Are you asking yourself “can cybersecurity be self-taught”? Do you want to be a cybersecurity expert without going to college or university?
If you want to know more, keep on reading.
Can Cybersecurity Be Self-Taught?
Like any other discipline, cybersecurity can also be self-taught. So, you can be an expert without getting a degree.
Especially now that the internet almost has it all. You can get a lot of online resources. But still, having a degree can be helpful. Because many companies are looking for one to get hired.
But if are wanting to change your career or study a specific niche, then you do not need to go back to college. So, what do you need to do?
Self-Taught Cybersecurity, How?
Pick a Focus
First, you will need to identify your focus. But you might think, “how can I pick a focus if I do not know a thing yet?” You can. By focusing on two things:
- First, know what you are interested in.
- Second, assess your current skillset.
For example, your past company may have their website hacked. This being your first exposure to the value of cybersecurity. Thus, you can focus on website security.
If you are in the sales field, you may want to be a Cybersecurity Sales Engineer. Keep this in mind: cybersecurity is too broad to learn all at once.
So, pick an area that you think you will excel at. It will give you more chance of being an expert in the area. Some common areas are:
- Cybersecurity Law
- Cloud Security
- Website Security
- Ethical Hacking
- Programming
Places to Learn
Of course, you will need a place to learn. There are a lot of websites that can help you get into cybersecurity.
You will just need to pick the right one for you. See the list below for some platforms to go.
- Udemy.
Udemy is a good place to start. It is an online learning platform with more than 130,000 courses. So, you can find a lot of courses about cybersecurity.
Courses about computer hacking, writing malware, programming, and more. So, you can pick a focus you want to learn more about.
- Hackthebox.eu and Vulnhub
Hacking is one of the focuses on cybersecurity. A hack occurs every 39 seconds. So, Hackthebox.eu and Vulnhub are great platforms for that.
These two give you web servers with different levels of difficulty. All are made to be hacked. So, this can be a great place for beginners and experts alike to practice their hacking.
- Codewars and Topcoder
These platforms teach you coding. How? By practical online challenges. So, these websites not only teach you theories.
They also let you learn more by giving you challenges. Like letting you build simple programs. Using a programming language you prefer. Also, you can compete with other learners.
- Linux Academy
If you want to focus on cloud security, then Linux Academy is for you. It is an online academy that has a huge set of online courses.
Also, these relate to tech platforms. Like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
