WyzGuys Tech Talk

If you are in high school (or junior high) or college, attracted to technology, and looking for a career with a future, then you should give serious consideration to the field of Cybersecurity.  A recent press release from Cybrary reveals the results of  its Cyber Security Job Trends Survey for 2016.  Cybrary surveyed 435 senior level technology professionals, and the results indicated a pressing need for more skilled cybersecurity experts.  68% indicated that there is a global shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals.

“In addition to talent and recruiting challenges, the survey showed several trends about cyber security certifications, skills, and salary. The most in demand cyber security certifications were Security+, Ethical Hacking, Network+, CISSP, and A+. The most in demand skills were Ethical Hacking, Computer Forensics, CISSP, Malware Analysis, and Advanced Penetration Testing.

“In terms of salary, 50 percent of companies said their average cyber security worker makes $25,000-$50,000 per year, 21 percent said $50,000-$75,000 per year, 17 percent said $75,000-$100,000 per year, and 12 percent said that their average cyber security worker makes more than $100,000 per year. About 47 percent of respondents said that their company plans to hire one to ten cyber security workers in 2016.”

There are a number of great places to get this training for free or at a seriously low cost, in a self-paced environment.  The first of course is Cybrary itself.  Cybrary is the world’s first and only no-cost cyber security massive open online course (MOOC) provider.  Then there is one of my favorite educational resources, Hacker Highschool, run by ISECOM and OSSTMM.  While this cirriculum package is designed to be run as actual classes in a high school setting, the coursework can be pursued independently.  Another favorite of my is Udemy.  While Udemy tackles a much broader array of technical training, their cybersecurity offerings are very good. For almost anything else you could try Khan Academy.

Another good resource is CompTIA, where you can get your A+ certification and move of to acquire your Security+ and CASP (CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner) certificates.  If you are more interested in hacking and pen-testing, then you might want to take a look at the offerings from the EC-Council.  That is how I became a Certified Ethical Hacker.  These certifications are not free, but worth the money in today’s job market.  Certainly cheaper than a four year college degree, quicker to achieve, and let’s you get to work sooner.

For more information about these resources, please use the links below.

• Cybrary
• Hacker Highschool
• Udemy
• Khan Academy
• CompTIA
• EC-Council
• Forbes – Cybersec Job Openings article