Before diving into hacking or defense, you must understand how systems work. Focus on these three pillars:
Theory isn't enough; you need to show you can apply what you know: How-to-get-started-with-Cyber-security-career---CybersPC
Set up virtual machines (using VirtualBox or VMware) to practice attacking and defending systems. Before diving into hacking or defense, you must
The gold standard for entry-level roles; it covers broad security concepts and best practices. Before diving into hacking or defense
Focuses on ethical hacking and penetration testing to find vulnerabilities.