Becoming a Cybersecurity Professional - A Mentor's Guide to the Field: Home Labs, Tools, and Real-Wo

This is not just another cybersecurity textbook. It's a hands-on guide crafted by a seasoned professional for anyone serious about building a real-world cybersecurity skill set. In this second volume of the Becoming a Cybersecurity Professional series, we go beyond the buzzwords and dive deep into the technical heart of the industry - giving readers the tools, confidence, and mindset to thrive in a security career.
Inside this book, you'll explore:

• Networking and OS Mastery
  Understand why the battle for cybersecurity is fought at the packet level and within the operating system. Learn how firewalls, routing, Linux, Windows internals, and command-line skills form the invisible battlefield you must master.
• Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Risk
  Go from textbook definitions to real-world threat modeling. Learn how attackers think - and how defenders win - through solid risk assessments, threat intelligence, and understanding the infamous CIA Triad.
• Security Tools That Matter
  Explore the most important security tools, from SIEMs and EDRs to firewalls and SOAR platforms. Whether you're monitoring logs or responding to incidents, this section gives you the lay of the land - and how to actually use these tools in practice.
• The Power of the Home Lab
  Learn how to build a functional, budget-friendly lab. From virtual machines to full-on simulated enterprise networks, you'll discover why every pro needs a lab and how to use yours to run scenarios, test exploits, and grow your skills faster than any bootcamp.
• Hands-On Practice and Exercises
  Through guided simulations, CTFs, red vs. blue team challenges, and self-designed attack/defense drills, you'll learn how to put theory into practice. Because real skills come from doing, not just reading.
• Learning Resources and Personal Growth
  Discover the books, courses, communities, and strategies that help security pros stay sharp. Build a personal knowledge system, avoid burnout, and create a sustainable path to expertise.

Written with technical precision, mentoring warmth, and occasional humor (with shoutouts to Michelle, the author's patient and insightful wife), this book is your next step if you're serious about leveling up in cybersecurity.
Whether you're a student, career-switcher, or junior analyst, Book 2 will give you the foundational mindset and technical fluency to succeed - not just in exams, but in the real world.
From TCP/IP to SIEM dashboards, bash scripts to Active Directory, this is where your hands-on cybersecurity journey truly begins.