[SIZE=5][FONT=georgia]This is for anyone who’s interested in a career in networking and cybersecurity. I know that these are broad areas, but the basic training resources/areas for both careers overlap.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=georgia][SIZE=5]Not to beat a dead horse, but in the past there have been many discussions in this village about certifications vs degrees. From my experience, degrees are ok to have, but certifications carry more weight than degrees! You can cram all day and night for most degrees (no offense to anyone), but certification exams are on a different level and most of them test on the application of the knowledge (more technical/difficult).
When it comes to certifications, there are many paths to take: either vendor neutral i.e. compTIA, or vendor-specific i.e Cisco, Microsoft, AWS (Amazon), etc.
If you want a career in networking (again, I know that this is a very broad term), Cisco offers a solid training in this area, better than anyone else. The only minor draw back is the basic certifications (ie. CCNA) focuses only on Cisco hardware: routers, switches etc. This training is valuable for anyone who is working in an organization that uses proprietary Cisco equipment (e.g most of the US).
When it comes to cloud computing, AWS certification has more weight that any other certification, but, again, please check with your local (country) job requirements. Anyone can join AWS for free, and this gives access to free training resources for a year or so (virtual labs etc).
For vendor-neutral certifications, CompTIA is definitely (in my opinion) the way to go! Their certifications have more international recognition. Their ‘entry level’ Security+ certification (it’s considered entry level, though it’s quite advanced by many standards) meets the US DoD 8140/8570.01-M standards. It’s the baseline for federal cybersecurity jobs.
Now, back to my topic about training.
Full disclosure: this is not a paid advertisement.
One of the BEST resource that I’d recommend used is Professor Messer. This guy is a true blessing. His website is at https://www.professormesser.com/
You can also search him on YouTube.
MOST of his resources are FREE!! You can watch hundreds of hours of free videos on his website. They are all logically formatted in line with CompTIA exam objectives. He also hosts free monthly webinars on different certifications (Network+, Security+ and others).
I know that there are hundreds of other resources out there, but this guy is legit and is one of the best ‘free’ resources.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=5][FONT=georgia]I wish you all the best in your career paths![/FONT][/SIZE]
What about becoming a pentester in Kenya?
Great share, I appreciate it. I’ve been interested in this area for a while and I can confirm that the resources you shared are truly a mound of gold for a newbie in Networking and CyberSecurity. For example, to raise our security standards and to keep our customer’s private data safe, we just renewed the Cyber Essentials Plus certification and we’ll keep doing this every year because this confirms our commitments and care for our clients. So I can tell that certifications are important, not only for individuals but for businesses too.
I have been teaching myself pen testing for some weeks now, am looking at a 6 month journey in this. I have been postponing for quite sometime but I have decided to finally buckle up
What resources are you using
Cybersecurity is not for everyone, and it really comes down to your viewpoint and how much you’re prepared to get out of your comfort zone. I’ve been working in it support los angeles for about two years and I can say that I love my job. But be aware, every day comes with its own set of challenges and problems to solve. These are great and most important free resources, and even though I already have bits of knowledge in this field, I appreciate this share. Indeed Professor Messer’s website is a mentionable source of information, all about IT and cybersecurity, so I have to give it a shout-out.