Career dilemma

[liangteh]

I am interested in IT security, but I am a programmer by profession. I develop web application using Java. Besides programming, I knew nothing about network/system.

Please advise how can I move on to IT security?

[Nokia]

Train as a postman for 2 years...

[morganlefay]

I believe Nokia is joking around ........

I also feel you have answered your own question

I knew nothing about network/system.

MLF

[Juridian]

I'd go with what you know first and then branch out. Look into what it takes to be a security engineer in development (so a dev who knows security and secure coding practices...).

You're more likely to sell your company on getting you training if it's something you can apply directly to your work now.

[oofki]

Id have to agree with Juridan. You should learn what you can on the side and once you build up more try to apply it to what you do and make a steady transition.

[liangteh]

Yup, If I transit to network/sys environment I would definitely get a great pay cut =p

[xmaddness]

I would have to agree with what the others have said.

If your looking to spend some time and money towards getting there, you may want to consider taking some cisco classes to get a feel for how networking and ACL's (access control lists) work, as well as fire walling using their PIX firewalls. Learning a PIX firewall system would be a good primer for learning the basics behind network security (at least on the switching/routing level).

Juridian also brings up a good point that even on the programming level we have to worry about security. Things in this arena includes input validation, SQL validation, keeping constraints properly, and encrypting sensitive information properly. Further more wrapping and kind of information going over the internet into ssl, wraping that in vpn tunnels, for any kind of traversal of sensative info, regardless of the socket protocol used.

I however took the degree path over the certificate path. It will help you learn, how to learn, much of the aspects of computer sciences and engineering, which tends to greatly increase your learning curve of any new systems.


Have fun learning your new path.

-xmad

[nihil]

Hmmm,

Some questions:

1. What makes you think that there is any future in it? other than as an a COTS apps drone?

2. Is it worth the cost, both the real and the opportunity cost, of obtaining the skills in an uncertain market?

3. Have you checked opportunities, job ads, and the like in your preferred localities?

4. Why are you looking at throwing away your proven skills for this?

5. Have you considered the management route?

[liangteh]

Hmmm,

Some questions:

1. What makes you think that there is any future in it? other than as an a COTS apps drone?

2. Is it worth the cost, both the real and the opportunity cost, of obtaining the skills in an uncertain market?

3. Have you checked opportunities, job ads, and the like in your preferred localities?

4. Why are you looking at throwing away your proven skills for this?

5. Have you considered the management route?

nihil,

1. I am a fresh graduate, looking around network/system/programming jobs and see which one suits me.
2. I believe security gurus are paid very well, I am a interested in security as well
3. Security is a very niche market in my country. Not much jobs compared to other fields like network/programming
4. Programming is the only skill I have at the moment : (
5. Yes

thanks for your advise

[cybersamurai]

just remember, job security = Microsoft
technical security = CISCO
end of lesson 1