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Comment by thatcodingdude | Hacker News Reader

This and the servers/linux stuff is the most interesting part of my job. I do have my doubts about being able to get into it since I suppose you really have to master low level dev (which I don't) and I don't think I can get a job as self-taught in this field.

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Why not try it out by start messing around with it and get a feel for it? But to answer your question: no, you don't. You already have more than enough prerequisites for an easier transition.

https://pentesterlab.com

https://portswigger.net/web-security

Have fun!

Edit: I'm completely self-taught and I've been working in the field for a few years. No dev or even IT background prior to getting into network pentesting and web app pentesting.

Neat, thanks for the advice. Pentesting got a spot on mr. learning list's wild ride.

> I don't think I can get a job as self-taught in this field.

Good security firms are the last ones to gatekeep over a degree or other paper.

If you like devops and security, have a look at SRE (Site Reliability Engineering) positions. Companies look for software engineers to fill these positions. And you'll work on security related stuff. Not necessarily pen-testing per se, but network security, operational security, etc.

Also, teams with SRE expertise most likely use modern tech because SRE itself is a rather new way of managing infrastructure. So you'll probably be able to get your hands dirty with lots of cool tech.

Nice, thought you needed sysadmin background for SRE. I'll look into that, thanks.

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