Does anyone here work as a Network Security Engineer or Consultant?

turbotoast

turbotoast

Registered User
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
244
Age
38
Title kind of says it all. I have some questions about the field.
 
I don't do it for a living, but I do it as a side effect of my work, also bit of a hobby.
 
I don't have a degree or anything, but I just started proving MSP services on the side to small businesses and individuals.
 
Basically I'm asking because I'm looking at going into Network Security. I'm thinking about starting out as a Network Support Specialist and was wondering if the certs I would get from pursuing that would tie into Network Security. I'm thinking it would be easier to get in as a Support Specialist and work my way to becoming a Network Security Engineer/Consultant vs. breaking into a incredibly competitive field with 0 professional experience in Networks.

I like the idea of Network Security because I function extremely well under pressure and love problem solving. Nothing like when you find that bit of code that was causing all your problems and fix it.
 
Get a some sort of cert first to make sure it is what you want to get into. It sounds like you are interested locking down layer 7 which is just firewall stuff or app specific configuration ( cisco ) .

If you want to find security holes and fix them that is a whole different beast. Download Kali linux and run metasploit/etc. . If you like doing that then you need to focus on pen testing certs etc.

Defcon has almost all there session talks on youtube. You can learn a lot from them. (I make an appearance in the closing cermonies of dc13 and dc21 ).

Also check meetup for groups in your area.
 
Thanks for the info. I got my A+ ages ago, but that is the most generic IT cert on the planet.
 
I work in the info sec field. right now information security professionals are highly sought after. I have be in the IT industry for more than 20 years and i can tell you that all positions in IT have some sort of security component to them (whether they are followed or not). If you know of a job opening, focus on the security items that you would do daily in your IT job now and tailor your resume and interview to focus on those items. Do some research on what kind of certs you would be interested in, in the future and set some goals to achieve them. Just an FYI, not all of information security is what you see on tv and the movies. A lot of info sec involves audit, policy and identity management(a lot of boring stuff). There are a lot of pen tester, red team/blue team jobs out there. However they will typically be filled with people that have many years and multiple disciplines(coding, hardware, databases, networking, ect...) mastered.

My advice is go for the job you want, but keep in mind that if you dont have the knowledge or experience you will probably start out at an entry level position. but if you work hard and learn everything you can, along with acquiring some industry standard certs(cissp, giac, ceh, ect...), you should advance well.
 
CISSP seems to be a go to as well as I know my employer pays for Ofensive Security courses as well ( granted you are a good candidate for the field)

I personally am actively working towards getting into security as well.

They're is more positions it seems then professionals in most environments.
 
Take the route of becoming a Network Engineer. Every good security guy I have met came from a strong background as a network professional. Heck, most are hybrids and function in both roles.

Get your CCNA and a CWNA to build your foundation. Follow it up with a CCNP and a CWNP as soon as possible. The NA certs will get you in the door in most places and the NP's will get you more money. As you work in the network field you will be exposed to most facets of security and work closely with those dedicated to security roles in the organization. From there...well, the world is your oyster.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top