Learn Cyber Security On Your Own
In this article, I’ll look at how you can learn cybersecurity on your own, along with my proven strategies for learning cybersecurity from my own experience of using what I learned from my previous career. As many of you will know, I don’t come from a traditional IT background; I spent about two decades working in Sports before moving into Cyber only a few years ago via an academy. So, I understand how a cyber security course can be one of the best places to provide specialised knowledge and skills necessary for the various sub-fields within cybersecurity, significantly enhancing your qualifications and career opportunities in this growing job market.
The growing urgency of cybersecurity is due to the increasing frequency of cyberattacks on computer systems and networks.
Some people I’ve spoken to recently who want to learn about cybersecurity are in a tough spot. They want to learn cyber security but perhaps don’t have the money or time to take formal college or university courses. Their work schedule is possibly too demanding, or their work shifts change too often to make it possible for them to attend regularly. Or maybe, like me, they have a young family to provide for. There are many reasons someone can struggle to learn cybersecurity in a formal and traditional classroom setting. If this is you, don’t let it stop you from learning cybersecurity. There is a way to understand cyber security on your own from home. Here’s how to do it.
How can you learn cyber security on your own?
To understand cyber security on your own, determine precisely what you want to know, locate learning resources and create a learning plan. Then, systematically study that material in short daily bursts. Supplement your study with hands-on experience and labs that you can do from home. One potential specialisation within the cybersecurity field that most think is the one to learn is being a certified ethical hacker, a role in increasing demand. However, I’d say read my article on getting into cyber before going down that route, as you are essentially looking to go pro before you’ve even picked up a bat here.
If that last paragraph scared you or took the wind out of your sails, don’t worry. I will explain how anyone can do exactly what I’ve described and learn cybersecurity independently. Follow the formula below as described, with consistency and discipline. You can gain a working knowledge of cyber security in as little as a year and become one of the most knowledgeable cyber and information security people around in a few years. Time will pass by anyway, so if you’re serious, read on to learn how to learn cybersecurity independently.
Understand the limitations of learning cyber security on your own
Before you gear up and plan on conquering the cyber security world by learning independently, you need to be aware of the limitations you will face by learning independently.
Limitation 1: Your Limited access to equipment
Remember that compared to other people taking university courses in cyber security or those working in the field, you’ll be at a disadvantage because you’ll probably have limited access to a wide range of equipment and technology. Colleges and universities invest vast sums of money on equipment for their students, and by learning from home, you won’t have the same access. It doesn’t mean you can’t know; it is just a factor you must work around these constraints. Making the most of online labs for cyber security certifications can help mitigate some of these limitations.
Limitation 2: No mentorship from an instructor.
Since you’re learning on your own, you will be on your own. Most instructors are professional, knowledgeable and more than willing to answer questions from their students. As an on-your-own learner, remember that you won’t have easy access to an expert when you get stuck…. but we have some ways around that as you’ll see.
Limitation 3: You have to find your own Cyber Security Training
College and University courses are structured and verified by a governing body. If you’re learning cyber security independently, you’ll need to figure out what you need to learn and in what order. This can be tricky, but we have a few ways to overcome this including cyber security certifications.
Now that we’ve covered the challenges and threats you’ll face and what you’re up against, let’s dive into how to get started learning cybersecurity from home.
Learn Cyber Security On Your Own: How To Get Started
Our first phase of learning cybersecurity is determining what cybersecurity skills we want to learn and in what order. Don’t skip past this phase. Understand that one minute of planning your study path here will save you at least ten minutes of time later since you’ll be on the right track and more efficient with your time. Understanding cyber threats, cyber-attacks, and strategies for prevention is crucial in this planning phase.
Step 1: Determine what you want to learn.
The cybersecurity field is vast and has many specialities, which are constantly changing and evolving. Your first step in learning cyber and IT security on your own is narrowing down what you think you may want to focus on. You can change your mind later or pivot, but it does help if you can focus on an area that interests you or at least have some transferable skills. Ask yourself if you want to focus on programming, penetration testing, network security, forensics, or other areas. Deciding now will help determine your best path. You can also pivot later on once you’ve got the fundamentals.
If you’re unsure what those job areas above mean, one way to learn more about them and make a better decision is to do your due diligence. Research what these jobs are and what they entail. Check out our careers section for some of the roles, google them or use AI Tools such as chat GPT to get an idea of what the job does and see if you can find people doing the job that you can talk to to learn more.
Step 2: Determine what to learn first.
You can’t know it all overnight; some topics require some background. However, searching through job listings lets you get a good idea of what skills and knowledge a job needs, or at least what the recruiters are looking for. You’ll see what skills and knowledge will be required for a job, along with relevant certifications and qualifications. At this stage, you should be looking for entry-level, junior or apprentice-type roles. I’d also recommend reviewing our article on the best certifications for beginners before parting with any money.
Step 3: Find quality resources.
Now that you know what you want to do identify free or low-cost resources that you can use to start learning. Many online cyber security learning systems, including O’Reilly’s Safari, Cybrary and Pluralsight, are available. Udemy has several courses, and your local library should have several books available for online cybersecurity courses. Make sure any content you choose, especially books, is recently published and no more than three years old. I recommend subscribing to a Packt subscription. Its $15 per month and gives you online access to all of their books…. handy if you have a long commute to that job you hate. While YouTube is a great platform, there is no quality control, and you can quickly get incorrect information. I have compiled a list of interesting YouTube channels for beginners in an article here. It is mostly based on learning Microsoft, but you’ll get the just.
The Learn On Your Own Cyber Security Study Plan
Now that you know what you want to learn and have your material picked out, it’s time to start studying. Following these steps will increase your chances of success in learning your cyber security skills.
Study Strategy #1: Focus on one thing at a time. Cybersecurity is an intensive and sometimes complex topic. You will succeed most when you focus on one subject to learn at a time and go deep on that topic until you have a thorough understanding. Be sure to review your topic and master what you’re learning before moving on, so much so that you should be able to explain it or teach it to someone else. Remember that cyber security training is foundational and builds on prior knowledge, so you must focus until you’ve mastered what you’re working on. It’s a good idea to use multiple resources but use them all to reinforce the same topic.
Study Strategy #2: Read for one hour every morning. A great strategy that guarantees success is creating a daily reading habit. It’s been said that if you read an hour a day in your chosen field, you will be a world-class expert in three years in five I’m not sure if that’s true, but I’m game to give it a go. At this point, you already know what you want to study and what you need to focus on. Now, dedicate one hour every day; I prefer in the morning (before the kids are up), but any time you feel suits you best and make it a priority, block it out in your calendar and use the Pomodoro technique.
Study Strategy #3: Listen to audiobooks whenever possible. One person told me he didn’t have time to learn cybersecurity because he worked too much. His schedule was just too busy, and when he got home at night, he was too tired to learn. After talking to him, I learned he is in his car for nearly 3 hours per day, 4 days a week, commuting to work (I remember those pre-COVID days)!
This is a prime time when you are awake, aware, and not doing anything else productive. Stop listening to music, talking on the phone, and listening to cyber security podcasts, books and audio courses. The abovementioned apps will play on apps on your phone and with the screen off. Listen to the audio of the video courses you find. This will get you more in the groove and let you hear more of the language of cyber security. The person I just mentioned – has 12 hours available each week to listen to cyber security audio books but doesn’t think he has time to learn.
Use any free time you have while driving, doing housework or anything else mindless to listen to audio….I enjoy listening to them while I’m out for a walk, or more than likely in this Irish summer, on the treadmill getting my steps in.
Study Strategy #4: Turn off the TV. Most people spend too much time watching TV. Take an honest and accurate assessment of how much time you waste on television or any other mindless screen watching, and cut that in half by blocking apps or removing the apps entirely the half that you just saved to study cyber security. The great thing about an iPhone si that it’ll tell you, with a breakdown, how much time you have spent on your phone over the last week and on what apps…..scary at times!
Study Strategy #5: Learn hands-on. As you progress with your cyber security study, you must get a minimum amount of equipment and software, which is a barrier to entry of sorts. A laptop is a must. Learn how to install VMs and ISOs. Download free tools like Wireshark and work with them. Practice using accurate technology as much as you can. Complete labs as you study, along with your learning resources. If you purchase hardware, such as practice switches, firewalls or routers, keep in mind that much of this equipment is available in used condition online from ebay etc for very little investment. It will be worth the investment down the line. I currently do all of my labs, learning and even writing these articles up on a £60 Dell laptop from ebay that I wiped and loaded up with Ubuntu (go look it up as your first lab)
Related Questions
Can I learn cyber security for free? Many free resources are available online and through local library systems that can provide a great deal of cyber risk management and security information. However, investing in additional knowledge will probably become necessary at some point in any learning path.
How long does it take to learn cybersecurity? With regular study, most people will need to spend two years or more to understand and be able to fully apply basic cybersecurity concepts. This amount of time also depends on the background of the security engineer the person and how in-depth they wants to learn cybersecurity.
The role of an information security analyst is crucial in this field, and there is an increasing demand for skilled workers in this profession.
Ethical hacking is an essential skill within various training programs to prepare individuals for cybersecurity careers, focusing on practical skills like penetration testing and tackling cyber threats.