I got into it kind of by accident through compliance work, and here’s what kept me there.
There’s a lot of work. Every company, even small ones, needs someone who gets security now, and there just aren’t enough people.
You don’t have to be a hardcore coder. I’m not. Half of security is understanding how things are set up, what can go wrong and explaining it to people who don’t care until something breaks.
It changes how you use the internet. You start spotting scam messages instantly, and you’ll end up being the person your parents call before clicking any link.
And it doesn’t get stale. Something new comes up every other week.
If you’re just starting, don’t try to learn everything. Get comfortable with networking basics, then pick one direction and stick with it for a while.