high demand. Infact, there is a national shortage of cybersecurity professionals. Clicking this heatmap to find your state and see how many open jobs there are right now.
How much can you earn? Salaries for junior roles as penetration testers can begin around $45k and salaries increase with additional training and experience.
Career Paths
Cybersecurity is a field where you often create your own pathway. Read how Antonio, Steven, Tennisha and Ivan got started in cybersecurity careers.
Here is what a pathway in cybersecurity could look like:
- Get your foot in the door. Get started by learning:
- IT/Support Desk/Networking, or
- Software Engineering/Coding
IT technician jobs provide experience dealing with software, hardware, and networking which is the foundation of cybersecurity roles. You can also pivot into cybersecurity if you know coding languages, which is necessary to keep systems secure. - Get your first job in cybersecurity: A typical starting role is a Cybersecurity Analyst. Analysts monitor computer systems, look for patterns and anomalies, and respond to incidents. They work in a Cybersecurity Operations Center (SOC).
Career Paths
Cybersecurity is a field where you often create your own pathway. Read how Antonio, Steven, Tennisha and Ivan got started in cybersecurity careers.
Here is what a pathway in cybersecurity could look like:
- Get your foot in the door. Get started by learning:
- IT/Support Desk/Networking, or
- Software Engineering/Coding
IT technician jobs provide experience dealing with software, hardware, and networking which is the foundation of cybersecurity roles. You can also pivot into cybersecurity if you know coding languages, which is necessary to keep systems secure. - Get your first job in cybersecurity: A typical starting role is a Cybersecurity Analyst. Analysts monitor computer systems, look for patterns and anomalies, and respond to incidents. They work in a Cybersecurity Operations Center (SOC).
- Take on more responsibility: As people learn more about vulnerabilities in the network, they take on roles such as Penetration Testers, Ethical Hackers, Threat Hunters. People in these positions review, audit and assess systems for gaps, and then recommend solutions. In these positions people are familiar with programming languages.
- Build the systems for defense: Engineers administer systems, manage teams and build systems to withstand cyber attacks.
- Become the CISO: Once you get promoted to the executive team, you work with other parts of the organization keeping the systems and data secure. The company’s livelihood depends on you!
One path to a career in cybersecurity is to take on more and more responsibility. Cybersecurity can also be a springboard to jobs in other fields like Data Science, Law Enforcement, Project Management, etc. To learn more, click around on the website of the National Initiative For Cybersecurity Careers And Studies.
Movie Break
In Life Hackers three young aspiring cybersecurity professionals delve into the possibilities of cybersecurity careers by talking to leaders in the field. (54 minutes)]
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One path to a career in cybersecurity is to take on more and more responsibility. Cybersecurity can also be a springboard to jobs in other fields like Data Science, Law Enforcement, Project Management, etc. To learn more, click around on the website of the National Initiative For Cybersecurity Careers And Studies.
Movie Break
In Life Hackers three young aspiring cybersecurity professionals delve into the possibilities of cybersecurity careers by talking to leaders in the field. (54 minutes)]
Skills to Pay the Bills
Take stock of the skills you already have:
You drive your family crazy because you’re always taking things apart to see how they work. But they also call you when something needs to be fixed.
You like to figure things out and you are not afraid of hard challenges. You’re curious. You always want to know more.
You work well in teams. You get along with others. You understand that coordination is important. In cybersecurity things move quickly - you have to respond to people to calm them down.
Many people who enter cybersecurity have a wide range of backgrounds and interests – all of which can come in handy in cybersecurity. Fields of interest include criminal justice and law, psychology and human behavior, archeology and forensic analysis, math, languages - just to name a few. Knowledge of multiple languages, especially Russian and Chinese, is an asset. You learn the technical aspects quickly when you build on your non-technical background.
Skills you will Learn
Postsecondary training is essential to enter a cybersecurity field.
to earn an Associate or Bachelors degree in Computer Science or Cybersecurity.
Learn on your own and prep for certification exams, like the IBM Professional Certificate
Bootcamps provide short intensive training for the certification tests. The advantages are that you learn with a cohort and get assistance finding a job. Look into tuition-free bootcamps with cybersecurity programs, like nPower, Per Scholas, or Evolve Academy. For more information, check out AccessCyber’s Guide to Bootcamps.
Review the information on bootcamps in the Toolkit here.
Cybersecurity is one of those fields where you need to demonstrate up-to-date skills and one way to show your skills is through industry recognized certifications. With a shortage of skilled workers in cybersecurity, companies are increasingly hiring people with talent and certifications.
Research the top certifications in cybersecurity, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)Certified Network Associate or Network Professional (CCNA or CCNP)
Review the information on certifications in the Toolkit here.
Get Started Now for Free
Take one of the free online courses at Try Hack Me. As you work your way through the free courses, you’ll earn badges that show off what you know when it comes time to apply to postsecondary programs
Review a Job Description
Job Descriptions are the way a company recruits and hires talent. You can learn a lot from a Job Description about the skills and qualifications you need to prepare for the job. Even if you are not ready to apply for a job now, learning to read the Job Description can help you prepare for what you need to learn after high school.
This company is hiring a Junior Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst. This is an entry level job. Read the job description and take note of all the skills you need to apply for the job. As you read, look for the technical skills that you will need to learn, and the human behavior skills that you are already good at.
GET PREPARED
Make Your Plan
Be ready to apply to this job in a few years by writing a paragraph of less than 250 words explaining why you want the job and why you will be a good fit for the company.
- Why you want to pursue a career in Cybersecurity and specifically why a position on the SOC interests you
- What skills you have that will be an asset for this kind of job
- What skills you need to learn after high school, and what certifications you intend to pursue
- What is the career path you see for yourself in the future?
Keep this paragraph as part of your career plan.
