How To Break Into InfoSec

May 10, 2019 | by Marine D. | Blog posts 1 Comment

Breaking into Information Security might seem impossible from the outside, but all it takes is training and practice. Since InfoSec is a quickly growing field, it offers numerous career opportunities that continue to grow as threats evolve in parallel. Find out how to finally get started and break into this new career path you’ve chosen.

UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT THREATS

• Network Security: Any activity designed to protect the usability and integrity of your network and data. It includes both hardware and software technologies. Effective network security personnel manage access to an organization’s network. They target a variety of threats and stop them from entering or spreading on your network.

• WiFi Security: There are a number of main threats that exist to wireless LANS, these include: Rogue Access Points/Ad-Hoc Networks, Denial of Service (DoS), configuration problems (mis-configurations/incomplete configurations)

• Web Applications Security: The process of protecting websites and online services against different security threats that exploit vulnerabilities in an application’s code. High value rewards are often targeted, including sensitive private data collected from successful source code manipulation.

• Mobile Applications Security: Testing software applications developed for mobile devices for their functionality, usability, security, performance, etc. Mobile Application Security includes authentication, authorization, data security, vulnerabilities for hacking, session management, etc.

• IoT Security: The technology area concerned with safeguarding connected devices and networks in the Internet of Things (IoT). Allowing devices to connect to the internet opens them up to a number of serious vulnerabilities, if they are not properly protected.

• Human Risks: The use of deception to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential or personal information, most commonly called Social Engineering (or also Human Hacking).

UNDERSTAND YOUR ROLE

• System Administrators (SysAdmins) are responsible for the day-to-day operation of these networks. They organize, install, and support an organization’s computer systems, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), network segments, intranets, and other data communication systems.

• Penetration Testers, also known as “ethical hackers,” are highly skilled security specialists who attempt to breach computer and network security systems. They do this by trying to hack into networks to identify potential vulnerabilities in the system.

• Security Researchers keep current with all the new malware that can be used to exploit application and system vulnerabilities; collect it, examine its functions and how it executes attacks, and then present those findings in a format that can be consumed by a larger audience. Learn more about the world of Ethical Hacking and how security researchers can protect themselves in this growing field, watch a replay of the EH-Net Live! webinar “Safe Harbor for Hackers” with Jason Haddix and Chloe Messdaghi of Bugcrowd.

• Security Advocates are responsible for advancing the cybersecurity profession around the world. (Ex. educating policy makers about key security issues, promoting the necessity of a competent cybersecurity workforce, building awareness about cybersecurity as a rewarding career opportunity, etc.)

• Security Engineers, also called Security Analysts, help safeguard organizations computer networks and systems. They plan and carry out security measures to monitor and protect sensitive data and systems from infiltration and cyber-attacks.

• Incident Responders, sometimes also referred to as Intrusion Analysts or CSIRT Engineers, are cyber first-responders. Their role involves providing a rapid initial response to any IT Security threats, incidents or cyber attacks on your organisation, as well as proactively hunt for threats and strategically plan for future potential attacks.

• SOC Analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are continually expanding as the number of cyberattacks increase.

There are many more roles to discover. In fact, as new technologies evolve and with more and more connected devices, new vulnerabilities appear for researchers and all security pros to find and secure.

BUILD YOUR SKILLSET

Because IT Security is a highly practical industry, each job requires a various set of skills. However, there are some skills every professional should have.

• Networking and development skills (preliminary skills, understand the basics)

• Penetration Testing (Web Apps, Mobile Apps, Networks, Systems, WiFi…)

• Threat Hunting (DLLs and Executables loaded into an endpoint’s memory, Reverse Engineering,…)

• Threat Intelligence (How to collect and what to do with it)

• Digital Forensics (How to analyze FAT file systems using hex & disc editors)

• Incident Response (How to detect, analyze, handle and respond to security incidents)

• Social Engineering (How the human brain works and how to take advantage of it)

With each skill and topic comes different tools. Getting hands-on with those tools is the best way to become ready for the job, and real life threats.

To perfect your skills inside out, it’s important to get your hands on the various tools necessary to do the job. Learn more about the top tools every InfoSec pro should know about here.

GET PRACTICAL!

Aspiring to become a Penetration Tester but don’t know where to actually start? You’re right in time! We are launching our new Penetration Testing Student training course version 4 (PTSv4) on May 21, 2019 at 1:00 pm EST 🚀  Join us live to discover this new training course, amazing deals and prizes are waiting for all attendees! Make sure to register for your chance to win this training in Elite Edition.

0SAVE YOUR SEAT0

You might also be interested:

• Webinar with one of our students, Lomar Lilly: “Breaking Into InfoSec”

• Webinar with Rey Bango, Security Advocate at Microsoft “From Dev To InfoSec: #MyInfoSecStory”

Tags: #infosec, Blue Team/Red Team, IT security training courses, PTS, Red Team

Author: Marine D.

Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success. 😉