Hi guys,
I know this isn't news but I figure /. would be the best source of information for someone in my position.

Although I have very little in the way of qualifications (Certificate of Secondary Education, UK) I've always been interested in IT security and data protection. I've looked into CISSP and qualifications of the same ilk and found that my current profession (sales uurggh) has essentially disqualified me from this as I have spent so much time out of the industry trying to keep a roof over my head.

Are there any courses / qualifications that a UK based guy like me could take to get back into the field of computing and security.

Any help / recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys

This is more for my own benefit that anyone that happens to be reading this...

I find it absolutely astounding that a forum such as this, supposedly populated by intelligent people could be such a cesspit of assholes...

Whoever could have guessed that intelligence and ego issues were proportionally related?

Well I'm so sorry that my intellectual prowess/ego/penis don't match up to yours oh ye high and mighty of slashdot but just bear this in mind...

One day there will be something you don't know or you can't do and right then... Someone will be laughing at you too!

Having read a few posts on the -$100 laptop boards and also from my personal experiences in my sales career I wish to put a question to the resident parents on slashdot.

Now before I go into this any further I want to make it clear that I am not a parent and, as such, am not subject to the same devotions I assume you all are...

Okay, here goes...

Why would you buy a laptop for a child who is less than 10 years old?

I'm afraid any way I look at it, it's entirely a bad idea.

The internet is, to all intents and purposes, an open forum for anyone who wants to go there.
This also makes it a very dangerous place and, at 10 years old, you have no concept of the trouble you could get in to. I'm by no means saying that everyone here is a psycho or a sexual predator but they are here. Also, the internet was created for the exchange of information... what possible information could someone that can barely spell (present company excepted) need to send or receive? It's a proven fact that websites such as Youtube, myspace and all the other "social networking" sites are not only a breeding ground for trouble but are also causing no end of mayhem for ISPs who are struggling to meet demands and, as such, are having to hike prices to meet the increased requirement for bandwidth...

Next point. I have a younger brother. He inherited my previous laptop when I upgraded. It was fully web capable but because it wasn't the latest model with 64 gigs of RAM and a 128 terrabyte harddrive he wasn't happy... Children, in my experience (and feel free to correct me... I'm sure you will), are not contented with "entry-level" machines. They will want more as billy-down-the-road has a bigger one.
I am, of course, referring to the cost of the machine itself...
Especially in this massive economic decline, belts are being tightened, bills are going up, do you really need to be spending £100+ on a laptop for someone that has no need for it?

Now cast your minds forward a few years on a timeline where entry-level machines are not so popular...
R&D depts have more money to make advancements rather than "what can we strip out of this to make it cheaper?"

I'm just saying...

Well, after reading /. for a few years I finally got around to actually registering... As a mac user, I have been following, with great interest, the Psystar - Apple conflagration... And just to clarify, I am pro-apple all the way. Hopefully not to the "fanboi" extent (god I hate that word) but time will tell :D