Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path: Insider Advice for Navigating from Your First Gig to the C-Suite

Land the perfect cybersecurity role--and move up the ladder--with this insightful resource Finding the right position in cybersecurity is challenging. Being successful in the profession takes a lot of work. And becoming a cybersecurity leader responsible for a security team is even more difficult. In Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path, decorated Chief Information Security Officer Helen Patton delivers a practical and insightful discussion designed to assist aspiring cybersecurity professionals entering the industry and help those already in the industry advance their careers and lead their first security teams. In this book, readers will find: Explanations of why and how the cybersecurity industry is unique and how to use this knowledge to succeed Discussions of how to progress from an entry-level position in the industry to a position leading security teams and programs Advice for every stage of the cybersecurity career arc Instructions on how to move from single contributor to team leader, and how to build a security program from scratch Guidance on how to apply the insights included in this book to the reader's own situation and where to look for personalized help A unique perspective based on the personal experiences of a cybersecurity leader with an extensive security background Perfect for aspiring and practicing cybersecurity professionals at any level of their career, Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path is an essential, one-stop resource that includes everything readers need to know about thriving in the cybersecurity industry. Cover 1 Title Page 5 Copyright Page 6 Contents at a Glance 9 Contents 11 Foreword: Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path 17 Introduction 19 Part I Arriving in Security 27 Chapter 1 How Do You Become a Security Professional? 29 Create Your Story 34 So, You Want to Work in Security 39 What’s Next? 42 Chapter 2 Why Security? 45 What Kind of People Do Security? 47 What Is Your Why? 50 What’s Next? 54 Chapter 3 Where Can I Begin? 55 What Does It Mean to Be a Security Professional? 58 How Can You Make Sense of It All? 61 What’s Next? 65 Chapter 4 What Training Should I Take? 67 For the Traditional Student 69 For the Nontraditional Student 70 For the Full-Time Nonsecurity Worker 71 Other Things to Consider 72 What’s Next? 77 Chapter 5 What Skills Should I Have? 79 The Entry Point — Technology 81 Professional Skills 85 What’s Next? 92 Chapter 6 Is My Résumé Okay? 93 Linking the Résumé to the Job Posting 96 Elements of a Résumé 97 Digital Presence 103 References 104 Cover Letters 105 What’s Next? 106 Chapter 7 Trying with Little Success? 107 Physical Location 111 Your Company 111 Get Specific 112 Know Your Market 114 Assess Your Efforts So Far 115 But I’m Doing All Those Things! 117 What’s Next? 118 Part II Thriving in Security 119 Chapter 8 How Do I Keep Up? 123 Fitting It Into Your Schedule 125 Ad Hoc and Planned Learning 128 Take a Mini-Sabbatical 129 Where Do I Find the Information? 129 What’s Next? 131 Chapter 9 How Can I Manage Security Stress? 133 The Stress of Working in Security 135 Managing Security Stress 139 What’s Next? 144 Chapter 10 How Can I Succeed as a Minority? 145 Making Security Work for You 150 What’s Next? 154 Chapter 11 How Can I Progress? 155 The Security Journey 157 The Opportunist 158 The Intentional Career Seeker 162 How to Get Promoted 165 What’s Next? 167 Chapter 12 Should I Manage People? 169 Leadership and Management 171 Preparing for Your Next Role 176 What’s Next? 178 Chapter 13 How Can I Deal with Impostor Syndrome? 179 Fact-Check Your Inner Monologue 183 Know Competence and Incompetence 184 Know When to Ask for Help 185 Keep Learning and Know When Enough Is Enough 186 Keep Track of Your Successes 187 What’s Next? 188 Chapter 14 How Can I Know If It’s Time to Move On? 189 Are You Happy Where You Are? 191 Have You Done All You Wanted to Do? 192 Have You Learned All You Wanted? 193 What Are Your Long-Term Goals? 194 Are You Being Pigeonholed? 195 Do You Fit Into the Culture? 196 Job Hopping 197 Are the Other Options Better than Your Current Job? 198 What’s Next? 199 Part III Leading Security 201 Chapter 15 Where Do I Start? 205 What’s on Fire? 206 What Is Your Timeline to Act? 207 Who Are Your Partners? 208 Find the Strengths and Note the Weaknesses 209 Draw the Business Risk Picture 210 Do You Have a Mandate? 211 What’s Next? 212 Chapter 16 How Do I Manage Security Strategically? 213 Consider Your Industry 216 Know Your Business Priorities 217 Be Pragmatic 219 Address Stakeholder Pain Points 220 Threats and Vulnerabilities 221 Rinse and Repeat 223 Putting It Together 224 What’s Next? 226 Chapter 17 How Do I Build a Team? 227 It Is About the How 229 Things to Consider 233 Identify Important Things 235 Identify Areas of Weakness 237 Discontinuing a Function 238 Building New Functions 239 What’s Next? 241 Chapter 18 How Do I Write a Job Posting? 243 The Challenge of Job Postings 246 What’s Next? 251 Chapter 19 How Do I Encourage Diversity? 253 Start with Numbers 255 Understand Your Cultural Issues 256 Attracting Diverse Talent 258 Writing the Job Description and Posting 260 The Interviewing Process 261 Retaining Diverse Talent 262 Promotions and Career Development 263 Leaving the Team 265 What’s Next? 265 Chapter 20 How Do I Manage Up? 267 Who Are Senior Stakeholders? 268 Help Them Understand Security 272 When Things Go Wrong 276 What’s Next? 277 Chapter 21 How Do I Fund My Program? 279 Funding a Team 281 Funding a Program 282 The Big Ask 286 What’s Next? 287 Chapter 22 How Do I Talk About My Security Program? 289 What Story Should I Tell? 290 Telling Stories 297 What’s Next? 299 Chapter 23 What Is My Legacy? 301 Making an Impact on the Industry 303 Making an Impact on Your Company 307 What’s Next? 309 Epilogue 311 Appendix: Resources 313 Books 313 Networking Organizations and Conferences 314 Certification Organizations 315 Podcasts 315 Other Resources 315 About the Author 317 Acknowledgments 319 Index 321 EULA 339 Finding the right position in cybersecurity is challenging. Being successful in the profession takes a lot of work. And becoming a cybersecurity leader responsible for a security team is even more difficult. In Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path, decorated Chief Information Security Officer Helen Patton delivers a practical and insightful discussion designed to assist aspiring cybersecurity professionals entering the industry and help those already in the industry advance their careers and lead their first security teams. In this book, readers will find: Explanations of why and how the cybersecurity industry is unique and how to use this knowledge to succeed; Discussions of how to progress from an entry-level position in the industry to a position leading security teams and programs; Advice for every stage of the cybersecurity career arc; Instructions on how to move from single contributor to team leader, and how to build a security program from scratch; Guidance on how to apply the insights included in this book to the reader's own situation and where to look for personalized help; And a unique perspective based on the personal experiences of a cybersecurity leader with an extensive security background In this book, seasoned cybersecurity executive Helen Patton delivers a practical and insightful discussion designed to assist aspiring cybersecurity professionals entering the industry and help those already in the industry advance their careers and lead their first security teams. This book offers readers succinct explanations of how and why the cybersecurity industry's approach to hiring and promotion is unique and how to use this knowledge to succeed in the field. It also discusses how to progress from an entry-level position in the industry to a more senior position leading security teams and programs