Upskilling Within Cyber Security - Charlie’s Story

TryHackMe really is a game-changer! My new skills have not only enhanced the way I work, but they have also given me a boost of confidence in my career. TryHackMe has boosted my career and benefited my organisation, expanding our capabilities and offerings to customers.

Charlie Weeks is a loyal TryHackMe user - someone who has used TryHackMe throughout the course of his cyber security career in order to upskill on new threats and progress his organisation’s cyber security standing. We talked to Charlie about using TryHackMe, the key benefits he sees, and what he recommends to new users. Here are his thoughts!

Why did you start learning cyber security?

Passion, pure and simple. Before getting into cyber security I worked as an Infrastructure Engineer, and so started to dabble in topics throughout this time. I became captivated by the intricacy of cyber security. For me, wanting to launch a career in cyber security overlaps with having a desire to become the best in what I do.

What was the most challenging part of learning cyber security, and how did you rise above those challenges?

My most challenging part of cyber security was adopting the ability to continuously adapt during an incident response. Security Analysts and SOC Analysts do follow playbooks, but almost every attack varies in one sense or another. Whilst you are processing the information you are gathering, you must constantly be adapting to the attack, thinking what else, where else, and so on. It’s a challenge that I was not used to, but after my first real experience my adaptation became second nature, and it’s what has proven to be one of the greatest attributes in my career. I find it to be one of the most exciting parts of working in cyber security now.

How did TryHackMe help you learn?

TryHackMe really is a career-changer. It allowed me to develop my skills in areas I had not previously worked in. I started TryHackMe when starting out in cyber security myself, and whilst I was becoming comfortable with my role and my knowledge, I always want to learn more, explore new areas, and face new challenges. TryHackMe gave me that opportunity. Not only can I learn new skills within tools such as Metasploit or JohnTheRipper, but I can take what I’ve just learned and practice in specially designed labs that put the knowledge I’ve just learned to the test. To take that one step further, TryHackMe also has a range of CTFs that make you think deeply!

What have you accomplished with your new skills?

My new skills have not only enhanced the way I work and my capabilities, but they have also given me a boost of confidence in my career. I’ve been able to expand my knowledge and take that knowledge into real-world incidents. TryHackMe has boosted my career and benefited my organisation, expanding our capabilities and offerings to customers.

What advice would you give someone just starting in cyber security?

My advice for someone looking to get started in cyber security is to be persistent, have patience, and practice. Getting an entry-level job in cyber security can be challenging, and experience is sometimes hard to come by, but with TryHackMe, you can develop your general IT knowledge in Windows, Linux and Tooling and gain experience in lab work. Use your lab work examples to demonstrate your knowledge in practice within your job interviews - explain how you were able to find flags in CTF events, how you used the 8 phases of the Cyber Kill Chain to win these CTFs, and so on.

It’s all about persistence and not giving up. You will face challenges trying to get into a cyber security role, but all that slows you down at the beginning should fuel your desire to achieve your end goal.

Thank you so much Charlie for sharing your thoughts! You can follow Charlie’s journey on LinkedIn.