How to start in Infosec

infosec_newbie.md

• How to Build a Successful Information Security Career (Daniel Miessler)
  • https://danielmiessler.com/blog/build-successful-infosec-career/#gs.DtVCbbw
• The First Steps to a Career in Information Security (Errata Security - Marisa Fagan)
  • http://blog.erratasec.com/2010/04/first-steps-to-career-in-information.html#.WFrbofkrIuU
• Hiring your first Security Professional (Peerlyst - Dawid Balut)
  • https://www.peerlyst.com/posts/hiring-your-first-security-professional-dawid-balut
• How to Start a Career in Cyber security
  • https://www.concise-courses.com/security/how-to-start-your-career/
• How to Get Into Information Security (ISC^2)
  • https://www.isc2.org/how-to-get-into-information-security.aspx
• How do you begin an information security career (SC Magazine - Israel Bryski)
  • https://www.scmagazine.com/how-do-you-begin-an-information-security-career/article/558803/
• Starting your career in information technology (Tripwire - Zoe Rose)
  • https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/off-topic/starting-your-career-in-information-technology/
• How to start your information security career? (Adriano Leite)
  • https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140825234615-654073-how-to-start-your-information-security-career
• Starting in Information Security
  • https://www.eanmeyer.com/2015/07/starting-in-information-security.html
• Starting an Infosec Career
  • https://tisiphone.net/2015/10/12/starting-an-infosec-career-the-megamix-chapters-1-3/
• Breaking in to security
  • https://digi.ninja/projects/breaking_in_part_1.php
• Corelan - How to become a pentester
  • https://www.corelan.be/index.php/2015/10/13/how-to-become-a-pentester/
• On breaking into the Information Security field (Danny Akacki)
  • http://www.pcwf.co/2015/04/on-breaking-into-information-security.html
• Attack Paths: Breaking into infosec from IT or other totally different fields (Eve Adams / Johnny Xmas - DerbyCon 2014)
  • http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=videos/derbycon4/t207-attack-paths-breaking-into-infosec-from-it-or-other-totally-different-fields-eve-adams-and-johnny-xmas
• Infosec Resumes: What do employers care about? (Micah Hoffman - Webbreacher)
  • https://webbreacher.com/2015/07/11/infosec-resumes-what-do-employers-care-about/
  • Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm4KgWr3A5w
• Answers on how to get started in Security (Chris Gates / carnal0wnage
  • http://carnal0wnage.attackresearch.com/2015/05/answers-on-how-to-get-started-in.html
• Act wherever you can
  • http://www.pcwf.co/2015/07/act-whereever-you-can.html
• So you want to work in security (Michal Zalewski / lcamtuf)
  • https://lcamtuf.blogspot.com/2016/08/so-you-want-to-work-in-security-but-are.html
• So you want to work in security (Parisa Tabriz)
  • https://medium.freecodecamp.com/so-you-want-to-work-in-security-bc6c10157d23#.j58he81se
• Careers in security, ethical hacking and advice on where to get started (Troy Hunt)
  • https://www.troyhunt.com/careers-in-security-ethical-hacking-and-advice-on-where-to-get-started/
• How to Get Started in Information Security (Beau Wood)
  • https://beauwoods.blogspot.com/2013/12/how-to-get-started-in-information.html?m=1
• Resume Wackiness (Space Rogue)
  • http://www.spacerogue.net/wordpress/?p=206
• From Grunt to Operator (Tom Gorup)
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjbgfFreAEM
• The Path to Success - Career Path in Information Security
  • https://hack-ed.net/2015/09/16/the-path-to-success-career-paths-in-information-security/
• Becoming a Cyber Knight: learn! (Alexander Sverdlov)
  • https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/becoming-cyber-knight-learn-alexander-sverdlov
• Getting Started in Information Security (Dakota Nelson)
  • https://strikersecurity.com/blog/getting-started-in-information-security/
• How to stay up to date on security trends (Koen Van Impe)
  • http://securityintelligence.com/how-to-stay-up-to-date-on-security-trends/#.VSPtY-FBSZA
• How do you start in cyber security (Chris Romeo)
  • https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-start-in-cyber-security/answer/Chris-Romeo
• That's not my RJ45 Jack" IRL networking for Humans 2015 - ShowMeCon (Johnny Xmas)
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_HQ3bmTgis
• That's not my RJ45 Jack" IRL networking for Humans Part 2 2015 - Converge Detroit (Johnny Xmas)
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_ivHDkSF2A
• So you want to be a hacker? (Chris Grayson)
  • http://www.slideshare.net/ChrisGrayson/so-you-want-to-be-a-hacker
• How To Start A Career in Cybersecurity (Concise Cyber Security)
  • https://www.concise-courses.com/security/how-to-start-your-career/
• Security Recruiter Directory (CSO Online Staff)
  • http://www.csoonline.com/article/3013033/it-careers/security-recruiter-directory.html
• Learning the Ropes by @ZephrFish
  • https://blog.zsec.uk/101-web-testing-1/
• Becoming a Penetration Tester by HollyGraceful
  • https://www.gracefulsecurity.com/becoming-a-penetration-tester/

I attempted a similar list earlier this year but included a bit of a narrative for each:
http://www.securityramblings.com/2016/01/breaking-into-security-compendium.html
(there may be some that you did not include in your list)

I also wrote a blog post on Education in InfoSec back in 2014:
http://www.securityramblings.com/2014/06/education-infosec.html
(it's not exactly a "Breaking into InfoSec" post but those looking to begin a career in our industry may find it relevant)

Add DAVID SEYBOTH 's @david_seyboth

• https://blog.daylight.media/2016/12/31/getting-into-pen-testing-it-security/

Adding gradiuscypher's https://github.com/gradiuscypher/infosec_getting_started

Includes podcasts, training, tools, etc

How to get started in IT security consulting (registration required)
http://www.networkworld.com/article/3044459/careers/how-to-get-started-in-it-security-consulting.html#tk.twt_nww

Nullbind put this together a while ago - https://blog.netspi.com/resources-for-aspiring-penetration-testers/

Reddit Netsec wiki - https://www.reddit.com/r/netsec/wiki/start

• The Unofficial Security Enthusiast's Meme Filled Guide of Breaking Into InfoSec - Josh Huff
• http://www.timothydeblock.com/blog/2016/5/29/how-i-got-into-information-security-josh-huff
• https://www.learnallthethings.net/breakingin

Thanks for maintaining this list, here's a recently-resurrected version of mine: https://jonathancran.com/2017/06/19/getting-started-with-information-security/

Sorry for falling behind on this list, updating now. Thanks for the updates @jcran, @ethicalhack3r, @kfosaaen, @femaven, @stevenmaske

My take on similar lines. Presentation which i generally give to college going students:
https://www.slideshare.net/anantshri/career-in-information-security

just to add my notes:

https://speakerdeck.com/benjaminxscott/starting-your-infosec-career

Just want to thank everyone for this list. Someday, I will definitely return the favor!

Throwing my hat in the ring as well.

https://medium.com/@0xdeadbeefJERKY/another-getting-started-in-security-post-46f972ff3dab

@x0rz just released a good one: https://blog.0day.rocks/starting-in-cybersecurity-5b02d827fb54

Thanks for this list...I'll make this my 2018 point of focus.

And this maybe?

https://www.endgame.com/blog/technical-blog/getting-started-information-security

And Lesley Carhart's! @hacks4pancakes
https://tisiphone.net/2015/10/12/starting-an-infosec-career-the-megamix-chapters-1-3/

How about the Getting Into Infosec Podcast?

http://gettingintoinfosec.com

I also recommend adding the DIY Education in Cyber Security talk by Kelly Shortridge. IMHO, one of the best summaries I have seen. Eerily similar to what I tell students all the time.

Getting started in bug bounty - https://medium.com/@ehsahil/getting-started-in-bug-bounty-7052da28445a

Resources for Application Security

https://s3ctur.wordpress.com/2017/06/19/breaking-into-infosec-a-beginners-curriculum/

https://www.denimgroup.com/resources/blog/2020/04/starting-resources-for-people-looking-into-computer-security-careers/

https://casey.is/blogging/getting-started-in-infosec/

• The First Steps to a Career in Information Security (Errata Security - Marisa Fagan)

• http://blog.erratasec.com/2010/04/first-steps-to-career-in-information.html#.WFrbofkrIuU

Updated link for Errata Security:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250207080425/https://blog.erratasec.com/2010/04/first-steps-to-career-in-information.html

https://blog.anantshri.info/career-notes-references/ This works as one stop for all my writeups around this topic now. been posting a lot of blogs for focused topics lately.

Good stuff Avant. I’ll pass this to my nephew who is a sophomore in HS this year. Appreciate you sharing. Tom

…

On Mon, Sep 29, 2025 at 12:42 Anant Shrivastava ***@***.***> wrote: ***@***.**** commented on this gist. ------------------------------ https://blog.anantshri.info/career-notes-references/ This works as one stop for all my writeups around this topic now. been posting a lot of blogs for focused topics lately. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://gist.github.com/mubix/5737a066c8845d25721ec4bf3139fd31#gistcomment-5779914> or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AS45I7RKWTMWAMMWY4YDTTT3VFVRNBFHORZGSZ3HMVZKMY3SMVQXIZNMON2WE2TFMN2F65DZOBS2WR3JON2EG33NNVSW45FGORXXA2LDOOIYFJDUPFYGLJDHNFZXJJLWMFWHKZNIGQZTCMJVHA3TNKTBOR2HE2LCOV2GK44TQKSXMYLMOVS2MMRTGY4DIM5ENZQW2ZNIMFRXI33SL5UWJAVFOZQWY5LFUR2HE5LFURXGC3LFXN2GQ4TFMFSF64DBOJ2GSY3JOBQW45C7MFRXI2LWNF2HTAVFOZQWY5LFURTWS43UURXGC3LFVN2GQ4TFMFSF65DZOBSQ> . You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to this thread. Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub> .

ok