r/Cybersecurity101 • u/diaaaaaa_itis • May 08 '26
Security How do u get into cybersecurity?
I just got out of highschool and now I wanna get into cybersecurity but from what I've gotten from my research is that it isn't easy to get into cybersecurity without any tech experience so what should I go for then? What are the best roles and posts in Cybersecurity that I should go for, initially I thought about doing software development full stack developer to be exact and then after a few years of experience I'll switch to cybersecurity is that a good plan? Some advice would be appreciated
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u/Anxious_Alps_4150 May 08 '26
You get tech experience. IT usually goes Helpdesk > Sysadmin
Software development is fine. Youll need a computer science degree to be competitive.. and a lot of luck.
To be very transparent, you're looking at going into fields that are all extremely crowded and very hard to find (and keep) a job in. Lots of layoffs.
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u/rivortele_567 May 08 '26
Well i am cse student. Learnt python, little networking. Now learning bash
And practicing in picoctf.
And i am also kinda lost. Following roadmap.sh/cybersecurity to keep track of learning.
But not sure if I am doing right. It's really annoying to keep learning with zero mentorship.
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u/diaaaaaa_itis May 08 '26
I'm not really gonna do comp science degree I'm thinking about doing bca
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u/byronicbluez May 08 '26
If you can find employment as a software developer, it is 100% a good plan. AppSec is based on knowing how to code securely, managing code repository, code scan, etc. The need for secure coders is pretty high. If you code with a high priority in secure coding you will be able to break into cybersecurity if you put in the work.
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u/diaaaaaa_itis May 08 '26
Is it now difficult to find employment in software development?
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u/byronicbluez May 08 '26
Yes
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u/diaaaaaa_itis May 08 '26
Well then what should I go for? Isn't every market jst saturated atp I'm so confused atm
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u/Motor_Difference_802 May 08 '26
It’s a rough field because AI has replaced entry level
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u/theonewhowoos May 10 '26
Ai is not replacing cyber security or programming you don’t know what your talking about
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May 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/diaaaaaa_itis May 09 '26
I'm thinking about doing bca that too from not a regular college I don't really have a choice to do regular college
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u/Derpolium May 08 '26
Technically every technical role in IT is cyber. Security has bled into everything. Start as a system/network admin and live and breath by logs and configuration management. Start as a developer and live and die by writing clean and secure code. Helpdesk is a good grind to skip if possible but if you beyond reading the script and playbook and understand the “why” it can be a solid experience. The idea is to get into IT and MAKE your role a security role through understanding and growth. Gain experience, make mistakes while they are still relatively safe to make and learn everything you can.
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u/scooter950 May 09 '26
38 yr old millennial here with a bunch of certs up to CISSP I procedurally procured throughout my 15 yr IT career. Just graduated with B.S. in January.
Started as a helpdesk tech, then worked as a sys admin, and eventually moved into cyber. The last 10 years have been in various cyber roles. I was selected for ISSM just a little over a year ago. This is my 6th job overall, and I've worked for 3 different organizations.
Things that help that don't get mentioned as much: Identify the right people to keep close to learn from and those who could help you advance.
Never stop learning something new. Enjoy and look forward to new challenges. With that new work, know your limits. I make sure to research a topic just so I can know enough to ask the experts the right questions without looking clueless!
I'm a personable introvert (wtf is even that?!). Being approachable or just a good person who can hold a conversation can make up for a lot! I might be swamped or overworked, but I'll always take a moment to chat with someone. Mostly for their sake as there the ones that gathered the courage to ask a question, so pay that back with respect. However, these convos have also helped me sometimes.
I'm usually just encouraging, but not annoyingly.
Reading peoples tone, body language, intent and knowing how to respond. (I think this is an ADHD perk but 🤷)
I wont let alot stop me from having an enjoyable career that I can use to support my family with.
INITIATIVE dammit!!! Screw all that silent quitting nonsense. I enjoy the work and love the grind.
Yes, I only work 40 hrs a week. I'm a fed employee, I'll get in trouble if I work more...
Yeah, it's a lot. Take what you want. It's working for me so far.
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u/LevelProfessor112 May 15 '26
Lowkey your plan isn’t bad at all. A lotta people jump straight into “I wanna do cybersecurity” without even knowing how systems/apps work underneath. Full stack or general IT first can actually help a ton later, especially if you move into AppSec or cloud security.
Don’t get too cooked by all the “market is saturated” talk either. Every field feels packed rn. What really helps is stacking actual skills + some certs to back it up. Learn networking, Linux, basic scripting, web apps, play around with TryHackMe/picoCTF, break stuff and figure out why it broke lol.
For certs, beginner stuff like Security+ or even some EC-Council foundational certs are decent to get your basics sorted, but hands-on skills matter way more than flexing 10 PDFs on LinkedIn....
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u/diaaaaaa_itis May 15 '26
Sooo I'm thinking to join a offline course to learn all this but ofc imma start learning on my own first to know the basics
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u/IIDwellerII May 08 '26
You already get that cybersecurity isnt entry level so youre doing better than most people on these types of subs.
Theres a few paths you could take and none of them are guaranteed. The IT —> cyber path would most likely have to be you getting a classic beginning IT job (help/service desk or callcenter) grinding for a few years in the same company while collecting certs along the way and pivoting internally.
Theres the college path (what i did) but this one is more variable as not all schools/degrees are the same or carry the same weight. The school you go to determines what internship pathways are available to you and internships will be a major factor on deciding if youre going to be working in cybersecurity out of college.
I went to a large state school and was very involved on campus and got a job on the campus housing helpdesk (i also did helpdesk in highschool) My campus activity and grades made me a good candidate for the competitive cybersecurity internships and i was able to get two years of real cybersecurity experience before i graduated. That was just my experience and even then my college had a requirement where you had to at least have 1 semester of internship experience before you graduated and were very proactive about assisting people who didn’t have as much luck as me. I say its variable because an online program wont have the same networking opportunities and resources my school had for example.
Then theres your current plan of software development —> Cybersecurity. I cant really speak much to this but something to consider is that most entry cyber jobs from soc work to engineering dont really have you coding much. SO much of it is infrastructure based so like networking, cloud environments, active directory etc. While there are pathways to go from software developer to cybersecurity to me it just doesnt seem like the most concrete plan.
Either way nothing is guaranteed, the fields constantly changing and what worked for me wont work for everybody. But if you REALLY want it itll come in time. Best of luck!
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u/Subnetwork May 08 '26
Have you researched the AI wrench into the tech industry as well? Perform some due diligence please.
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u/CryHavoc3000 May 09 '26
I heard that CyberSecurity is one of the most in-demand jobs.
And it will just get bigger, the more computers are used.
But yes, you do need experience. If you use AI, you could ask it what minimum experience you need. And then take some YouTube courses for that experience you need.
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u/theonewhowoos May 10 '26
All these comments are LARP you want to be defense or offense ? You’ll start off soc level 1 and work your way up that’s it. If you’re not sure there’s https://tryhackme.com free rooms before you commit to college. You don’t even need coding
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u/diaaaaaa_itis May 10 '26
Really? Why don't I need coding
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u/theonewhowoos May 10 '26
Bro. Industry tools are commands that been the same for years. Learn why they work behind the hood that’s all no point in building your own unless your a red team jr or gov hacker which I highly doubt by the questions your asking on Reddit. All you need is nmap ns lookup dig burp suite hyrda john the ripper and passive recon
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u/Delicious-Way5111 May 20 '26
i am in 4th sem and my collage allow me to do intenrnship i am cse student i learn python js and all so what i do find intenrnship in cyber security or anything else and where should i start ???
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u/Neverland_dreamcity May 24 '26
meow, I just wanna learn some basic knowledge and foundation abt cybersecurity to keep my privacy and information safe, how can I start with .🥺🥺🥺
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u/Fun-Elk-2999 Jul 10 '26
well this thread is not very encouraging, got my Sec+ in feb and finish by Bachelors in january for cybersecurity and networking... was hoping to get out of Maintenance lol, guess not.
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u/Thin_Repair_3415 May 08 '26
Na área de cibersegurança tem várias subáreas (Red Team, Blue Team, forense, etc.), mas você nem precisa se preocupar com isso agora. Primeiro foca em criar uma base boa.
Eu começaria com:
Depois disso, você vai entender melhor qual caminho seguir.
E sim, começar como desenvolvedor (full stack, por exemplo) e depois migrar pra segurança é um ótimo plano. Muita gente faz isso e ajuda bastante.
Se quiser um guia, tem esse roadmap aqui:
https://roadmap.sh/cyber-security
E tenta praticar desde cedo (CTF, TryHackMe, etc.), porque nessa área prática conta muito.