Part of the Cybersecurity Career Guide — This article is one deep-dive in our complete career guide series.

How Long Does It Take to Get Into Cybersecurity?

By HADESS Team | February 28, 2026 | Updated: February 28, 2026 | 8 min read

Table of Contents

• The Honest Answer
• Timeline by Starting Point
• What Determines Your Speed
• The Fastest Path: IT Background
• The Middle Path: Tech-Adjacent Background
• The Longer Path: No Tech Background
• Accelerators That Actually Work
• What Slows People Down

The Honest Answer

How long to get into cybersecurity depends almost entirely on where you are starting from. An IT professional with networking experience can be interview-ready in 3-4 months. Someone with no tech background needs 9-18 months of dedicated effort. Most people fall somewhere in between.

These are not arbitrary numbers. They come from observing thousands of career transitions and tracking what separates people who land roles quickly from those who take longer. The ISC2 Workforce Study consistently shows that the fastest hires are people who already have adjacent technical skills.

The range is wide because your background, time commitment, and target role all matter. Here is how to estimate your specific timeline.

Timeline by Starting Point

These assume 10-15 hours per week of study alongside other commitments. Full-time study compresses these timelines by roughly 40%.

What Determines Your Speed

Existing technical skills. This is the biggest factor. If you already understand networking (TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls, VLANs), you skip months of foundational study. If you can script in Python or Bash, that is another accelerator.

Hours per week dedicated to learning. The math is straightforward. Someone studying 20 hours per week will progress twice as fast as someone doing 10 hours. But quality matters more than quantity — focused, hands-on practice beats passive reading.

Target role. A SOC analyst position has lower requirements than a penetration testing role. If you target SOC Tier 1 first, you can enter the field faster and specialize later. Check the career path explorer to compare entry requirements across roles.

Learning approach. Self-study from books and videos is slower than structured programs with labs. Hands-on practice with actual tools builds job-ready skills faster than theory alone. The HADESS skills catalog provides structured, hands-on learning modules.

Networking and job search strategy. Some people spend months studying in isolation and then struggle to get interviews. Others start networking early, attend BSides events, and land referrals. Your job search strategy affects total time to hire.

The Fastest Path: IT Background

If you have 1+ years of IT experience (help desk, sysadmin, network admin), here is the compressed timeline:

Month 1-2: Get Security+.
You already know networking and operating systems. Focus on the security-specific content: risk management, cryptography basics, threat types, incident response phases. Use practice exams to identify weak areas. Professor Messer’s free videos plus one practice exam set is enough for most IT professionals.

Month 2-3: Build hands-on security skills.
Set up Security Onion, practice with Splunk’s free tier, work through HADESS workspace labs. Focus on the specific skills your target role requires — SIEM for SOC roles, vulnerability scanning for analyst roles, hardening for security admin roles.

Month 3-4: Apply and interview.
Update your resume to frame IT experience with security language. Start applying. Prepare for common interview questions with the interview management tool. Most IT-to-security transitions happen in this window.

This is the path we detail in our career switch guide.

The Middle Path: Tech-Adjacent Background

If you work in tech but not in IT — software development, QA, data analysis, project management — you have transferable skills but need to fill technical gaps.

Month 1-3: Build IT fundamentals.
Networking basics (CompTIA Network+ level knowledge), operating system administration (set up a Windows Server and Linux VM), basic scripting. You do not need certifications for these — just functional knowledge.

Month 3-5: Security fundamentals and Security+.
Study and pass Security+. With your tech background, the concepts will click faster than for someone completely new to technology.

Month 5-7: Hands-on specialization.
Choose a target role and build specific skills. SOC analysts need SIEM and log analysis. Security engineers need hardening and tool configuration. GRC analysts need framework knowledge. Take the skills assessment to identify your specific gaps.

Month 7-9: Portfolio and job search.
Build a portfolio demonstrating your skills — home lab documentation, CTF write-ups, security tool configurations. Start applying.

The Longer Path: No Tech Background

Starting from zero in technology is possible but requires honest time investment. You are building two skill sets — IT fundamentals and security knowledge — sequentially.

Month 1-4: Technical foundations.
Learn networking (CompTIA Network+ level), basic system administration (Windows and Linux), and one scripting language (Python is most versatile). This is the phase most people underestimate. You cannot secure what you do not understand.

Month 4-7: Security fundamentals.
Study for and pass Security+. This validates your foundational security knowledge and opens doors that are otherwise closed to non-tech candidates.

Month 7-10: Hands-on skills and specialization.
Intensive lab work. Use HADESS workspace for structured practice. Build a home lab. Complete TryHackMe or HackTheBox learning paths. Document everything.

Month 10-15: Portfolio, networking, and job search.
Polish your portfolio, attend security meetups, and start applying. Your first role will likely be SOC Tier 1, IT security admin, or GRC analyst. Read our guide on breaking into cybersecurity with no experience for specific strategies.

Month 15-18: Keep applying if needed.
Some career changers land roles faster. Others need more time. Persistence and continuous learning are what get you across the finish line.

Accelerators That Actually Work

Structured certification paths. Certifications with clear study guides and exam objectives keep you focused. Use the certification roadmap planner to sequence your certifications optimally.

Hands-on labs from day one. Do not wait until you “know enough” to start practicing. Set up virtual machines in week one. Break things. Fix them. The sooner you get hands-on, the faster you learn.

Focus on one target role. Trying to learn everything at once slows you down. Pick SOC analyst or security admin as your entry point and study specifically for that role. You can specialize further after you are in the field.

Security community engagement. SANS community resources offer free training, CTFs, and networking opportunities. BSides conferences are free or cheap and full of hiring managers. LinkedIn security groups connect you with practitioners.

Mentorship or coaching. A mentor who has navigated the career path you are targeting can compress your timeline by helping you avoid common mistakes and focus on what matters. The HADESS coaching feature connects you with experienced security practitioners.

What Slows People Down

Certification collecting without job searching. Some people chain certification after certification without ever applying. One or two certifications plus hands-on experience is enough to start interviewing.

Perfectionism about readiness. You will never feel 100% ready. Entry-level roles expect you to learn on the job. If you meet 60-70% of a job posting’s requirements, apply.

Passive learning only. Watching videos without doing labs. Reading about Splunk without writing a single query. Active practice is what builds interview-ready skills.

Isolation. Studying alone without engaging with the security community. Networking opens doors that applications alone cannot.

Analysis paralysis on certifications. Debating CEH vs Security+ vs eJPT for months instead of just starting one. For most entry-level paths, Security+ is the right first certification. See our certification roadmap for clear guidance.

Related Guides in This Series

• How to Break Into Cybersecurity With No Experience
• Cybersecurity Career Switch: From IT to Security
• Is Cybersecurity Hard to Learn?

Take the Next Step

Get your personalized timeline. The HADESS certification roadmap planner builds a study schedule based on your starting point and target role.

Assess where you stand today. Take the skills assessment to map your current knowledge and see exactly what you need to learn.

Get started free — Create your HADESS account and start building security skills today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get into cybersecurity in 3 months?

If you already have IT experience (networking, system administration, scripting), yes. Get Security+, build a portfolio of lab work, and start applying. IT professionals with 2+ years of experience have the shortest transition timeline.

Is a degree required to get into cybersecurity?

No. Most entry-level security roles prioritize certifications and hands-on skills over degrees. A degree helps but is not required. Many successful security professionals started with certifications and work experience.

How many hours per week do I need to study?

Plan for 10-15 hours per week for a part-time approach. Full-time study (30-40 hours/week) compresses timelines significantly. Consistency matters more than intensity — 10 hours every week beats 30 hours one week and zero the next.

What if I study for months and still cannot get hired?

Revisit your approach. Are you building hands-on skills or just reading? Is your resume properly framed? Are you networking? Often the blocker is job search strategy, not technical skills. Consider coaching for targeted guidance.

Which role has the fastest entry?

SOC Analyst Tier 1 and GRC Analyst typically have the lowest barriers to entry. SOC roles are the most common first security job for career changers.

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HADESS Team consists of cybersecurity practitioners, hiring managers, and career strategists who have collectively spent 50+ years in the field.