5 answers
Daksh
Student
Edison, New Jersey
1
Question
Asked
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I am a Sophomore in High School and looking for opportunities and ways to succeed
What Should I do as a high School Student to pursue my interests with Cyber Security and Data Scientist. Why are these skills important to learn in order to have the occupation.
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5 answers
Edmond Momartin ☁️
Public Cloud Security & Compliance AT&T | MBA InfoSec | OWASP-LA Board
65
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Edmond’s Answer
Hi Daksh,
It's really commendable that you're thinking about your career so early.
My suggestion is to step back and before digging deeper, first learn what you like/dislike about each discipline and their sub-disciplines. For example in cybersecurity you may prefer to be a hands-on technical deep-in-the-weeds pen-tester or a Security Operations Center (SOC) analyst. On the other hand, being an expert in cybersecurity governance and policy might be more appealing to you, or you may prefer to do academic research instead.
I'd therefore encourage you to find local chapters of cybersecurity non-profits in your area and attend their in-person meetings. Most are free and/or free for students. That would give you an opportunity to meet professionals in the field and learn first hand about their individual fields. These are ISSA (issa.org), OWASP (owasp.org), ISC2 (isc2.org) and ISACA (isaca.org). Some also organize conferences that might let you attend at little or no cost. In my experience these communities are welcoming and everyone is eager to share what they know.
In online resources, the one below in particular is very informative, and in general cisa.gov is a very good resource; explore the site.
https://niccs.cisa.gov/education-training/cybersecurity-students
October (cybersecurity month) is around the corner, find and attend events. Your local colleges and high schools would definitely offer events, some are posted here https://staysafeonline.org/events-programs/ and https://staysafeonline.org/programs/cybersecurity-awareness-month.
Read through insights offered by student from last year Oct event https://www.nist.gov/blogs/cybersecurity-insights/student-insights-cybersecurity-careers.
Atul's answer is right on point in reference to skills you can start building up while you're still in high school; especially Math would be immensely useful in either cybersecurity or data science.
Best of luck to you; no matter what you decide to pursue, I'm sure you'll be successful.
It's really commendable that you're thinking about your career so early.
My suggestion is to step back and before digging deeper, first learn what you like/dislike about each discipline and their sub-disciplines. For example in cybersecurity you may prefer to be a hands-on technical deep-in-the-weeds pen-tester or a Security Operations Center (SOC) analyst. On the other hand, being an expert in cybersecurity governance and policy might be more appealing to you, or you may prefer to do academic research instead.
I'd therefore encourage you to find local chapters of cybersecurity non-profits in your area and attend their in-person meetings. Most are free and/or free for students. That would give you an opportunity to meet professionals in the field and learn first hand about their individual fields. These are ISSA (issa.org), OWASP (owasp.org), ISC2 (isc2.org) and ISACA (isaca.org). Some also organize conferences that might let you attend at little or no cost. In my experience these communities are welcoming and everyone is eager to share what they know.
In online resources, the one below in particular is very informative, and in general cisa.gov is a very good resource; explore the site.
https://niccs.cisa.gov/education-training/cybersecurity-students
October (cybersecurity month) is around the corner, find and attend events. Your local colleges and high schools would definitely offer events, some are posted here https://staysafeonline.org/events-programs/ and https://staysafeonline.org/programs/cybersecurity-awareness-month.
Read through insights offered by student from last year Oct event https://www.nist.gov/blogs/cybersecurity-insights/student-insights-cybersecurity-careers.
Atul's answer is right on point in reference to skills you can start building up while you're still in high school; especially Math would be immensely useful in either cybersecurity or data science.
Best of luck to you; no matter what you decide to pursue, I'm sure you'll be successful.
Ann Marie Bette
Sr. Data and Reporting Analyst
11
Answers
Plumsted Township, New Jersey
Updated
Ann Marie’s Answer
Hello Daksh,
Even though my professional expertise doesn't lie directly within the realms of Cyber Security and Data Science, my role as a Senior Data and Reporting Analyst involves daily interaction with data and HIPAA sensitive information. If your high school provides computer programming courses, I strongly encourage you to seize the opportunity. It's not uncommon for schools to offer virtual courses as alternatives to traditional ones that they may not provide. For instance, the high school where I used to teach before my retirement five years ago, gave students the chance to opt for virtual courses if the ones they desired weren't available.
A robust foundation in mathematics will also serve you well, so try to enroll in as many math classes as you can. This will equip you well for college-level studies. Moreover, if your school has extracurricular clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Computer clubs, Math League, and so on, I would wholeheartedly recommend you to become a member. I used to supervise the FBLA chapter at my high school, and I can assure you that there are competitions focused on Cyber Security. It's a fantastic way to dive deep into the field and learn more about it.
Additionally, Cyber Security Month is celebrated in October, as pointed out by a previous respondent. I am confident that you will find several related events hosted by your local community college.
I wish you the very best in all your future pursuits! Keep shining bright!
Even though my professional expertise doesn't lie directly within the realms of Cyber Security and Data Science, my role as a Senior Data and Reporting Analyst involves daily interaction with data and HIPAA sensitive information. If your high school provides computer programming courses, I strongly encourage you to seize the opportunity. It's not uncommon for schools to offer virtual courses as alternatives to traditional ones that they may not provide. For instance, the high school where I used to teach before my retirement five years ago, gave students the chance to opt for virtual courses if the ones they desired weren't available.
A robust foundation in mathematics will also serve you well, so try to enroll in as many math classes as you can. This will equip you well for college-level studies. Moreover, if your school has extracurricular clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Computer clubs, Math League, and so on, I would wholeheartedly recommend you to become a member. I used to supervise the FBLA chapter at my high school, and I can assure you that there are competitions focused on Cyber Security. It's a fantastic way to dive deep into the field and learn more about it.
Additionally, Cyber Security Month is celebrated in October, as pointed out by a previous respondent. I am confident that you will find several related events hosted by your local community college.
I wish you the very best in all your future pursuits! Keep shining bright!
Atul Bhankharia
Sales
456
Answers
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Updated
Atul’s Answer
I encourage you to explore courses related to Computer Science or Engineering. If your school offers it, dive into AP courses in Math and Computer languages like Python, C++, Java, and Go. These subjects are challenging but rewarding, and the more AP courses you can conquer now, the fewer you'll need to tackle in university. Aim high and strive for full credit!
Remember, some universities offer majors in Cybersecurity, which could be a fantastic opportunity. Try your best to keep student loan debt to a minimum, especially if scholarships at private schools are not an option. Don't forget, State Universities are just as excellent as any other institutions. Keep pushing forward, your future is bright!
Elizabeth Feltz
Graphic Design
4
Answers
Elgin, Illinois
Updated
Elizabeth’s Answer
Try your local police departments. Many have cyber security departments and their community officer should be able to schedule time with one if their cyber officers to give you some advice.
Matt Seul
Senior Technical Staff Member
8
Answers
San Jose, California
Updated
Matt’s Answer
Hey Daksh, I'll be speaking to the Cybersecurity part of your question as this is my main field of expertise.
The foundation of Cybersecurity is IT.
You'll need to first get a grip of IT basics, like how OS'es work, how networks function, how applications are written and how they can be broken.
This is crucial to understand what you are looking to protect.
Apart from having theoretical (book) knowledge, you'll also need to go hands-on and have practical experience.
This means being able to potentially build a small home network lab or write applications with lower-level languages such as C++/C#/Rust/Go.
The point is to put the knowledge into context and being able to understand how these things work together and adjust and evolve as attackers do.
Once that foundation is laid, you can then take a look at what part of "Cybersecurity" you're looking to get into. There are somewhat entry-level jobs in incident response (Security Analyst, Incident Responder) and preparedness (threat researcher, pen-tester). Once you get a bit more advanced you can consider jobs as a governance or compliance role.
IBM (my employer) offers free introductory courses into Cybersecurity on IBM SkillsBuild:
https://skillsbuild.org/students/course-catalog/cybersecurity
You can take an entry level course to understand the field and see what you might be most interested in. You may also discover where your gaps are and tailor your ongoing education around that.
Overall, you'll need a good balance of foundational knowledge, specialized (security) knowledge as well as hands-on skills.
I understand that this can be a bit of a daunting undertaking, but take it from someone who's been in the field for 20 years:
It never gets old or boring. I expect to be a security dude until they put me in the ground. ;)
Take a look at the intro courses at IBM SkillsBuild https://skillsbuild.org/students/course-catalog/cybersecurity
Consider what specific area of Cybersecurity excites you
Understand what the necessary skills and requirements for a good start into a career are
Plan your education and training steps to address any gaps or requirements you discover
Make sure to look for projects (volunteer for your school?) and chances to get practical skills to back up your theoretical knowledge
The foundation of Cybersecurity is IT.
You'll need to first get a grip of IT basics, like how OS'es work, how networks function, how applications are written and how they can be broken.
This is crucial to understand what you are looking to protect.
Apart from having theoretical (book) knowledge, you'll also need to go hands-on and have practical experience.
This means being able to potentially build a small home network lab or write applications with lower-level languages such as C++/C#/Rust/Go.
The point is to put the knowledge into context and being able to understand how these things work together and adjust and evolve as attackers do.
Once that foundation is laid, you can then take a look at what part of "Cybersecurity" you're looking to get into. There are somewhat entry-level jobs in incident response (Security Analyst, Incident Responder) and preparedness (threat researcher, pen-tester). Once you get a bit more advanced you can consider jobs as a governance or compliance role.
IBM (my employer) offers free introductory courses into Cybersecurity on IBM SkillsBuild:
https://skillsbuild.org/students/course-catalog/cybersecurity
You can take an entry level course to understand the field and see what you might be most interested in. You may also discover where your gaps are and tailor your ongoing education around that.
Overall, you'll need a good balance of foundational knowledge, specialized (security) knowledge as well as hands-on skills.
I understand that this can be a bit of a daunting undertaking, but take it from someone who's been in the field for 20 years:
It never gets old or boring. I expect to be a security dude until they put me in the ground. ;)
Matt recommends the following next steps: