In this video I’m gonna take you through
the top 5 skills you need to be learning to get into cybersecurity. If you’re new to the field or looking for
a career transition, there’s just so much info out there that it’s hard to even get
started. You might hear people talk about an alphabet
soup of certifications to take, but I’m here to tell you: THEY’RE NOT THAT IMPORTANT. While there’s some value going through the
process of studying for certs, what IS IMPORTANT are your SKILLS and EXPERIENCE. Because in this field, what you can DO will
make you so much more successful than what you KNOW. Solving technical problems is THE way to earning the trust and confidence from people you work with. Buckle up and let’s dive right in. Number 1: Building and using virtual machines. Virtual machines, also called VMs, are operating
systems that run on top of your existing or “host” OS. The virtualized OS is commonly referred to
as a “guest”, and is managed by software called a “hypervisor”. The hypervisor lets you manage and allocate
resources like CPU, Memory, and Disk space on your guest. Popular hypervisors you may have heard of
include Hyper-V by Microsoft, Virtualbox by Oracle, VMware, and KVM. Often times when you hear the term “cloud”
it usually means thousands of VMs running on specialized hypervisors on someone else’s
server farm in a datacenter somewhere. Virtual machines let you become platform-agnostic,
meaning you’re no longer limited to any particular operating system and tools available
for it. Many people spend all their time just on one
OS and debate which ones are better. Let me tell you: IT DOESN’T MATTER. As a pro you should be versed in ALL of them
and comfortable working with any platform. This maximizes the scope of your skills and
makes you effective in any situation. Virtual machines also give you the flexibility
to train and research in an isolated environment without affecting your main driver. You can quickly take snapshots of a guest
OS and restore it to an earlier state. Opening a suspect file you received? Use a VM. Want to practice configuring a server? Use a VM. Slinging exploits at a target? Use a VM. Moving on to… Number 2: LEARN the command line. Don’t run away but EMBRACE it. The command line interface, commonly referred
to as a SHELL, is the simplest and arguably the most efficient way to interact with an
operating system. For example, if I’m looking for an entry
in this CSV file, Excel might freeze or crash. Running a lightweight shell command gets me
what I need in no time. Why’s it called a shell? The important parts of an OS that actually
makes it run is called the KERNEL, because it functions at the center of the system. The part that’s exposed to a user is called
the shell, since it wraps around the kernel. It’s just like a car, where the steering
wheel, pedals, and dashboards giving you control over the engine or transmission all exist
in the “shell” of the car. The command line gives you the lowest level
access to software functionality that comes with an operating system. Many of the most useful tools don’t have
a graphical interface to point and click. Mastering the command line expands your arsenal
and lets you get more done with less. It lets you be able to use scripting and automation
to tackle repetitive tasks that would otherwise waste lots of time. Automating your workflow by learning the command
line makes you a tremendously valuable asset to the team. I recommend starting out with Bash, or the
“Bourne-again Shell” since it comes default with almost every Linux distribution. macOS used it in its Terminal app, but has
since changed to Zsh, or “Z-Shell”, and has some nicer features. If Bash is like a Toyota, then Zsh is more
like a Lexus. Bash is so popular and effective that Microsoft
actually released the Windows Subsystem for Linux, or “WSL” and lets you install several
different Linux flavors to use Bash as a native app. This is super convenient, since I can access
most of my Linux tools without having to switch to a virtual machine. Now understand that Powershell is actually
the go-to native shell for Windows. It’s very different from how you would use
the Linux command line, but gives you a ton of powerful Windows administration abilities. If you work in an environment where Windows
is the primary OS, definitely learn Powershell as well. I’m gonna start a series on the Linux command
line very soon. Comment below to let me know what tools and
concepts you’d like to learn! Number 3: System Administration. All of us with a computer or smartphone, from
your grandma to IT wizard is a really sysadmin at some level. It all depends on what level you’re at. System administration involves the configuring
and maintaining of computers, whether a personal device or hi-powered server. When I was first using computers as a kid,
I loved to dive down into EVERY SINGLE SETTING available on the computer, just to see what
it did. Reading manuals, online guides, and playing
around just drove this curiosity further. By doing that, I became the family IT help
desk. System administration is about knowing your
platform and various tools inside and out to be able to help others who don’t. Whatever your skill, I challenge you to fiddle
around and learn by doing. Delete some files, and try to recover them. Download, open, and monitor old viruses in
a virtual machine with tools like Windows Sysinternals to see what they do. Try to extract files and passwords off a computer
without knowing the login info. Whatever it is, push the limits of what you
already know by reading guides out there and following along. Practice a little more each day and you’ll
level up in no time. Next up… Number 4: Computer Networking. THIS is the heart and soul of it all, what
I like to call the cyberspatial “laws of physics”. It’s understanding how devices interact
with each other and how data gets from point A to point B. A strong foundation in networking
will make you a rockstar troubleshooter, whether you’re red teaming, defending, or running
day-to-day IT ops. There’s two conceptual models that govern
computer networking: TCP/IP and OSI. They group all your different networking and
telecommunication protocols into “layers”. TCP/IP is older and uses four layers: network
access, internet, transport, and application layers. OSI stands for the Open System Interconnection,
which is developed by the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO. These guys define everything from country
codes to time and date formats. OSI is newer and uses seven layers: physical,
datalink, network, transport, session, presentation, application layers. All these layers are just a way to describe
“what’s happening where”. So if you’re receiving a package from someone
in a different country, it’s gonna get passed between envelopes, boxes, vehicles and planes,
each with their own addressing method and operating procedures. When the post office tells you there’s an
airline issue, you know where it is in the transportation system that’s delaying your
delivery. Likewise, the networking layers all have different
functions, but as a whole work together to let you stream videos from a server in a rack
to a device in your hands. Knowing what’s happening at each layer lets
you “see the matrix” and be much more skilled at your craft. Number 5: Personal digital security. This is an area I’ve been particularly passionate
about because it affects our families, friends, and organizations. The cybercrime industry is booming. You don’t have to scroll far to see
what the online black market place looks like. As technology becomes more intertwined with
our lives, from Internet-connected cars to refrigerators, the vulnerabilities and attack
vectors are gonna increase more and more. If you want to go deep into cybersecurity,
there’s no better place to start than with yourself. From passwords, encryption, to secure comms,
stay up-to-date with the latest security news and best practices. You might just be the subject-matter expert
in your office that others go to for advice. And that advice might just protect your company
from becoming front page news. But most importantly is living it out yourself
as well! You wouldn’t believe the number of times
I’ve seen cyber intrusions originate from the security operations or IT department simply
because people didn’t understand or practice basic digital hygiene.So that’s it for this
video Thanks so much for tuning in, don’t forget to subscribe for more content just
like this, AND if you have any further questions please let me know. See you soon!
