I am a computer science student and am interested in cybersecurity.
I wanted to know which courses I should start doing in codeacademy pro.
I have started the course “Intro to cybersecurity.”
I am inviting any suggestions regarding the skill path or courses in Codecademy or any book for beginners to start with cybersecurity
thank you
Me being in Cybersecurity for more than 20 years I think I can help. Depending on which side of the house in Cybersecurity you want to be that is how you address the question. Some go into Red Team/Blue Team, White/Black/Gray Hacking, Defensive Security, Offensive Security, Auditing, Help Desk…the list can be endless but it’s not hard, or difficult for that matter. For example, some want to work in Desk Top Support - I would recommend CompTIA A+, Net+, Security+, CASP+ for they give you the foundations of the inner workings of a computer. Getting your CISSP, CySA, OSCP, CEH certifications can give employers the right message that you are serious - and those by the way are the key certifications employers are looking for cybersecurity - but knowing Python, Linux, and how to write and run scripts will get you really far. Best suggestion: Check out Glassdoor, Monster, Indeed, or LinkedIn and type in the search bar the job you see yourself in and read over the skills and certifications required for that job. I recommend searching ten (10) different employers to find your baseline skillset to work towards. Good luck and hope this helps. If you have any more questions I’m here.
To even begin to relate to cybersecurity it helps to have proficiency in all the languages that hackers use; i.e., Java, C, C++, C#, Python to name just a few. That is if one is looking at network and anti-malware defense.
The other side of the coin is the human interaction. That can itself be a field of specialization, especially understanding social engineering and propaganda, phishing schemes, link bait schemes, telephone scams, and so on, and how to combat them and educate human users.
The hybrid of the above two examples are bots. They pretend to be humans and it takes careful scrutiny to spot them, also an area of specialization, but would require coding wherewithal to complete the picture.
Ultimately this field requires a significant amount of training, any way you look at it. If you are just starting out and stumbled into this field, I’d suggest back out and direct your attention to either communication and psychology/sociology, programming and networks, or a mix of both and give yourself two to three years of study before revisiting this as a profession option.
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Cybersecurity is a very broad field. There are many areas. I’ll provide you with a list.
Network Security
Software Security
Systems Auditing
Cyber Forensics
Penetration Testing
Identity Access Management
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Incident Response
You can look those up and get an overview of what they’re about and find which one interests you. That being said, for most of those, having a fundamental understanding of computer networking, operating systems, and learning a programming language is what you want to start with. I recommend Python, as it is a popular language among Cybersecurity professionals and is easy to learn. It’s also useful in other areas too like Application development, Machine Learning/AI, and Data Science.
You do not need to be proficient in every language that a hacker uses because it’s a long list. But I do recommend learning how to write and read proficiently in one language, and at least learn how to read in a couple of other languages (probably C# and C++, or Java).
Besides the “Intro to Cybersecurity” course you’re already taking, I’d recommend checking out Codecademy’s “Learn Python” and “Learn JavaScript” courses, as those languages are widely used in cybersecurity. Additionally, books like “Hacking: The Art of Exploitation” and “The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook” are great reads for beginners. Good luck on your journey!