Why would a CISSP be a good fit for an IT support pro?

[MadisonBG]

I’ve been working in general IT support for about five years now, and I’m starting to feel a bit stuck. A friend mentioned that getting a CISSP might be a good pivot into security, but I’ve always been more hands-on with fixing things than with policies and frameworks. I’m just not sure if that whole world would actually be a good fit for someone with my background, or if I’d be in over my head.

[Amelia.M]

I checked out CISSP years ago. It feels like policy and risk stuff which isn’t everyone’s jam. If you actually like fixing things day to day you might drift toward security engineering or SOC work rather than pure governance.

[Scott51]

CISSP is a big badge sure but it won't save you if you can't handle incidents on the fly. I am skeptical it fixes the gap for someone who prefers keyboards to policy meetings.

[Noah98]

I moved from helpdesk to security ops without a big cert and it took years, a lot of hands on learning, and some side gigs. Could be doable if you map your skills to real tasks.

[NathanL]

If you are worried about the jump, try listing your current daily tasks and see which security domains line up with what you actually enjoy. Might reveal a path you did not expect.

[Kyle_T]

Some folks swear by CISSP, others say it is overkill for switching roles. Either way it is not a magic wand and the daily grind still matters.

[OliviaHM]

Have you thought about starting with a targeted cert like Security Plus or CEH? It could be a stepping stone without going all in on one big credential.

[CamilaFJ]

What part of IT support do you miss most the troubleshooting or the storytelling of risk? Your answer might point to security tracks that fit better.