What You Should Learn Before "Cybersecurity" - 2023

Summary

This video offers a personal perspective on the essential IT fundamentals for those starting in IT or cybersecurity. It covers key areas including hardware, software, networking, applications, and security basics. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding these basics before diving into more complex topics and suggests free and affordable resources for learning, including a self-promotion of their own courses. The video concludes with a reminder to balance theoretical knowledge with practical, hands-on experience.

Takeaways

• 💻 Learn IT Fundamentals: The speaker emphasizes the importance of starting with IT basics for anyone looking to enter the IT or cybersecurity industry.
• 🔧 Categories of IT Fundamentals: The script outlines key areas including hardware, software, networking, applications, and security basics.
• 🛠️ Essential IT Skills: Configuring and troubleshooting are highlighted as essential skills required in the IT industry.
• 📚 Importance of Basics: The analogy of learning math or chemistry is used to stress the necessity of understanding the fundamentals before diving into complex topics.
• 🚫 Avoid Jumping In: The speaker warns against starting with advanced tools or concepts without first understanding the basics.
• 🔒 Security Basics: Understanding the underlying technology is crucial for cybersecurity, as it provides context on what needs to be secured.
• 🌐 Networking Knowledge: A clear understanding of how data is exchanged and transported between devices is fundamental to IT.
• 💡 Building Foundational Skills: The script suggests that learning the basics first sets a strong foundation for further learning and specialization.
• 📈 Practical Approach: After grasping the basics, the speaker recommends a hands-on approach to apply and deepen understanding.
• 🆓 Free Resources: The script mentions the availability of free and affordable resources for learning IT fundamentals.
• 🔄 Self-Promotion: The speaker promotes their own free courses on platforms like Udemy, suggesting these as starting points for learning.

Q & A

What does the speaker suggest as the starting point for someone interested in IT or cybersecurity?

The speaker suggests starting with IT fundamentals as the basis for anyone looking to get into the IT or cybersecurity industry.

What are the main categories of IT fundamentals according to the speaker?

The main categories of IT fundamentals mentioned are hardware, software, networking, applications, and security basics.

What is the importance of understanding hardware in the IT field?

Understanding hardware is important as it involves knowing the physical parts of a computer and computing devices, which are essential for setting up and troubleshooting systems.

What role does software play in the IT fundamentals?

Software includes a suite of tools and data that instruct the computer how to work, including operating systems, software applications, and more, like Windows 10 or Linux.

Why is networking considered a fundamental aspect of IT?

Networking is fundamental because it involves the exchange and transportation of data between computing devices, which is crucial for communication and data transfer within IT systems.

What are applications in the context of IT fundamentals?

Applications refer to computer software or programs used to carry out specific tasks such as word processing, editing, or using email clients.

What does the speaker emphasize about learning IT fundamentals before delving into more complex topics?

The speaker emphasizes that learning IT fundamentals provides a strong foundation, making it easier to understand and tackle more complex topics in IT and cybersecurity.

What essential skills does the speaker mention are required within the IT industry?

The speaker mentions skills such as configuring and troubleshooting as essential within the IT industry.

What is the speaker's opinion on the effectiveness of jumping straight into advanced tools without understanding the basics?

The speaker believes that without understanding the basics, one cannot effectively use advanced tools or know what to secure in the context of cybersecurity.

What resources does the speaker recommend for learning IT fundamentals?

The speaker recommends various resources including free courses on platforms like Free Code Camp, Udemy, YouTube, and even a personal course on Udemy for a high-level overview of cybersecurity in IT.

What is the speaker's advice on the approach to learning after understanding the IT fundamentals?

The speaker advises having a hands-on, practical approach once the basics have been understood, and provides a resource page with a list of projects for practical application.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Fundamentals of IT and Cybersecurity

This paragraph introduces the topic of the video, which is the fundamentals of IT and cybersecurity. The speaker suggests that anyone looking to start a career in these fields should begin by learning the basics. The fundamentals are broken down into categories such as hardware (physical parts of computing devices), software (tools and data that instruct the computer), networking (data exchange between devices), applications (programs for specific tasks), and security basics. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding these areas from the ground up to set oneself up for success. Essential IT skills like configuring and troubleshooting are also mentioned, with an analogy to learning basic math or chemistry to highlight the necessity of foundational knowledge.

05:01

📚 Resources and Project Ideas for IT Learning

In the second paragraph, the speaker provides an update to a previous video and offers resources for those interested in learning IT and cybersecurity. They mention free courses available on platforms like Udemy and YouTube, as well as resources from Google and Humble Bundle for ebooks. The speaker also promotes their own courses, one being an introductory course to cybersecurity and the other a more hands-on practical course. They encourage viewers to start with theory and then move on to practical projects, offering a resources page with project ideas and solutions. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's hope that the video has been helpful and a sign-off until the next video.

Keywords

💡IT Fundamentals

IT Fundamentals refer to the basic knowledge and skills necessary for understanding and working in the field of information technology. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of learning IT fundamentals as a foundation for anyone looking to start a career in IT or cybersecurity. The concept is used to outline the categories that beginners should focus on, such as hardware, software, networking, applications, and security basics.

💡Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting digital systems and sensitive information from theft, damage, or unauthorized access. It is a key theme in the video, where the speaker discusses the importance of understanding cybersecurity principles when learning IT fundamentals. The term is used in the context of why one should learn IT fundamentals, as it sets the stage for a successful career in protecting digital assets.

💡Hardware

Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer or computing devices. In the video, the speaker includes hardware as one of the IT fundamentals, explaining that understanding these components is crucial for anyone entering the IT field. Examples from the script include the need to know about the physical parts that make up a computer system.

💡Software

Software encompasses the suite of tools, applications, and data that instruct a computer how to perform tasks. The video discusses software as part of the IT fundamentals, highlighting its role in operating systems, applications, and more. The speaker uses the term to illustrate the importance of understanding how software interacts with hardware in a computing environment.

💡Networking

Networking is the exchange and transportation of data between computing devices. It is a core concept in the video, where the speaker explains that understanding networking is essential for anyone in IT. The term is used to describe the process of data communication, which is a fundamental aspect of IT infrastructure.

💡Applications

Applications are computer programs designed to perform specific tasks, such as word processing or email management. In the video, applications are mentioned as part of the IT fundamentals, emphasizing the need for beginners to understand how these programs function and are used in various computing tasks.

💡Security Basics

Security basics are the foundational principles and practices for protecting digital information and systems. The speaker in the video highlights security basics as a favorite category within IT fundamentals, stressing the importance of understanding these principles for anyone looking to work in cybersecurity.

💡Configuring

Configuring refers to the process of setting up or adjusting the parameters of a system or device. The video mentions configuring as an essential skill within the IT industry, suggesting that beginners should learn how to properly set up and customize IT systems to meet specific needs.

💡Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting is the process of identifying, diagnosing, and resolving issues in a system or device. The speaker in the video includes troubleshooting as a key skill that IT professionals must master, illustrating its importance through the analogy of solving complex problems, such as a math equation.

💡Kali Linux

Kali Linux is a Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. In the video, the speaker uses Kali Linux as an example of a tool that beginners might be interested in exploring once they have a solid foundation in IT fundamentals. The term is used to represent advanced tools that can be used for cybersecurity practices.

💡Free Resources

Free resources are educational materials or courses available at no cost. The video mentions several free resources for learning IT fundamentals, such as courses on Udemy and YouTube, emphasizing the availability of affordable or free learning opportunities for those interested in IT.

Highlights

The speaker suggests learning IT fundamentals as the starting point for individuals interested in IT or cybersecurity.

IT fundamentals include hardware, software, networking, applications, and security basics.

The importance of understanding the basics is compared to learning the fundamentals in other fields like math or chemistry.

The speaker emphasizes the necessity of foundational skills such as configuring and troubleshooting in the IT industry.

A metaphor of jumping into the woods without understanding the basics is used to illustrate the potential pitfalls of not learning the fundamentals.

The video offers a free course on Udemy for a limited time to provide a high-level overview of cybersecurity in IT.

The speaker promotes a practical, hands-on course released the previous year with updates for further learning.

Free resources for learning IT fundamentals are available on platforms like Free Code Camp and Udemy.

YouTube is mentioned as a source for crash courses on IT basics.

Humble Bundle is highlighted as a provider of ebooks that can be useful for learning IT concepts.

The speaker provides a resources page with a list of free projects for hands-on learning after understanding the concepts.

The video is an update from a few years ago, ensuring the information is current for 2021.

The speaker warns against the dangers of not understanding technology tools and principles in the context of cybersecurity.

The importance of knowing how specific devices like a layer 2 switch works is stressed for effective cybersecurity measures.

The video concludes with a reminder of the value of IT fundamentals in building a strong foundation for further learning.

A personal opinion is shared on the best approach to learning IT fundamentals before diving into more complex topics.

Transcripts

yeah i would just suggest the it

fundamentals that's what you should

learn all right so if you're an

individual who wants to get started in

the it or cyber security industry and

you're wondering where should i start or

what should i learn before in today's

video topic i will be addressing my

personal opinion on what you should

learn why you should learn what you

should learn and where you should learn

[Music]

alright so by now you should know it's

the ic fundamentals that's what i think

you should learn you can go ahead and

click off this video but if you want a

little bit more detail you can continue

on what exactly are the it fundamentals

well in my opinion they outline a few

different surrounding categories

including hardware which are the

physical parts of a computer and

computing devices you have the software

which is a suite of tools and data which

you know tell the computer how to work

including operating systems software

applications and more so think about

like a windows 10 or linux then you have

networking which is the exchange and

transportation of data between computing

devices so understanding how that works

applications which is computer software

or programs used to carry out specific

tasks you know such as word processing

or editing or email clients and then you

have the security basics my favorite

right understanding the added elements

on top of the listed uh elements or

categories that i just

outlined now i personally believe if you

started from the very beginning you're

going to set yourself up for a better

success and i'll tell you that reason in

a moment now while learning the it

fundamentals it's important to keep in

mind some essential concepts and skills

required within the it industry and this

includes skills such as configuring and

troubleshooting

[Music]

just like anything that you learn in

school you gotta first understand the

basics of course you could just throw

yourself deep into the woods and have no

idea what's going on and maybe yes you

could complete the problem but let's

just say you want to complete some

complex math equation well you have to

know the basics of the symbols

subtraction addition such as this nice

complex math equation i think you

i don't know how to do this

you know those or if you want to get a

little spicy and you want to mix some

elements together you got to know the

periodic table i think i don't really

know i'm not a chemistry major well the

same goes for it in my opinion you get

the point now sure you could provision a

kali linux vm and you could use john

ripper and start cracking those facebook

passwords don't actually do that or you

know you can throw yourself deep into

the woods of a project and sometimes

that method works but the question

becomes if you have no technological or

any i.t skills background how do you

know you know what to secure in the

context of cyber security if you don't

even know how the technology tool

principle concept works right if you

can't understand what a layer 2 switch

does from you know a high level overview

how do you know you're going to need to

apply port security you know in the

context of a layer 2 switch well you

won't know because you don't know how a

layer 2 switch works in the high level

and that's why i suggest the it

fundamentals it's great way to get the

basics down you can build those

foundational skills and then you can

throw yourself into the woods of you

know kali linux if you want to

[Music]

there are hundreds of resources out

there both free and affordable alright

one moment of self promo you can skip to

this time stamp if you don't care about

this but there are free courses i have

out there one is on udemy it's a

complete introduction to cyber security

right so this is going to be a very high

level overview of cyber security in i.t

and we address some of the very basics

such as

hardware and networking devices so why

not just give away the course for free

if you're watching this in the next

three days of this upload you can go

sign up for it

for free but i do also have another

course it's more of a very much so

practical hands-on course that i had

released last year and i added some a

few updates to it this is a great course

to get started and now enough for the

cell promo all right so some platforms

include free code cam they have a plenty

of crash courses out there udemy has

plenty of basic it courses you have

plenty of youtube crash courses i'll

leave some that i think are noteworthy

including ones that are released from

google itself which is a great way to

start a humble bundle which is a book

provider in the form of ebooks that you

can see and find if there are any

bundles out there one more thing to note

and that is three is a great place to

start with my beginners course it's a

lot of theory not so much practical or

hands-on you gotta get started with

understanding the concepts

but

one thing to note is to have a hands-on

practical approach once you've maybe

started some of those basics i have a

resources page with a complete list of

projects you can just check out it's all

free you don't have to worry about

paying

and you can just look at the different

resources project ideas and how to go

about solving those projects on that

website this video has been short i hope

it's been useful and helpful i did this

video a few years ago and i thought i

would go ahead and provide an update for

2021 so i hope everything is well and

until the next video have a good day