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Looking for career change to cyber security

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Tags: Security

Hi. I’m looking to get into the Cyber Security field. I am 58 with a BS in Business & Finance. I’m looking to take a program at The University of Central Florida which is 10 months/400 hours Cyber Security Professional Program. Would this leave me with skills that would be marketable to Cyber Security firms/jobs? I have about 6-9 months due to health reasons that I can take a program. Any insight guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Terry

Topic

Rarely.

In reply to Looking for career change to cyber security

As to the one question I remain unconvinced you can take classes and then be employed in such a field without coming from other fields such as:
Computer Programmer
Computer Software Engineer
Computer Support Specialist
Computer Systems Analyst
Database Administrator
IT Technician
IT Technical Support
IT Customer Service
Network Administrator
Network Engineer
Network Systems & Data Analyst
System Administrator
Web Administrator

Also, do you have work where you’ve abated or mitigated such threats?

Thanks

In reply to Rarely.

Came from sales not IT. Not sure about comment on work where you have been abated or mitigated? I was self employed. Do appreciate your answer to question. Thanks

So any programming, IT support background at all?

In reply to Thanks

Let me share a story from long ago how a company dealt with computer security. Since they didn’t have the staff or training about, well, much about nothing in this field they took the approach to stay out of the computer revolution. No one got terminals, PCs and even programmable calculators were in a word, sanctioned.

Without that computer background, such training is ineffective.

Also, with many businesses allowing BYOD (bring your own device) I find the company efforts and policies about smart phones to be mostly abysmal. It’s as if they gave up!

Top that off with outsourcing app and product development and there’s usually little need for a Cyber Security person in the company.

-> Be sure you are not being sold a bill of goods about this area of study.

Thanks Rproffitt

In reply to So any programming, IT support background at all?

That’s the $16,000 question if I’m being sold a bill of goods on this. It’s a real University but they need to fill up courses like anyone else. Cyber Security seems to be great buzz words now. I did speak with two employment people and they both said immediately Cyber Security. Trying to get in tough with a IT recruiter to see if this program would qualify you for an entry level job. Time will tell. Thanks for your responses.

Let me try again.

In reply to Thanks Rproffitt

Let’s say you do this. If the goal is to make it past the IT recruiter then you take the courses offered along with studies in programming.

Let’s hope this Cyber Security track includes system design, coding classes and some psychology.

I can share that a few of our Cyber Security experts were nothing more than policy makers without enough depth to look at our systems and offer constructive advice. Almost all would see that data was moved over the Internet and then immediately tell it is was insecure. Since the product’s main feature is to move data over the Internet, they were given a thank you for your time and we sent them on their way. And yes we did have security in place but the expert wasn’t conversant in the protocols used.

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