Starting Your Journey in Cybersecurity: What to Learn First

Cybersecurity has become one of the most in-demand and rewarding fields in today’s digital world. Every business, government, and individual relies on technology, and with that reliance comes a responsibility to secure data, systems, and networks. If you’re thinking about starting your journey in cybersecurity, you may be wondering: Where do I begin?

The truth is, cybersecurity is a broad field with multiple career paths, from ethical hacking to digital forensics, security operations, penetration testing, and governance. But before diving into advanced topics, every beginner must build a strong foundation. This blog will walk you through the first things you should learn in cybersecurity, step by step.

1. Understanding the Basics of IT and Networking

Before you can defend systems, you need to understand how they work. Many beginners make the mistake of jumping directly into hacking tutorials or advanced tools without learning the fundamentals of IT. This is like trying to fix a car engine without knowing how the engine runs.

Key topics to learn first:

Operating Systems (Windows & Linux):
Cybersecurity professionals must know how to navigate both Windows and Linux. Linux, especially, is crucial since most cybersecurity tools run on it.
- Learn file systems, commands, and how processes work.
- Practice using the terminal (command line).
Networking Concepts:
Networking is the backbone of cybersecurity. Attackers exploit communication between systems, so you must know how data travels.
- Learn about IP addresses, MAC addresses, ports, and protocols (TCP/UDP, HTTP/HTTPS, DNS, FTP, SMTP).
- Understand OSI and TCP/IP models.
- Study firewalls, switches, routers, and VPNs.
How the Internet Works:
A solid understanding of domains, DNS, and how websites are hosted will give you clarity about how attackers exploit vulnerabilities in online systems.

Why it matters: If you don’t know how systems communicate, you won’t understand how attacks like Man-in-the-Middle (MITM), phishing, or DDoS work.

2. Learning About Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Once you’ve built IT knowledge, the next step is to understand what cybersecurity is really about.

Core concepts to focus on:

CIA Triad: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability – the foundation of information security.
Authentication & Authorization: How users prove their identity and get access to resources.
Encryption Basics: Symmetric vs. asymmetric encryption, hashing, and SSL/TLS.
Threats & Vulnerabilities: Malware, phishing, ransomware, insider threats, misconfigurations.
Security Policies: Why organizations create rules and frameworks to protect data.

At this stage, you don’t need to be an expert in all tools and frameworks. Instead, aim to understand the principles.

3. Developing Hands-On Skills with Tools

Cybersecurity is a practical field. Reading theory alone won’t help—you must practice. Beginners should start experimenting with free tools to understand how attacks and defenses work.

Beginner-friendly tools:

Wireshark: A network protocol analyzer that lets you inspect traffic.
Nmap: For scanning networks and discovering open ports.
Burp Suite (Community Edition): For learning about web application security.
Virtual Machines (VMs): Use VirtualBox or VMware to set up your lab.

How to practice:

Build your own cyber lab at home using free resources.
Install Kali Linux (a security-focused Linux distro).
Practice ethical hacking on platforms like Hack The Box, TryHackMe, OverTheWire.

This will give you real-world exposure to how hackers think and how systems can be protected.

4. Learning About Cybersecurity Domains

Cybersecurity is not one single job. It’s a collection of domains, and you can specialize later. As a beginner, you should know the different areas so you can choose the path that excites you most.

Main domains of cybersecurity:

Network Security: Protecting networks from attacks.
Application Security: Securing apps and web systems.
Cloud Security: Securing data stored in cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, GCP.
Incident Response: Detecting and responding to attacks.
Penetration Testing & Ethical Hacking: Simulating attacks to find vulnerabilities.
Digital Forensics: Investigating cybercrimes.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC): Creating security policies and meeting legal requirements.

At this stage, don’t rush into all. Explore each domain lightly and then choose your focus.

5. Building Cybersecurity Mindset

One of the most important parts of learning cybersecurity is developing the mindset of a defender and attacker.

Think like an attacker: Understand how hackers find weak points in systems.
Think like a defender: Learn how to stop attacks before they happen.
Critical thinking: Instead of memorizing commands, focus on why an attack works and how it can be prevented.

This mindset shift separates a true cybersecurity professional from someone who only follows tutorials blindly.

6. Programming and Scripting Basics

You don’t need to be a master coder, but having some programming knowledge will make you more effective.

Languages to start with:

Python: Best for automation, scripting, and writing security tools.
Bash: For Linux command-line scripts.
JavaScript & PHP basics: For understanding web attacks like XSS or SQL injection.

Learning programming helps you:

Automate repetitive tasks (like scanning logs).
Understand how vulnerabilities appear in code.
Write small security tools of your own.

7. Cybersecurity Certifications for Beginners

Certifications are not everything, but they guide your learning and boost your resume. As a beginner, you can start with entry-level certifications.

Best starter certifications:

CompTIA Security+: Covers security fundamentals.
Cisco CCNA: Focuses on networking and security.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH – optional): For ethical hacking basics.
Google Cybersecurity Certificate (Beginner friendly, online).

Start with Security+ or Google’s beginner course if you are new. Later, you can move into advanced ones like CISSP, OSCP, CISM, etc.

8. Building Practical Experience

Cybersecurity is a skill-based career. Employers value experience more than degrees.

Ways to gain hands-on experience:

Participate in Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions.
Volunteer to help local businesses secure their websites.
Contribute to open-source projects.
Create a personal portfolio with your projects, bug reports, and write-ups.

Even if you’re self-taught, these experiences show your practical ability to solve problems.

9. Staying Updated and Learning Continuously

Cybersecurity is not a one-time course—it’s a journey of continuous learning. New threats and technologies appear daily.

How to stay updated:

Follow websites like Krebs on Security, ThreatPost, HackerOne blog.
Join forums like Reddit r/cybersecurity, Stack Overflow.
Watch YouTube channels and listen to podcasts about cybersecurity.
Join a cybersecurity community (online or local meetups).

By networking with others, you’ll learn faster and stay motivated.

10. Building a Career Path

Finally, once you’ve learned the basics, you can choose your career direction:

If you enjoy breaking into systems, go for penetration testing.
If you like defending and monitoring, try SOC analyst or blue team roles.
If you’re interested in policies and frameworks, go for GRC or compliance.
If you love solving crimes, look at digital forensics.

The key is to specialize once you’ve built your foundation.

Final Thoughts

Starting a career in cybersecurity may feel overwhelming at first, but if you follow the right order, the journey becomes manageable. Begin with IT and networking basics, learn cybersecurity fundamentals, practice hands-on with tools, and slowly build into programming, certifications, and specialization.

Remember: Cybersecurity is not just a job, it’s a mindset. It requires curiosity, problem-solving, and continuous learning. The earlier you develop these qualities, the faster you’ll grow in this field.

If you’re starting your journey today, the first thing you need to learn is how systems work, how data flows, and how attackers exploit weaknesses. From there, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a skilled cybersecurity professinals.

Starting Your Journey in Cybersecurity: What to Learn First ?