Information Technology (IT)

[spiderjericho]

I want to start on my MISA next year. I definitely want to get it prior to retiring from the military.

I'm taking my Net+ tomorrow. Lol, I let it, my Sec+, A+ and CASP CE expire. My job bought me vouchers for the Sec+ and Net+. I'm not sure I'm ready to take the CASP. I took the exam when it was new (and it was after I passed the CEHv7 and CISSP).

 

[franksneaks90]

 
Anybody in here pursuing a Masters in Cyber Security or already have one? Thinking about starting the UMD Cyber Sec program next fall.

@franksneaks90  how is it working in IT at an IB company? Was it hard to land the job and do they pay crazy salaries to IT like they pay the IB analyst? 

I was an intern during my jr year in college and they offered me the job right after that, so it wasn't hard landing the job since I just had to compete against my class peers for the internship spot and my manager that summer loved me.

The pay is higher than the IB analyst but less than the traders. They make the money so no surprise lol.

Working in the IB world is great since I want to learn a lot more about how trading and how IT helps. IB really want there IT departments to grow so they offer free classes that teach us about different technologies which is great, a TON of benefits, and great job security. The negatives is their is a ton of regulations when it comes to what technologies when can use and we ALWAYS have to go through the business side to get approvals to make simple changes. My negative can be the case at tech firms as well but I wouldn't know.

 

[spiderjericho]

So I passed my Net+ exam. It's the third time I've take it (if you look at my last post I stupidly let my CompTIA CE expire). I didn't study for it.

I have to say, they've definitely improved the exam. It's still 90+ questions but they've added in these interesting vendor neutral simulations to test your understanding of networking. There was troubleshooting networking configurations, troubleshooting cabling, subnetting a network and setting up a wireless LAN.

I'm going to try to listen to CBT Nuggets Sec+ just to make sure there isn't anything new prior to my spending my companies voucher. So far Keith Barker's voice is driving me nuts.

 

[spiderjericho]

Finished watching all of the Keith Barker Sec+ videos. Not sure of his certs besides the 2X CCIE and CISSP but the way he goes into varying topics and tools, it seems like he must have dozens.

I'm scheduled to take my Sec+ tomorrow. I'd like to take the CISM and re-earn my CASP before pursuing my MISA and CCIE R&S.

 

[capital sb]

So nobody in here or on NT is pursuing a Cyber Security Masters or already has one?

 

[Stormblessed]

So nobody in here or on NT is pursuing a Cyber Security Masters or already has one?

I got my bachelors in cyber security in May. Never really thought of going for my masters but if my school offered a masters program I'd consider it.

 

[capital sb]

I got my bachelors in cyber security in May. Never really thought of going for my masters but if my school offered a masters program I'd consider it.

Okay I guess a BS is close enough you are the first person to respond about Cyber Sec on this site lol. Have you landed a job yet? How do you like your career? I have heard that people with Cyber Sec Masters usually end up just running programs making sure the security policies are up to date, and things like that.

 

[wrightone86]

I personally do not, but I have a couple friends that are in the IA field and dealing with Cyber Security. A couple of them have the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) and CISSP certifications. None of them went all the way through with the Master's degree though.

 Cyber Sec Masters usually end up just running programs making sure the security policies are up to date, and things like that.

What else do you want to do with it honestly?

Especially if you are going to go the DoD route of the house. You will be using something more than likely called HBSS (Host Based Security System) and a couple other systems as well (ACAS, Retina [going away soon], IDS, etc)

You have programs to scan your environment and deliver you report to send out to the network, systems, and any other team that needs to see the vulnerability reports on their systems. They will be doing the majority of the work (STIGs, testing to make sure everything still works, etc). Then you will just scan their stuff again to make sure it was mitigated. You will have the IDS and HBSS systems to lock down stuff and to alert you if anything becomes susceptible to an attack or something.

I can tell you that since I am on the systems side of the house, I deal with IA and the Cyber teams pretty frequently and do most of the STIGs and mitigations for our team on them. I have been called about IA type of positions and don't even consider them as of now. I do not want to just scan systems and deliver reports for other people to do the work on. Just not my cup of tea.

Now the Net Ops side of the house can be pretty interesting if you are going to have a lot of networking to pair with your resume. Most of those guys start off as network guys and go the security route though I believe.

 

[retro23j]

 
So nobody in here or on NT is pursuing a Cyber Security Masters or already has one?

I'll hopefully be starting a Cyber Security Masters program next year. Since I work at a university I can start in a certificate program first and then roll everything over into the masters program, bypassing a lot of the requirements. The plan is to work in a cyber security risk field since I already work in risk management.

 

[Stormblessed]

@beezygotsole

Okay I guess a BS is close enough you are the first person to respond about Cyber Sec on this site lol. Have you landed a job yet? How do you like your career? I have heard that people with Cyber Sec Masters usually end up just running programs making sure the security policies are up to date, and things like that.

I'm actually still looking got a job [emoji]128532[/emoji]. Just interning at a museum doing help desk and trying to get some certs in the meantime.

 

[capital sb]

@beezygotsole
I'm actually still looking got a job [emoji]128532[/emoji]. Just interning at a museum doing help desk and trying to get some certs in the meantime.

What area are you in? There are so many jobs in the DC area it's crazy. Definitely look into relocating if you have to.

 

[spiderjericho]

I took my Security+ today. Ended up scoring a 852. I only used the Keith Barker CBT Nuggets to study (I just listened).

They definitely made the CompTIA exams more legit with the simulations. I was a little disappointed in that the Network+ sims are a little more interactive versus the more drag and drop or fill in the blank nature on the Sec+.

I wouldn't recommend anyone not reading say the Darrell Gibson prior to taking the exam. I was definitely scratching my head on a few of the terms, etc.

I have to retake the CASP so I can regain my IAT 3 level back.

Wrightone86, are you GS, contractor or military (you can PM if you want privacy)?

And besides Cyber Security/MISA, the only other Masters I've seen are Network Management degrees which seem more management less technical. It's the only reason why I'm going for the MISA.

Yeah, DMV is definitely IT rich if you want to work contracting.

 

[Stormblessed]

Currently living in nyc. There are definitely jobs here just hard to get with no experience.

 

[spiderjericho]

Experience and certifications are the double edged swords when it comes to getting a good IT job. Experience is always more important. You've got to start some where.

 

[capital sb]

Currently living in nyc. There are definitely jobs here just hard to get with no experience.

Oh, I'm assuming you didn't do any internships during undergrad? Like I said before in the thread, even in the DMV area with zero experience and a crappy GPA you will land a job making at least 60K straight out of school.

 

[unreachable]

Glad to see the IT sector is pretty big here on NT. 

I'm currently in my last year for my BA in IT. Currently doing a work/study where I do desktop support/deployment/configuration and the experience is great. 

I'm in Toronto right now, but I am willing to move to SoCal or somewhere in the states where the jobs are. Where would you guys recommend going? 

And what about certifications. Are they easy to get? Which ones are essential that I should get asap?

 

[willie mcfly22]

I'm bout to apply for a help desk entry level position. Doesn't require certs or previous experience. Jus basic knowledge of pc and macs, Microsoft office and customer service. Figured if I could land it jus get my foot in the door of the crazy IT world...

 

[larryeastwood]

I started off on a help desk for a POS company and I have now moved up to Implementation specialist. I recently got an offer from Verizon for a help desk position paying more than what I'm making right now. As bad as I want to take I just cant go back to working on the phones...

 

[willie mcfly22]

I started off on a help desk for a POS company and I have now moved up to Implementation specialist. I recently got an offer from Verizon for a help desk position paying more than what I'm making right now. As bad as I want to take I just cant go back to working on the phones...

Yea The company im applying for is a POS. What was your typical day like? What was expected of you? What were some major issues you were expected to resolve? I want to try and get an understanding in case I get an interview and what not.

 

[spiderjericho]

I'm in Toronto right now, but I am willing to move to SoCal or somewhere in the states where the jobs are. Where would you guys recommend going? 

And what about certifications. Are they easy to get? Which ones are essential that I should get asap?

Do you speak French? That could be a plus.

California has an extremely high cost of living. Probably not the place to move if you're initially getting into the IT work space.

D.C., Maryland and Virginia has a lot of jobs but they require security clearances possibly. Cost of living in the nexus is high but the south or north you move things get cheaper.

There are a lot of options: Dallas, Houston, Chicago, NYC, Tampa, Phoenix, Seattle, etc.

Certs are just H.R. Validation tools (doesn't take away from the knowledge obtained).

As far as difficulty, some are more difficult depending on the level of expertise and technical knowledge needed like CCIE, OSCP, VMWare Design, etc. The best thing to do is start out with the CompTIA Trinity of Net+, A+ and Sec+. Those are a good foundation. And then depending on your interests, obtain certifications that accentuate what you're doing.

If you want to be a project manager then PMP, CISSP and a MBA would be great. If you want to be a system administrator then MCSE, A+, Security+, Linux+, VCP would all be great. If you want to be a network administrator then CCNA/CCNP, Security+ and Network+ are good. Security experts should probably get Sec+, CEH, CISSP, GSEC, OSCP, OSWP, CISA, CISM, etc.

Again, these are just things to get you through the door for an interview. Though don't be a paper tiger or you'll get destroyed in the technical interview.

 

[osek206]

Great information there, just curious how long does A+ take for advanced computer knowledge individual? I'm in the process of learning css html Java through teamtreehouse, so that's taking most of my time.

 

[larryeastwood]

Yea The company im applying for is a POS. What was your typical day like? What was expected of you? What were some major issues you were expected to resolve? I want to try and get an understanding in case I get an interview and what not.

When I was at the help desk I would take anywhere from 25-35 calls per day Issues would range from unable to connect to internet to kitchen display screens not functioning properly to hardware issues. Mgmt just wants you to take detailed case notes on exactly what you did so even if you couldn't resolve the issue they will at least know what you did.

 

[willie mcfly22]

Yea The company im applying for is a POS. What was your typical day like? What was expected of you? What were some major issues you were expected to resolve? I want to try and get an understanding in case I get an interview and what not.

When I was at the help desk I would take anywhere from 25-35 calls per day Issues would range from unable to connect to internet to kitchen display screens not functioning properly to hardware issues. Mgmt just wants you to take detailed case notes on exactly what you did so even if you couldn't resolve the issue they will at least know what you did.

Oh ok. Thanks for the insight.

 

[theone218]

Oh, I'm assuming you didn't do any internships during undergrad? Like I said before in the thread, even in the DMV area with zero experience and a crappy GPA you will land a job making at least 60K straight out of school.

Can you point me in the right direction? I graduated from GMU with an Info Systems and Ops mgmt degree and a minor in IT. I just cant seem to catch a break.....

 

[Stormblessed]

Oh, I'm assuming you didn't do any internships during undergrad? Like I said before in the thread, even in the DMV area with zero experience and a crappy GPA you will land a job making at least 60K straight out of school.

Yea I didn't intern at all. I just did school and a part time job so I'd have money in my pocket.