How do you advance your career in cybersecurity?

Speed and effort doesn’t matter if you are going in the wrong direction. Been in this industry for ca. 20 years, the key to advancing your career is knowing where you want to be and who you want to become. These are the 3 questions I ask every single person I have successfully coached: 1. What are your main goals/outcomes that you wish to achieve? 2. Why are these goals a must for you? 3. What are the top 3 things preventing you from achieving these goals? That’s the starting point. Ask yourself these questions first to grow your career significantly.

Cyber security is evolving very fast. Learning is must to keep your skills up to date and sharp. Diversification [within cybersecurity] of skills is vital to survive is this fast-paced industry. For example, along with IS auditor badge, add forensic analysis or penetration testing skills.

Here are five ways you can advance your career in cybersecurity: 1. Earn Relevant Certifications: Obtain certifications like CISSP and CISM to validate your skills and knowledge. 2. Stay Updated with Industry Trends: Regularly read cybersecurity blogs, join forums, and attend webinars to stay informed about the latest threats and technologies. 3. Gain Hands-On Experience: Work on real-world projects. 4. Network with Professionals: Join professional organizations, such as ISACA, and attend industry conferences to connect with peers and mentors. 5. Pursue Advanced Education: Consider earning a bachelor's or master’s degree in cybersecurity or related fields to deepen your knowledge and open up higher-level opportunities.

For the newcomers the suggestion I usually give is to first understand the technology, understand how the protocol operates and it's different standards, get a hold on application development and scripting languages, start from today. The more you understand how something is built the easier you will be able to break through it. Second, the best platform to learn is to make a habit of going through the publicly disclosed security bug reports. That way you will learn the practical approach of implementing an attack in the real world. Scripting, H1 hacktivity & stack overflow helped me with almost everything. Nowadays people have medium write ups, PortSwigger labs, tons of blogs/forums out there. Utilize "Google" searches, it has everything.

For those with goals of becoming an executive, it is imperative to work on your presentation and communication skills. Picture yourself justifying to a handful of nontechnical people why you need $x millions of budget to accomplish the security goals.

If there are two things that are constant in the world of Cybersecurity .. those are 1. Attacks dont stop 2. learning doesnt stop. Whether it is staying on top of latest trends in Cyber or even looking at advanced developments such as adversial AI/ Defensive AI or quantum realm etc - one thing is most relevant it is sticking to the basic principle of "Reducing the Risk" as technology continues to shift, Risks continue to take different shape. As Cybersecurity professional the single most thing to do is Manage Risk, it doesnt come without constant pursuit of learning and upskilling.

Staying abreast of cybersecurity trends requires a multifaceted strategy. I'd advise taking at least one fundamental course annually. This formal education should be complemented by staying informed about the latest threats and technological advancements. It’s equally important to analyze recent breaches: understand how they occurred, and study the mitigation strategies and preventative measures that were—or should have been- deployed. Maintaining current certifications is not merely a formality; it is a commitment to upholding best practices in a field that is constantly changing. Continuous learning is key.

Cybersecurity is indeed a dynamic field, with the digital landscape continuously shifting. Just as attackers evolve, so too must defenders. Lifelong learning is not just an asset but a necessity. Leveraging various resources like online courses, literature, and podcasts ensures a multifaceted approach to education. Engaging in communities further enriches understanding, providing real-world insights. Certifications and degrees serve a dual role: enhancing skills while cementing credibility. One must commit to perpetual growth and skill refinement to excel in cybersecurity. Staying proactive is the key to staying protected.

Many people who want to have a career in cybersecurity don't know where to start. It's a vast field with a lot of different specialities. Reach out to people in each of the areas of security (and ask your network for introductions). It's good to get an understanding of the different areas and what fits well with what you may want to do. As you build your network, talk to security practitioners with consulting experience, private industry, government, and non-profit.

Building your network and reputation is crucial for advancing your career in cybersecurity. Number one, building your network of other cybersecurity professionals helps you learn from others who may be further ahead of you or even peers/colleagues who may be better at a particular area of cybersecurity that you are not. Number two, the cybersecurity community is small and the more people you build genuine connections with, the greater your overall reputation will become in the space. Number three, if you want to be seen as a thought leader in the cybersecurity space, you have to network with people. They need to know who you are and they have to see you as someone who actively contributes meaningful content to the cybersecurity community.

Build your cybersecurity career by networking with professionals, mentors, online. Engage in forums, social media, and events. Showcase your work through a portfolio, blog, or speaking engagements to establish credibility and visibility in the industry. Make sure you build your brand on LinkedIn that will certainly make your standout from the crowd.

You can't isolate yourself if you want to grow. You will need to expose your skills and expertise either by writing articles, posts, or books or if you are a good communicator; give classes, lectures and training. This will highlight your name in the industry, so once you get there make sure you continue to improve and go up the ladder.

It is good to join a group of cybersecurity professionals and meet regularly to exchange information / recent events. This helps to broaden the knowledge and keep up with the latest happenings which we are not shared publicly.

Continuous self-improvement is a cornerstone of professional growth, especially in a field as dynamic as cybersecurity. Feedback is a valuable compass, highlighting areas of strength and pinpointing improvement zones. Actively seeking and embracing constructive feedback underscores a dedication to excellence. Setting clear, tangible goals acts as a roadmap, ensuring efforts align with desired outcomes. The blend of self-awareness, adaptability, and a focus on progress exemplifies the very essence of a growth mindset. Embracing feedback, learning, and evolution is paramount for anyone looking to ascend the cybersecurity ladder.

Seek feedback and be humble to accept criticism. Make sure you ask honest people and whose who care about you and not dishonest competitors who will try their best to keep you small and down. Listen to them and try to improve as much as you can.

By seeking feedback, goals setting, and being receptive to learning and improvement they are vital for career advancement in cybersecurity as this will showcasing professionalism commitment and overall growth.

Being Coachable means being able to receive feedback and comments. After you finish an assignment, try to get a lead or manager to review it and comment on it. This will show interest to learn and passion to the craft which may fast-track your career advancement. Send a "How did i do survey?" after a customer engagement. Always keep learning and improving to climb steadily.

You know: Besides u, only the others know if u're doing a good job or not. So take some time and talk to ur manager, focus on every single point of ur jod, not only those somebody say it's not good: But specially, what's good.

It's important to not pigeon hole yourself into just one set of skills. For example, being a vulnerability exploit analyst is great! But now that the industry is shifting focus to the cloud, try to understand the implications of vulnerability exploits in cloud environments. What about when it comes to AI? Maybe focus on vulnerabilities in emerging AI technology. What about when quantum becomes the focus in the next 5-10 years? Get the drift? Have a strong foundation but see how you can apply that experience to the ever changing cybersecurity landscape.

Always be open to new opportunities and challenges in cybersecurity. Do not restrict your learning to just one domain or field. Be a T-Shaped professional with deep expertise in one area and general expertise across domains in cybersecurity.

Get out of your comfort zone. This doesn't mean that you have to leave your work. you can challenge your own self where you work and bring about improvements and better procedures. If you are stuck and can't apply improvements or find too many restrictions or people are not willing to get out of their comfort zone then start looking for alternatives. The world is waiting for your new ideas.

The beauty about the cybersecurity industry is that are so many different paths to take on - even within a security domain - each with their own learned knowledge base and skillsets. Beyond the tangible skills you obtain through taking on different roles, you’ll likely discover that your career goals are changing as well. Is what you’re doing today going to set you up for success in your next role? Is your role opening up opportunities that you may not have yet considered? Is a specific security domain more interesting than another, and more fulfilling? These factors influence your long-term outlook. The bottom line is to have a near- and long-term path that you are marching towards.

One way to expand your knowledge base quickly is to take on that project that has been on the backlog list but no one seems to have time to research it and present possible solutions. Volunteer to tackle the challenge. You will learn a lot and just may become a resident expert.

Technology will be ever enhancing & expanding, and so the scope of opportunity to intrude through the technology would also augment in parallel.With the sophistication in machine learning & AI, there would be a more complex but enhanced form of cyber security that would emerge. Alongside, cyber threats would also grow in scale & complexity. So this war of cats & dogs will always remain a mainstream issue. As part of this cyber security community, our objective should be to "White Hat" the cyber world. Cyber criminals would 24*7 seek to strike our critical infrastructure and harm our economy. And as part of the crowd, we should aspire to outsmart ourselves and the cyber world enough to evolve the true responsibility before a security breach.

Volunteering has been pivotal in my #cybersecurity journey. Early on, I pursued #ISACA certifications, which laid a solid foundation. My involvement didn't stop at certifications; I immersed myself in their community, mentoring emerging talents and sharing insights through presentations. This proactive engagement led me to various opportunities like articles and blog posts and certification development and more. But the journey's heart lies in giving back. I've since reached out to universities, non-profits, think-tanks etc., offering experience sharing, ensuring that the next generation is equipped and inspired. Dive into #volunteering; it not only accelerates your growth but enriches the entire #cybersecurity community.

Advancing your career requires continuous learning and strategic development. Consider pursuing certifications such as CISSP and SANS certifications to deepen your expertise. Network with peers and mentors in the industry to stay updated on emerging threats and trends. Seek out leadership opportunities and take on challenging projects to demonstrate your skills. Lastly, contribute to the field through publications or presentations, showcasing your thought leadership and expertise to propel your career in cybersecurity further.

Another thing to consider is to solve a problem in the industry. I mean assess the cybersecurity field to identify deficiencies and develop value driven solutions to challenge those deficiencies. With this, you will not only advance in your career, you will also attract career opportunities. Cybersecurity is not an entry level field, it’s an advanced field with entry level jobs, hence, you rise by solving real problems within the field.

Have a solid understanding of the basics - TCP/IP, Encryption, Firewalls and OS Security. Having good understanding of TCP/IP will help one gain understanding of securing network (VPNs, TLS, Firewalls etc). Once you know in depth about the OS, securing it becomes effective (Patching, Kernel Security, Cgroups, namespaces, virtualisation etc).