become a penetration tester“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

These words, famously spoken by Steve Jobs, have been touted as career advice for years.

Good advice? Well, sort of . . .

Detractors say it’s not realistic that everyone LOVES what they do. A lot of success actually comes from frustration, and many people FAIL when they try to stick to the mantra of “do what you love.” Perhaps the advice just needs a little tweaking.

How about: Find something that you enjoy and that you have a knack for.

Admittedly not as poetic, but maybe more helpful.

The average person spends 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime, so it makes sense that you enjoy what you’re doing during those hours. Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking, is a field where having the knack and enjoying what you do are keys to being successful.

Look at these signs you’d be a great penetration tester and see if this is the route for you.

1. You GET networks and operating systems.

You’re the kind of person who thrives on understanding how things work. Just learning terminology, protocols, and configurations isn’t enough. You know or want to know how a packet gets from one place to another. You understand subnets and Active Directory. When you’ve learned an operating system, you’ve learned it in depth.

A key to ethical hacking is knowing all the routes that data can travel, and everywhere it can be stored, so that you can figure out the possible ways it can be compromised.

2. You love learning technology.

Not only will you be learning new technologies, you’ll need to stay up-to-date on the ones you already know, and possibly do it on your own time. One of the characteristics of the job is that you may be introduced to a new system with every assignment. If you get stressed every time you have to learn a new software feature, then you’re probably not going to enjoy this field. If you thrive on learning, this could be the place for you.

3. You are methodical and accurate in everything you do.

Tools are fallible, and every circumstance is different. Just because you used certain tools and steps successfully in one environment, doesn’t mean those same steps will be sufficient in another environment.

You’ll need to be methodical in how you approach each assignment, and be meticulous in examining the possibilities. A cyber-thief isn’t going to try a few password combinations and then quit. Rather he/she will figure out all the possible combinations and then a method to try them all. You’ll have to think the same way in your testing.

4. You like a challenge.

Penetration testing isn’t accomplished by following a series of steps. You’ll have tools to use, and steps to follow, but that won’t get you there. You’ll have to analyze what you find, as you find it, and at the same time analyze what you didn’t find.

It’s sort of like putting together a jigsaw puzzle while figuring out if the problem is that some pieces are missing, and then figuring out why they’re missing.

5. You’re a good listener AND a good communicator.

The pen tester is the ultimate consultant. You need to be able to listen to the concerns of the client, investigate those concerns, be sympathetic, and stay in good communication with the client during the process.

You’ll need to explain not only what you’ve found, but what solutions you would recommend. Many firms also want to learn the financial and operational costs of addressing the issue versus doing nothing. Your proposals will need to speak to much more than just the technology.

6. You’re a natural at social engineering.

Although not glamorous, the most common method for cyber-thieves to get access is to simply manipulate humans into giving up passwords. As a penetration tester part of your job will be to uncover human error. Having a knack for getting information out of someone, or figuring out how or where someone might hide a password will help you in your role.

7. You genuinely have a passion for information security.

Most people who pursue penetration testing come from a networking or development background, and already have developed a strong interest in information security. The desire to learn always goes beyond what’s expected. They’ve set up their own environments and firewalls at home to “play with.” Most of them feel like they’ve taken their “hobby” and turned it into a career.

Find Your Passion with a Degree in Cybersecurity

In the cybersecurity field, passion for the work is an expectation, not an exception. Sound like you? Contact ECPI University to learn more about becoming a penetration tester and how you can earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity in as few as 15 months through our accelerated program. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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