The cybersecurity skills gap represents 3.5 million unfilled positions globally. After 20+ years in IT troubleshooting, I decided to make the leap into cybersecurity. What I discovered surprised me: with focused self-study, you can build job-ready fundamentals in just 60 days.
Week 1-2: Foundation Building
You can't secure what you don't understand. I started with networking fundamentals:
- TCP/IP and OSI model - How data actually moves across networks
- Subnetting - Critical for network segmentation
- Command line mastery - Both Windows and Linux terminals
- Home lab setup - VirtualBox with multiple VMs
Key resource: Professor Messer's free Network+ course gave me the foundation without expensive bootcamps.
Week 3-4: Core Security Concepts
This is where cybersecurity gets real. Focus on understanding threats before learning tools:
- CIA Triad - Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability in practice
- OWASP Top 10 - The most common web application vulnerabilities
- Attack vectors - How hackers actually get in
- First tools - Nmap for network discovery, Wireshark for packet analysis
Game changer: TryHackMe's beginner paths made complex concepts click through hands-on practice.
Week 5-6: Practical Skills Development
Theory means nothing without practice. This phase was all about getting hands dirty:
- Vulnerability scanning - OpenVAS and Nessus Community Edition
- Log analysis - Understanding what normal vs. suspicious looks like
- Python scripting - Automating security tasks
- Incident response basics - What to do when things go wrong
Pro tip: Document everything in a GitHub repository. Future employers want to see your thinking process.
Week 7-8: Portfolio & Job Prep
The final push focused on showcasing skills and networking:
- Portfolio creation - GitHub with detailed project writeups
- Community engagement - Twitter InfoSec community, LinkedIn posts
- Interview preparation - Common scenarios and behavioral questions
- Continued learning plan - Advanced platforms like Hack The Box
The Daily Habits That Made It Work
Consistency beat intensity every time:
- 2 hours minimum daily - 1 hour theory, 1 hour hands-on
- Morning learning - Before work when my brain was fresh
- Weekend projects - Longer lab sessions and writeups
- Active note-taking - Obsidian for connecting concepts
What I Wish I'd Known Earlier
- Start with networking fundamentals - Everything builds on this
- Focus on understanding, not tools - Tools change, concepts don't
- Join the community early - InfoSec Twitter is incredibly helpful
- Practice explaining concepts - If you can't explain it, you don't understand it
The bottom line: 60 days is ambitious but doable with 15-20 hours per week of focused study. The key is building a foundation that lets you learn continuously—because in cybersecurity, you never stop learning.
Questions about this journey? Hit me up on my contact form or find me building things at hellasleeper.com.