Everything I Learned in My First Year as a Security Engineer

When I transitioned into cybersecurity, I thought I had a clear picture—firewalls, exploits, vulnerability scanners, maybe some red teaming. What I got was far more layered, practical, and challenging.

This post outlines the key lessons, tools, habits, and mindset shifts I experienced in my first year as a Security Engineer. If you’re getting into cybersecurity or wondering what the day-to-day looks like, this is for you.

1. Security Is Everyone’s Job, But You’ll Still Be the First Call
   In theory, everyone shares responsibility for security. In practice, when something breaks or a vulnerability is found, the spotlight is on you.

Lesson: Learn to translate technical risks into business impact. It’s not enough to say “we’re vulnerable” — explain how it affects uptime, data, compliance, or customer trust.

1. Mastering a Few Tools Beats Knowing Many
   In my early days, I tried to explore every tool: nmap, Wireshark, Burp Suite, Nessus, Metasploit, and more. It felt overwhelming.

Lesson: Focus on a core toolkit and go deep. Learn how and when to use each tool effectively.

My go-to tools:

Burp Suite (Web app security testing)

nmap (Network reconnaissance)

Nessus (Vulnerability scanning)

LinPEAS/WinPEAS (Privilege escalation scripts)

Wireshark (Packet inspection)

1. Fundamentals Matter More Than Flashy Hacks
   Most real-world issues I encountered weren’t elite 0-days. They were simple but dangerous oversights:

Open RDP ports

Weak credentials

Misconfigured S3 buckets

Missing critical patches

Lesson: Focus on the basics. Understand how networks work, what HTTP is doing under the hood, and how permissions are managed in Linux and Windows.

1. Automate Repetitive Tasks
   Re-running scans manually or writing the same report every week is not scalable.

Lesson: Use scripting to automate scans, reporting, and ticket generation. Learn Python or Bash and save yourself hours every month.

Bonus tip: Integrate Jira, Slack, or GitHub into your workflow early.

1. Perfection is a Luxury, Not a Requirement
   You won’t always get to lock down every system. Business needs, legacy tech, and time constraints will force compromises.

Lesson: Security is risk management. Know when to fight for a fix, when to suggest a workaround, and when to accept documented risk.

1. Communication is a Core Skill
   I didn’t expect to spend so much time explaining findings, writing reports, and giving presentations.

Lesson: You need to communicate clearly with both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders. Make your reports actionable and your conversations solution-focused.

1. Learn Consistently or Fall Behind
   Cybersecurity changes fast. Exploits, tools, and threats evolve quickly.

What worked for me:

Weekly reading from sites like Hack The Box, TryHackMe, and CVE writeups

Following trusted voices on LinkedIn and Twitter

Blocking out time weekly for hands-on practice

1. Incident Response is About Preparation, Not Panic
   My first incident was chaotic — scattered logs, no central visibility, and unclear roles.

Lesson: Build and test an incident response process. Keep logs centralized, define roles, and practice with tabletop exercises.

1. Document Everything
   Every time I figured something out—solved a bug, scripted a process, or handled an incident—I documented it.

Lesson: Your future self will thank you. Plus, documentation turns into blog posts, talks, or internal guides.

1. Impostor Syndrome is Normal
   There were times I felt like I didn’t belong, especially around senior engineers or when reading complex CVEs.

Lesson: Feeling like an impostor doesn’t mean you’re unqualified. It means you’re growing. Keep learning, ask questions, and take notes on your wins.

My first year in cybersecurity was a steep but rewarding learning curve. It’s a field that forces you to think critically, stay adaptable, and never stop learning. You’ll be part detective, part developer, and part negotiator.

If you’re just starting out or considering a career in security, I’d be happy to answer questions or connect.

Let me know what your first year was like — or what you’re hoping to learn in your first.