Getting an Information Security Job For Dummies E-Book

Peter H. Gregory

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 440

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Get prepared for your Information Security job search! Do you want to equip yourself with the knowledge necessary to succeed in the Information Security job market? If so, you've come to the right place. Packed with the latest and most effective strategies for landing a lucrative job in this popular and quickly-growing field, Getting an Information Security Job For Dummies provides no-nonsense guidance on everything you need to get ahead of the competition and launch yourself into your dream job as an Information Security (IS) guru. Inside, you'll discover the fascinating history, projected future, and current applications/issues in the IS field. Next, you'll get up to speed on the general educational concepts you'll be exposed to while earning your analyst certification and the technical requirements for obtaining an IS position. Finally, learn how to set yourself up for job hunting success with trusted and supportive guidance on creating a winning resume, gaining attention with your cover letter, following up after an initial interview, and much more. * Covers the certifications needed for various jobs in the Information Security field * Offers guidance on writing an attention-getting resume * Provides access to helpful videos, along with other online bonus materials * Offers advice on branding yourself and securing your future in Information Security If you're a student, recent graduate, or professional looking to break into the field of Information Security, this hands-on, friendly guide has you covered.

Leseprobe

Getting an Information Security Job For Dummies®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

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Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2014954662

ISBN 978-1-119-00281-9 (pbk) 978-1-119-00284-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-00262-8 (ebk)

Getting an Information Security Job For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/gettinganinformationsecurityjob to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Cover

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: So You Want to Be an InfoSec Professional

Chapter 1: Securing Your Future in Information Security

Why Does Information Security Matter?

A Brief History of Cybercrime

Knowing Your Adversaries

Organizations Hiring InfoSec Professionals

Chapter 2: Understanding InfoSec Roles: One Day in the Life

Getting Security Experience Where You Are Now

Getting an Entry-level Security Position

Rolling Up Your Sleeves as a Security Practitioner

Getting to the Top in Security Management

Understanding Success in a Security Job

Chapter 3: Exploring Current Issues in Information Security

Malware and Exploits

Assaults on Organizations

Disruptive Trends

Regulatory Compliance and Privacy

Information Security Standards

Part II: Having the Right Stuff

Chapter 4: Education, Training, and Certifications

Higher Education

Vendor Certifications

Industry Certifications

Chapter 5: Key Technology Concepts

Access Control

Telecommunications and Network Security

Software Development Security

Cryptography

Physical and Environmental Security

Chapter 6: Key Management Concepts

Information Security Governance and Risk Management

Security Architecture and Design

Security Operations

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning

Legal, Regulations, Investigations, and Compliance

Part III: Finding a Job with the Right Organization

Chapter 7: Life as a Security Consultant

Is Consulting Right for You?

Working for a Consulting Firm

Going It Alone as an Independent Consultant

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Consulting

Chapter 8: Working for a Security Vendor

Working in Sales as a Pre-Sales Engineer

Rolling Up Your Sleeves as an Implementation Engineer

Helping Customers in Technical Support

Watching the Fort for a Managed Security Service Provider

Chapter 9: Working as an In-House Security Professional

Living Your Destiny

Working in the Private Sector

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Small and Large Businesses

Chaos versus Calm: Growth, Mergers, and Acquisitions

Working in Global Enterprises

Living on the Edge with a Startup

Working for a Nonprofit Organization

Chapter 10: Serving in the Public Sector or Academia

Working for a Federal, State, or Local Agency

Working for a Military or Defense Contractor

Going Back to School

Part IV: Getting Hired!

Chapter 11: Branding Yourself for Your Dream Career

Meeting People

Business Networking with LinkedIn

Networking through Facebook

Tweeting with Twitter

Starting a Blog

Writing Articles and E-Books

Segregating Your Personal and Professional Lives

Working with Recruiters

Chapter 12: Creating a Winning Resume

The Basics of a Great Resume

Formatting Your Resume

Tailoring Your Resume

Types of Resumes

What Not to Put in Your Resume

Examples of Winning Resumes

Chapter 13: Getting Attention with Your Cover Letter

Cover Letter Scenarios

Essential Elements of the Cover Letter

Chapter 14: The Interview: Bringing Your Resume to Life

Knowing Why Interviews Are Important

Being Prepared for the Interview

Types of Interviews and Tips for Each

Your Turn to Ask Questions

Focusing on the Goal

Chapter 15: After the Interview

Writing a Thank-You Letter

Following Up

Other Sources of Information about You

Negotiating the Offer

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

Welcome Aboard!

Part V: The Part of Tens

Chapter 16: Ten Organizations for InfoSec Professionals

ASIS International

Center for Internet Security (CIS)

CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC)

Cloud Security Alliance (CSA)

International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (EC-Council)

Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)

InfraGard

International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium [(ISC)

2

]

ISACA

SANS (System Administration, Networking, and Security) Institute

Chapter 17: Ten Security Resources to Help You Stay Current

Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS)

Dark Reading

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report

Computer Security Resource Center: NIST Special Publications

Hakin9

Information Security Magazine

ISACA Journal

Risks Digest

SANS Reading Room

Hacker's Quarterly

Chapter 18: Ten Essential Security References

Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity

Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)

Unified Compliance Framework (UCF)

ISO27001

Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)

Center for Internet Security (CIS)

Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)

COBIT 5 Toolkit

U.S. and International Technology Laws

Top 125 Network Security Tools

Bonus Resource: InfoSysSec

Chapter 19: Ten Great Questions to Ask Your Interviewer

How Has Your Department Contributed to the Success of the Company?

What Are Some of the Biggest Challenges Your Department Is Facing?

What Keeps You Excited About Coming to Work Every Day?

What Do You Like About Working Here?

Can You Describe How We Would Be Working Together?

What Is the Makeup of the Team or Organization?

What Are the Key Traits of Your Most Successful Employees?

How Would You Define Success During the First 90 Days?

Do You Have Any Concerns About Me That I Can Address Now?

What Is Your Next Step in the Selection Process?

Glossary

About the Author

Cheat Sheet

Connect with Dummies

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

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Introduction

The information security (InfoSec) profession got its start decades ago, but it consisted of few people, mostly in military and other secret organizations. With the appearance of the Internet in the 1990s, organizations started to put information online, and the InfoSec profession became a little more popular. Fast-forward to the mid 2010s, with its big security breaches as well as new laws and regulations, and information security is one of the hottest professions around the world.

About This Book

There are more than enough books on information security, but far too few professionals to do the work. Until now, there was no clear guide to getting into the profession. Delivered in the same rich tradition of the Dummies series, Getting an Information Security Job For Dummies is that clear guide on planning your entry in information security, no matter where you are in your career today:

If you're a student or recent graduate,

you'll get real-life information on what it’s like in the information security profession.

If you're an experienced IT professional,

you'll understand how to make a lateral move into information security.

If you're already getting your start in information security,

you can chart your career path and decide what kind of an organization you may want to work in.

If you're in the information security job market,

you'll understand different types of information security jobs in different types of organizations.

If you need to hire an information security professional,

you'll find lots of information to help you focus on what kind of candidate you need and to better understand the people who are applying for your positions.

No matter why you’re reading this book, you can use it as a security career reference. Getting an Information Security Job For Dummies is full of insight from real information security professionals, in their own voices. You’ll begin to understand what the InfoSec profession is really like from professionals who have been going at it for years.

Foolish Assumptions

While writing this book, I’ve made some assumptions about you:

You are curious about technology and how things work. Even if you're looking to get into the compliance or controls aspect of information security, it’s still important to have a healthy appreciation for how technology supports an organization.

You dislike malware and the criminal organizations that create them. Even if you don’t yet understand how cybercriminals work, your conscience tells you that what they are doing is wrong, and you want to learn how to help organizations better defend themselves.

You enjoy learning. My first clue: You are reading this book! Being in information security — or any branch of information technology — demands continuous learning. Security issues and technology itself change quite rapidly, and continuous learning is needed just to keep up!

You like Dr. Who and his problem-solving capabilities, even if some of the scenarios he finds himself in are a little odd.

How am I doing so far? If all of my assumptions are right, you may be InfoSec material and ready to seriously consider a career in information security.

Icons Used in This Book

Throughout this book, you'll see icons in the left margin that call attention to information that’s worth noting. No smiley faces winking at you or any other cute little emoticons, but you’ll definitely want to take note! Here’s what to look for and what to expect.

Throughout the book, you’ll find stories and tips from information security professionals, in their own voices.

This icon identifies general information and core concepts that are well worth committing to your nonvolatile memory, your gray matter, or your noggin’ — along with anniversaries, birthdays, and other important stuff!

Thank you for reading; we hope you enjoy the book; please take care of your writers! Seriously, this icon includes helpful suggestions and tidbits of useful information that may save you some time and headaches.

Whatever I’m warning you about is nothing that hazardous. These helpful alerts point out easily confused or difficult-to-understand terms and concepts.

Beyond the Book

In additional to the material in the print or ebook you’re reading, this product also comes with more online goodies:

Cheat sheet:

The cheat sheet offers tips on interviewing for an information security job and building your personal brand. You can find the cheat sheet at

www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/gettinganinformationsecurityjob.

Web extras:

You’ll find some great references that you can use, including a resume template, a sample resume, and a list of websites of value to information security professionals. Go to

www.dummies.com/extras/gettinganinformationsecurityjob

.

Updates to this book, if we have any, are at

www.dummies.com/go/gettinganinformationsecurityjobudupdates.

Where to Go from Here

If you're wondering what the information security profession is all about, go to Part I. If you want to dive into the education, training, and knowledge required in information security, start with Part II. If you’re wondering what life is like in different types of organizations, Part III was written just for you. If you’re ready to get out there in the InfoSec job market, go right to Part IV. If you love lists, head for Part V.

And for those who want to take an even deeper dive into the knowledge expected of information security professionals, get a copy of CISSP For Dummies, by Lawrence Miller and Peter H. Gregory.

Part I

So You Want to Be an InfoSec Professional

Visit www.dummies.com for great For Dummies content online.

In this part . . .

Find out how industry conditions have led to today’s high demand for skilled information security professionals.

Understand typical job titles and their duties.

Discover the security problems that governments and industries face today.

Chapter 1

Securing Your Future in Information Security

In This Chapter

Understanding the need for information security professionals

Reviewing a history of cybercrime

According to the Cisco 2014 Annual Security Report, the worldwide shortage of information security professionals exceeds one million workers. You have chosen a great time to learn more about this exciting and rapidly changing field!

This chapter takes a closer look at the changes in business and technology that have given rise to the high demand for information security workers. You also discover why information security is a great career field.

Why Does Information Security Matter?

Information security, or was once considered a technical discipline with little business relevance. Now, however, it is a topic of heated discussions in corporate boardrooms around the world. Information security matters because information technology matters — and because criminals are finding it easy to steal sensitive and private information from organizations’ information systems.