Question on Studying Cyber Security

[SanAntonioBound]

Hi all,

I'm going to be starting school at the University of Texas, San Antonio hopefully in January, and majoring in Information Assurance. I'm also hoping to pursue a complimentary minor, as well. They have two that interest me; however, I'd like to see if anyone here has some input as to which might be more valuable for someone looking to get their foot in the cyber-security door.

I know with any college program, the specific curriculum will vary with each school. Here are the links to each item w/ course descriptions.

BBA in Infrastructure Assurance: Information Systems (B.B.A.) Degree | COB | 2012?14 Undergraduate Catalog | UTSA

Digital Forensics Minor: Digital Forensics Minor | COB | 2012?14 Undergraduate Catalog | UTSA

Network & Data Center Management: Network and Data Center Management Minor | COB | 2012?14 Undergraduate Catalog | UTSA

Thanks for all future input!

 

[iPwn]

I am currently enrolled in Cyber Security and just starting the core classes; be prepared for some intense classes.

In my opinion, you'll want to minor in Forensics. A Security Admin job (in today's world) typically doesn't fall in your lap. You start out as an analyst looking at security events and documenting/reporting/analyzing them. Forensics is a key part of that job.

 

[SanAntonioBound]

I am currently enrolled in Cyber Security and just starting the core classes; be prepared for some intense classes.

In my opinion, you'll want to minor in Forensics. A Security Admin job (in today's world) typically doesn't fall in your lap. You start out as an analyst looking at security events and documenting/reporting/analyzing them. Forensics is a key part of that job.

That's pretty much what I've heard all around. Everyone also throws in that "you can always get your knowledge of networking from certs like Net+ and CCNA / CCNP, etc.".

Thanks for your input!

 

[iPwn]

Everyone also throws in that "you can always get your knowledge of networking from certs like Net+ and CCNA / CCNP, etc.

The only thing you get from a cert is a cert and a line item on a resume. Cramming info for a test to earn a badge is not entirely useless, but there's a huge disconnect between what is tested for during certifications and the real world business environment. Get your Networking knowledge by networking. There are many great products out there that can simulate an environment (such as VMWare Player). You can configure a VM to run Cisco iOS simulating a router, setup remote locations, all that fun stuff.

I've interviewed quite a few people with CCNA certs so I asked questions they should have known being "Certified." What I found was that they were either lying, or studied a cliff notes version of the info to get a check in the box. One fellow was able to give me the number of available hosts from a CIDR notation, but he had no idea what protocol would test all 7 layers of the OSI model with one command. The OSI model (being the basis of the Cisco Networking Platform) should probably be understood a little better than an algebraic equation.