IT / Network security / CISSP type jobs... info please

[z28dreams]

Hi all,

I'm considering a career change, and have always somewhat enjoyed computer networking.

I have a background in electrical engineering, but am currently working doing internet marketing type stuff. My networking experience is very limited to some help desk type jobs, very basic server installs and management (active directory, antivirus, ghost, etc).

How difficult is it to get into the network / information security type jobs? (penetration testing, IDS, VPN's, firewalls, etc).

I'm willing to get certified as needed (net+,giac,cissp), but it would be nice to find a company to get some experience to get me started.

Any suggestions?

I'm in the DC metro area if anyone can help me out [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Sotiria]

I post this as a senior (it's in my title, but it's a pretty liberal application if you ask me) consultant for MS server based networks. Day to day, I'm doing network assessments, security assessments, and troubleshooting that is escalated from other tech's.

Net security has always fascinated me, though I have only recently begun exploring taking that career path. One thing that I will say is that it seems like there are two types of people in this field: those that are "network security professionals" and "hackers". The so called "professionals" really suck, but they can present pretty form reports from standard scanning tools that give the customer the warm fuzzy feeling that they are being proactive about their net security. The hackers actually know what they are doing, have a wholistic (sp?) approach to pen testing, and have not only a wide, but deep breadth of knowledge in more than one area.

You're going to have a helluva time just jumping into pen testing, and will (if you're going to work for a firm) need to have several years of experience as a network admin, network engineer, and tech support. I've been working with computers since the early 90's, though I only have 6 years of "resume" experience, and I know that I'll always feel like I've barely scratched the surface.

Make sure this is really what you want to do before you make the jump. Entry level pay SUCKS really really bad right now depending on the market you are in mainly because of the outsourcing of those jobs, but good help is hard to find. One of the things that has always plagued this industry is still true: it's hard to find people with both deep technical knowledge combined with the ability to actually interact with other human beings.

I've made this into a mini novel so I'll stop there. I'm not in the DC area, unfortunately, but I'd be happy to answer any questions or help in any way that I can.

[z28dreams]

Sotiria: You have a PM