Where Should I Start in Cybersecurity?" - A SOC and Cloud Security Path
When I’m asked “where should I start in Cybersecurity,” I like to recommend beginning in a Security Operations Center (SOC). I’ve recently discovered Cyber NOW Education and have been impressed with what Tyler Wall has been cultivating. The platform offers an excellent starting point for those looking to break into the security field.
I was particularly impressed with all the free resources available, which prompted me to support Cyber NOW Education by purchasing the Black Badge. This premium option unlocks everything on the site, including access to the Splunk Cyber Range.
Having been focused on Cloud security recently, I decided to start with the Cloud Security NOW! course. The content provides an excellent introduction to cloud concepts, multi-cloud environments, security tools, and includes valuable hands-on activities. I was especially impressed with the Cybersecurity Tooling section and its clear explanations of CSPM, CASB, CWPP, and CIEM technologies.
A refreshing surprise in the hands-on section was that the Terraform exercises begin with Azure rather than AWS. Most training programs I’ve encountered typically start with AWS examples, so this was a welcome change of pace. The course also incorporates Checkov to analyze Terraform code, which is an excellent addition.
The final project effectively reinforces Infrastructure as Code (IaC) concepts. Students are first guided through manually building an Azure VM via the Azure portal and installing t-pot-ce, experiencing firsthand how time-consuming GUI-based manual tasks can be. Since the course focuses on Cloud security rather than specifically Terraform, a pre-built Terraform file is provided that demonstrates the efficiency of using IaC to deploy the VM and networking components.
Overall, Cyber NOW Education may be my new go-to recommendation when suggesting resources for breaking into the Security field.