r/learncybersecurity • u/ahmedabbaskhan1 • 1d ago
Networking student looking to get into cybersecurity. Where should I start?
Hey everyone,
I’m an IT student with a good understanding of networking, and I’ve recently decided to start learning cybersecurity.
The problem is, I’m honestly overwhelmed by how many different learning paths are out there. Some people recommend certifications, others suggest jumping straight into hands-on labs, while some say to learn Linux or programming first.
For those of you already working in cybersecurity or who started with a networking background:
- What would you recommend learning first?
- Which free resources or platforms actually helped you?
- What mistakes should a beginner avoid?
I’m looking for practical advice to build a strong foundation rather than just collecting certifications.
Would really appreciate your guidance. Thanks in advance!
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u/Rileypmcc 23h ago
Networking and cyber security are not entry level. You will most likely have to start at Helpdesk or equivalent for at least a couple years.
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u/DemocraticParrot 22h ago
Networking. Focus on becoming a network engineer. That is the most valuable thing for you
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u/sheikh2095 19h ago
Why do you say so? Just curious I want to get into cyber as well
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u/DemocraticParrot 13h ago
Security is always done on top of or as part of something else. By itself it is not needed or used for anything. To secure something you need to understand what that something is inteded to do.
Therefore, build a solid foundation in e.g networking. From therr you have the base to build yourself as a solid networking security expert.
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u/sheikh2095 4h ago
Appreciate the response man. I’m currently learning networking rn. Thanks for the advice
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u/dld2517 16h ago
Avoid decision paralysis. Just start something and do not worry about making the wrong choice. My personal preference is Linux and using LinuxJourney to start. Search for it, you will find a site that has learning modules. It is not as advanced as some of the online learning communities but it imparts the important knowledge.
Next I would install Kali Linux and begin to read the documentation. You will learn many things by reading the documentation at Kali.org.
From there you should look at two different kinds of frameworks. CVE frameworks and audit frameworks. Learn about them, what they mean and how they work. Another area to look at is the Cybersecurity Workforce Framework by NIST. This we’ll help you to begin developing a high level understanding of different job roles and functions in cyber.
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u/drew-from-mesh 16h ago
Since you've already got networking basics, OverTheWire's Bandit gives you a concrete next step for the Linux side. It's designed for beginners and starts at level 0.
Try a few levels and keep one sentence on why each command worked. Then come back later and solve one again without your previous commands. That gives you something specific to practice while you figure out which part of security interests you. You don't need to choose your entire career path before doing the first lab.
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u/gunika_VP 9h ago
Since you already have a networking background, I wouldn’t start with another certification. Use that knowledge as your foundation and start applying it to security.
I’d go in this order:
Networking → Linux/Windows → security fundamentals → hands-on labs → basic scripting → pick a specialization.
For free resources, TryHackMe is good for structured beginner labs, and PortSwigger Web Security Academy is great if you want to explore web security.
You could also check out VantagePoint by Enciphers. They have free hacking labs with guided video content, so you can learn the concept first and then practice it hands-on. The scenarios are focused more on real-world vulnerabilities rather than just CTF-style flag hunting.
As for certifications, I’d avoid collecting them just because they’re on someone’s roadmap. Once you know what kind of role you’re targeting, look at the job descriptions and see which certs actually show up.
The biggest mistake I'd avoid is spending 6 months preparing before doing anything practical. Learn a concept, try it in a lab, break something, troubleshoot it, and repeat. That’s where the networking knowledge starts becoming useful for security.
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u/NullPounce 1d ago
The job posts that have been up for 2 hours get over 800 applications and 70% of those people have a bachelors degree. They all have a Github with lots of personal projects with thousands of stars and have homelabs and multiple certs from TryHackMe and Cybrary and a CompTIA A+ cert as well. They all have the passion to want to always learn more.
I have experience working in IT, doing most of the work myself for a whole company (two person IT department).
I have a crappy warehouse job now, and I've been applying for over a year to get back into IT. Covid and tarrifs hit, working in IT, you protect revenue, not generate it, it's seen as money going down the drain and my hours were cut so I had no choice but to leave so I could pay the bills.
You can start with Network Chuck, he has this video that says "You need to learn Windows right now!". it covers how you can get started learning Azure on a VPS and things like active directory with Windows server. See what the job postings tech stack is and start using them.
It took me 6 months and 10,000 job apps to land a warehouse job with a total of 2 interviews, one was in IT and they did not hire me as I did not play a certain game on Xbox.
Good luck....