Everytime I see reverse engineering mentioned for a security position I get intimidated and count myself out. Is it worth learning just to see if I could get comfortable in a role that requires it? #cybersecurity
if you have to ask, then no. reverse engineering is a calling
I agree with this. The calling is perhaps not strong for me but I do find tinkering with stuffs interesting.
If you plan on pursuing a path that involves reverse engineering then absolutely. It's quite a niche skillset, you'd need to keep at it on your own if your job doesn't involve reverse engineering. speaking from personal experience. You'd definitely stand out among the crowd as well with this skill set.
depends on the job, job descriptions and actual expectations differ
You're looking at that Netflix job too aren't you
Dang you caught me. Being a security engineer who gets a SWE salary at big tech or hedge fund is the dream. Don’t tell the masses.
I got the recruiter call recently, if they're looking for specialists instead of generalists, we're both fked :'(
reversing is just an overhyped field. Not worth it
I’ll differentiate between learning and being proficient. All skills require beating on your craft, but I think it is especially true in the case of reverse. You won’t get proficient at it before some looong hours of doing it. Reaching proficiency is probably not the best use of your time if you intend to focus mainly on things like appsec, network, etc. That being said “learning” it is definitely valuable for breath of knowledge.
But I’ve seen roles that combine ‘appsec’ with reverse engineering though.
@push4mils I personally have not seen that many appsec roles with reverse engineering as one of the requirements. It depends on the company and the team. But it could also be listed as a 'nice to have' skill set. So if your aim is to get into appsec then, reverse engineering wouldn't be the thing I would focus on.