If you're considering a career in Cybersecurity or Software Engineering, or have a general interest in the Information Technology industry, keep reading. TryHackMe has just released an exceptional learning path that guides you through the five crucial domains of a Security Engineer. This pathway introduces you to the fundamentals of networking, system, and security architecture, while also teaching you how to harden your systems to reduce the occurrence of vulnerabilities.

To participate in this pathway, you need to create an account and navigate to https://tryhackme.com/path/outline/security-engineer-training on TryHackMe. As a free user, you will receive one ticket per room, while as a subscriber, you will receive two tickets per room.

What Is TryHackMe?

The majority of posts on my blog so far consist of technical write-ups for rooms I've completed on TryHackMe. This platform provides learning materials and challenges for all skill levels. Whether you're a beginner interested in understanding how computers communicate with each other or a professional penetration tester seeking a platform to sharpen your Active Directory skills, TryHackMe has what you need.

The Security Engineer Learning Path

First, you might be asking yourself, "What is a Security Engineer?" Well, it's pretty much what it sounds like. This job involves securing information technology assets, be it software or hardware. The objective of this role is to strengthen systems to prevent threat actors from gaining privileged access and causing harm.

This new learning path by TryHackMe does a fantastic job of explaining complex concepts, principles, and techniques. I found the section on Network and System Security to be the most beneficial to me. As I am actively working towards a professional penetration testing certification, I am required to conduct tests against both Linux and Windows environments. This means I also need to provide remediation steps to fix and ensure vulnerabilities no longer exist in the systems I gained access. This section of the learning path offers excellent techniques for hardening not only Linux and Windows environments but also cloud and network architectures.

What To Expect

First and foremost, you can expect 40 hours of content to help jumpstart your career in Security Engineering, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Through this course, you will be introduced to Cryptography and be able to explain the differences between symmetric and asymmetric encryption. You will learn how to identify the SHA256 checksum of a given file using a variety of HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code) tools. Furthermore, you will be able to harden your web applications by applying the lessons learned from three OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) rooms covering security concepts for secure API development, broken access controls, and authentication failures, to name just a few of the many topics.

Beyond securing systems, you will also gain an understanding of Incident Response and Management. This aspect of security is crucial for any organization, and by learning it now, you will not only set yourself and your future employer up for success but also distinguish yourself from your peers.

Why Is This Learning Path Beneficial?

As someone currently undergoing a complete career change, any information related to security engineering and cybersecurity is essential. The advantages of engaging with this learning path include expanding your knowledge in the field. I say this because there is always something new to learn. I have been studying offensive security materials for over a year now, and I still feel like I have only scratched the surface.

With that being said, this learning path can undoubtedly benefit you during the interview process for potential job roles such as Cybersecurity Engineer, DevOps Engineer, and Security Incident Response Engineer. This is because you will be able to discuss specific topics by expanding your repository of answers to potential questions that might be asked and ultimately build your confidence going into an interview.

My Thoughts and Recommendations

Overall, I would rate this course 9 out of 10. I thoroughly enjoyed the structure, delivery, and content. I learned a lot more about secure API development and have developed an itch to learn more about it before I move on to learning about Bug Bounties. The interactive games at the end of some modules were a bit buggy and honestly not enjoyable. Many of the courses in this learning path were ones I had previously completed, so I was naturally left wanting more. I know this is due to my activity on the platform, so I won't deduct points for that. However, I must take off one point because of the experience with the games.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend enrolling in this learning path and starting right away. You won't regret it.

Summary

TryHackMe has released an exceptional Security Engineer learning path, covering the fundamentals of networking, system, and security architecture. This comprehensive course offers 40 hours of content, teaching techniques for hardening Linux, Windows, cloud, and network environments. It also introduces Cryptography, Incident Response, and Management, making it beneficial for those pursuing careers in Cybersecurity, DevOps, or Security Incident Response. Rated 9 out of 10, this learning path is highly recommended for anyone interested in the Information Technology industry.