What is Cyber Security / Computer Security? (School)

[Votivee]

Backstory: So I'll be graduating with my A.A.S degree in Computer Information Technology in the spring, and my plan is to transfer and get my bachelors from a 4 year degree in the Fall of 2018. I'd like to aim my career towards something a little more specific once I transfer but I'm on the fence about what I want to go into. My three thoughts as of now are (No particular order):

• Business and Technology Management / Computer Information Systems - I.T. Manager someday
• Networking
• Cyber Security

I'm not a super huge fan of just coding (for programs/applications) so I didn't go the computer science path. I do enjoy coding though if it's mixed in with other things like if I was to be setting up a server and a switch or firewall (such as CMD, Linux Command Line, Etc.). I very much enjoy messing with servers and distributing workloads and storage.

 

Onto my main question:

I'm honestly not sure what Cyber Security consists of, but it sounds very interesting to me. I seem to have a hard time finding the specifics about the job, most of the stuff I come across is just a brief overview and projected job growth. I obviously know that it's purpose is to keep attackers at bay and to test companies security and such, but how is this stuff done? Is it mostly command based? or is it more network and GUI based? How are codes cracked and networks broken into?

 

I've read about hacking challenges but how do you get into stuff like that in the first place? Is it mostly just coding/programming? I'm just curious what courses and such would await me if I did go with a Cyber Security Major. 

 

Any websites or videos you guys could point me towards would be much appreciated.

[bellabichon]

Cyber Security basically means security systems put in place on servers for big companies that protect their networks from virus attacks and other attacks like DDOS attacks. As a Cyber Security engineer, you would design these systems and make sure that they were foolproof to keep companies safe from hacking. To be a Cyber Security engineer, you would need advanced knowledge in coding. 

[exercutor5]

10 minutes ago, Votivee said:

 I obviously know that it's purpose is to keep attackers at bay and to test companies security and such, but how is this stuff done? Is it mostly command based? or is it more network and GUI based? How are codes cracked and networks broken into?

I'm currently in my final year for my Cyber Security diploma, if you are talking about penetration testing systems, some are GUI-based, some are CLI-based, it varies, but most tools that I have seen are CLI-based (you gotta look the part lelelelel).

 

In the Cyber Security field, it is not just about hackers, there are jobs like security researchers, malware forensics, penetration testers/ethical hackers, security consultants, security operations centre agents and many more.

[LtStaffel]

13 minutes ago, Votivee said:

Any websites or videos you guys could point me towards would be much appreciated.

LiveOverflow on YouTube. Watch his "binary hacking" course and that should give you a good idea of what true hacking is, though hacking is just one part of cybersecurity.

2 minutes ago, bellabichon said:

Cyber Security basically means security systems put in place on servers for big companies that protect their networks from virus attacks and other attacks like DDOS attacks. As a Cyber Security engineer, you would design these systems and make sure that they were foolproof to keep companies safe from hacking. To be a Cyber Security engineer, you would need advanced knowledge in coding. 

True but not the whole truth. Knowing how computers work would be a better explanation than "advanced coding."

[Votivee]

10 minutes ago, exercutor5 said:

I'm currently in my final year for my Cyber Security diploma

What classes have you had to take? Generally speaking..

 

Did you have to take more programming or networking based classes?

 

10 minutes ago, exercutor5 said:

In the Cyber Security field, it is not just about hackers

 

9 minutes ago, LtStaffel said:

though hacking is just one part of cybersecurity.

I understand this, and I guess I was just using it as an example, but at the same time I know I'd have to know how to do it and how it works. I'm mostly interested in network security / security auditing.

[exercutor5]

5 minutes ago, Votivee said:

What classes have you had to take? Generally speaking..

Did you have to take more programming or networking based classes?

Both, you need to have at least basic programming and networking concepts as your foundation, then moving on to more specialized ones related to Cyber Security like Ethical Hacking, Digital Forensics, Application Security, Networking Security, Intrusion, Detection & Prevention. In my first year, everyone in the IT school had to take the same modules, all the basics like programming and networking, regardless of your course of study, its only from the second semester of the first year onwards where you see specialization modules taking place. 

 

EDIT: Oh yes I also took IT Risk Management and Compliance, where we are all taught about audits, business continuity plans, etc. But with all the examples and lessons related back to Cyber Security.

[captain_to_fire]

31 minutes ago, Votivee said:

I've read about hacking challenges but how do you get into stuff like that in the first place? Is it mostly just coding/programming? I'm just curious what courses and such would await me if I did go with a Cyber Security Major. 

Many companies hire white hat/gray hat hackers for penetration testing and some of them earn as much as $100,000 per year or even more if the vulnerability is very serious. You can participate in bug bounty programs of tech companies and they pay per vulnerability. 

You can start by tinkering with Metasploit in Kali Linux and do simple SSL stripping which makes VPNs very important especially on public wifi. 

[2FA]

8 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

Many companies hire white hat/gray hat hackers for penetration testing and some of them earn as much as $100,000 per year or even more if the vulnerability is very serious. You can participate in bug bounty programs of tech companies and they pay per vulnerability. 

You can start by tinkering with Metasploit in Kali Linux and do simple SSL stripping which makes VPNs very important especially on public wifi. 

Just make sure to have permission, most people tend to get mad when you find exploits without them asking you to find them. It's a good way of getting sued.

[Kenny477]

43 minutes ago, Votivee said:

Backstory: So I'll be graduating with my A.A.S degree in Computer Information Technology in the spring, and my plan is to transfer and get my bachelors from a 4 year degree in the Fall of 2018. I'd like to aim my career towards something a little more specific once I transfer but I'm on the fence about what I want to go into. My three thoughts as of now are (No particular order):

• Business and Technology Management / Computer Information Systems - I.T. Manager someday
• Networking
• Cyber Security

I'm not a super huge fan of just coding (for programs/applications) so I didn't go the computer science path. I do enjoy coding though if it's mixed in with other things like if I was to be setting up a server and a switch or firewall (such as CMD, Linux Command Line, Etc.). I very much enjoy messing with servers and distributing workloads and storage.

 

Onto my main question:

I'm honestly not sure what Cyber Security consists of, but it sounds very interesting to me. I seem to have a hard time finding the specifics about the job, most of the stuff I come across is just a brief overview and projected job growth. I obviously know that it's purpose is to keep attackers at bay and to test companies security and such, but how is this stuff done? Is it mostly command based? or is it more network and GUI based? How are codes cracked and networks broken into?

 

I've read about hacking challenges but how do you get into stuff like that in the first place? Is it mostly just coding/programming? I'm just curious what courses and such would await me if I did go with a Cyber Security Major. 

 

Any websites or videos you guys could point me towards would be much appreciated.

I am assuming you are in college. I am in high school and the Air Force Association has a program called CyberPatriot which allows students to compete in cyber defense. You may want to search it up. From what I have learned so far, you can pretty much just go online and search up [insert OS] hardening. Also on youtube, there are plenty of videos to watch on whatever OS you want to secure. Also I believe there is a cyber competition for adults, its like CyberPatriot on steroids, so you may want to search it up, can't recall the name right now.

[Votivee]

1 hour ago, exercutor5 said:

Both, you need to have at least basic programming and networking concepts as your foundation

 

EDIT: Oh yes I also took IT Risk Management and Compliance, where we are all taught about audits, business continuity plans, etc. But with all the examples and lessons related back to Cyber Security.

I've already passed Java, C++, and a linux course with flying colors, as well as (unfortunately) the only two networking classes my school has to offer. I'm also currently enrolled in a course that sounds like the one you mentioned in the edit, although mine is geared more towards web development, specifically databases. 

 

By the sounds of what you have told me, I feel like I would be in good shape to enter the major. Thank you for all the information.

1 hour ago, hey_yo_ said:

Many companies hire white hat/gray hat hackers for penetration testing and some of them earn as much as $100,000 per year or even more if the vulnerability is very serious. You can participate in bug bounty programs of tech companies and they pay per vulnerability. 

 

You can start by tinkering with Metasploit in Kali Linux and do simple SSL stripping which makes VPNs very important especially on public wifi. 

My networking professor touched base on the white/grey/black hat thing and what each of them was, but that's about as far as we went. I'll check out the videos and the other stuff you mentioned. Thanks for the help.

1 hour ago, Kenny477 said:

I am in high school and the Air Force Association has a program called CyberPatriot which allows students to compete in cyber defense. You may want to search it up. From what I have learned so far, you can pretty much just go online and search up [insert OS] hardening. Also on youtube, there are plenty of videos to watch on whatever OS you want to secure. Also I believe there is a cyber competition for adults, its like CyberPatriot on steroids, so you may want to search it up, can't recall the name right now.

Do you have to be part of some ROTC thing to take advantage of these or are they free to the general public?

[LAwLz]

Here is what you should do.

1. Find the schools you would be interested in going to.
2. Look up what educations they offer.
3. Look up what courses are included and read up what they are about.

That will give you a good idea what to expect.

IT isn't like some other educations where you study let's say glass blowing and then you become a glass blower. 

[Kenny477]

8 hours ago, Votivee said:

Do you have to be part of some ROTC thing to take advantage of these or are they free to the general public?

Nope, I believe the adult one is fully open and for our high school there is open and ROTC.