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Lighten up and laugh |
I'm considering a career change and these are two of the fields being considered. A local university has 6 month cybersecurity boot camps and I'm wondering if either would really help me or are they just educational puppy mills so to speak? Without jumping into classes, are there any aptitude tests worth their salt? People say only go into the field if you love it, but without any prior experience that is hard to determine. Thanks! | ||
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Info Guru |
What is your background? Are you currently in the IT field or are you considering jumping in directly into the security realm with no prior IT experience? “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” - John Adams | |||
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| Lighten up and laugh |
No prior IT experience. The boot camps are supposed to help people with no experience break into the field. It is a recognizable school, but that doesn't mean it will pan out after 10k and 6 months. | |||
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Void Where Prohibited |
Cyber security and Web Development are two different areas. People don't usually do both. "If Gun Control worked, Chicago would look like Mayberry, not Thunderdome" - Cam Edwards | |||
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| Lighten up and laugh |
I'd be picking one. | |||
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Optimistic Cynic |
I have been doing Unix System Administration with a ton of associated cyber-security since the early 1980's, a self-employed independent consultant since 1993. It is a great field with lots and lots of challenges, both mental, and business-related with a fair amount of people skills required as well. If you are not comfortable telling a CEO "no, you can't do what you want" at the risk of being fired/not being paid, and being able and willing to explain why in terms that a non-specialist can understand, don't even think about a responsible position in cyber-security. The main skill I believe that is required is a compelling interest in the subject. Enough so that you spend the effort to keep up with vulnerabilities, exploits, etc. through your own efforts expecting no more reward than satisfying your own curiosity. In other words, asking the question on a public forum probably implies insufficient motivation and interest. Web development used to be that way back in the day when developers were building pages with raw HTML and coding PHP. Now it is more akin to learning and using an application and toolkit, not unlike graphics design. Still, you're not likely to be good at it unless you have both a strong interest in creating sites, and the aesthetic sensibilities to make your work appealing to the desired audience. I am probably not giving accomplished web designers enough credit, there is a lot to learn in this field, and it is far from an easy accomplishment. Finally, while top-level security guys and accomplished web developers can be well-rewarded, entry-level folks get grunt work and are not at all highly compensated. There is strong competition from fresh out of IT school graduates, and the self-educated for these jobs. Expect to spend a decade or two in the trenches before you are doing the kind of work that satisfies the deep motivation, and profound interest that led one to begin the quest. When hiring a web developer, I will always examine their portfolio of previous work, make sure you have one you are proud of before beginning a job search. | |||
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Seeker of Clarity |
If you're not an I.T. guy already, and you're even remote interested in the idea of cybersecurity, I might consider looking into a field relating to compliance auditing for security against established frameworks like the NIST cybersecurity framework. Talk to some audit/compliance companies in your area and see what they might recommend.  | |||
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Member |
Swap usually with never. Apples and Oranges. Lover of the US Constitution Wile E. Coyote School of DIY Disaster | |||
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| Member |
This is correct. You can't learn "cyber security" in a short period of time. That would be like becoming a lawyer or doctor after one year of study, it's not possible. BUT, starting in any area of IT that you can is the most important change you could make. You can't understand cyber security without understanding most other aspects of IT. Just like a specialist can't train for a specialty without first becoming an MD. Lover of the US Constitution Wile E. Coyote School of DIY Disaster | |||
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| Lighten up and laugh |
The boot camp is supposed to prep someone for a CompTIA Security+ cert, which I'm guessing is basic and just gets you in the door? Salary probably $50k or so and will take a few years to rise through the ranks? It is a good school out here, but sounds like it could be a puppy mill. Take my 10k and not get me too far. | |||
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| Member |
FWIW, at my employer I am seeing the words cyber/ML/AI used together a lot. I don’t know if AI is being applied as a means of solving current cyber problems. I suspect yes. Does the boot camp provide any AI/ML background? If not, I’d think twice about it and do more research. You would need a PhD for cyber/AI research I bet. The application of AI/cyber may be years away. | |||
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McNoob |
I have heard good and bad about boot camps. It really depends on what you bring to the table. I personally don't think I would have done well in those camps. I can tell you that you can change careers though. I was a drywaller from the time I was 13 until 33. I went back to school and got a Comp Sci degree when I was 34. I have worked in Software Development since 2007, starting last year I have moved into a security role for our Unit. The learning curve is pretty steep, for me anyway, but the challenge is fulfilling. I am working towards my CSSLP, and possibly a CISSP. Good luck with whatever you decide and feel free to email me if you are inclined. "We've done four already, but now we're steady..." | |||
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| Lighten up and laugh |
I was finally able to speak to someone with the holiday over and it isn't actually taught by the university. Trilogy runs the cybersecurity one and their reputation is pretty bad online. Thank you for all the replies! | |||
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A Grateful American |
Yes, as others have opined. [broadbrush] Most of the bootcamps for higher disciplines are today's "Snake Oil". They might be good for removing tobacco stains, getting granny a slight buzz, or making your breath not smell like horse's ass, but they do very little in the way of solving the problem on not being well educated and seasoned in that discipline. They prey on the fact that most will not realize how useless the information from the bootcamp is, until one has been in the field for a while. [/broadbrush] Ironic, that in military sense of the thing, bootcamp, often seems irrelevant to "the real (Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, etc.)" while going though it, but all through your career, you see the value of those things you learned and how they are applied in most everything, even after departing the military. "the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב! | |||
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| Member |
I've hired folks from "boot camps" with very mixed results. Boot camps are not cheap FYI. Mr. Ackks, research them very well and make a decision of whether you want to be a web dev or go into cyber security. They are two very different animals. | |||
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Member |
The vast majority of people who get into cybersecurity end up staring at firewall logs all day to see what porn sites that employees are trying to get into. Or other mind numbing work. I have multiple degrees in cybersecurity, and I can't even count how many certifications, and I will not work as a cybersecurity guy. On the other hand, knowing what I know, but being in a related field like systems management or software development, that's where it's at. I will say though, I'd skip the boot camp and instead look into WGU for their education in cybersec. | |||
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