Talking about cybersecurity professionals

If you surveyed a room full of cybersecurity professionals, and asked: “How did you get started in information security?”, you’re guaranteed to receive several different answers: Some folks might have gone to university, others might be self-taught or college dropouts, while still another group might have attended a training program, earned relevant industry certifications, or even transitioned from serving in the military. With hundreds of certs, learning platforms, and career possibilities to decipher, wouldn’t it be great if there was some sort of guide to help navigate the complicated world of infosec?
Here’s where a cybersecurity mentor can help

How can a Cybermentor help?

A Cybermentor’s role is to help you envision and become the version of yourself that you aspire to be in Cybersecurity. An ideal mentor is one who can point you in the right direction, or even help you identify entirely new ways of thinking. Because they’ve have been there before, they have the benefit of experience. Speaking with a dedicated, knowledgeable cybermentor can feel like a conversation with a future version of yourself. The most difficult part of this type of professional relationship is perhaps the start: Reaching out and asking someone to reserve their time to help you seems like a big ask, and can potentially be an awkward conversation for both parties

While formal mentorship programs certainly have their place in an industry that has, in many ways, reinvented the game, people don’t need to limit themselves to a traditional mentorship model. In this post, I share some of my best tips for building modern cybermentorship, whether you’re a professional looking to break into the industry or a cybersecurity veteran who wants to inspire the next generation of talent.   

Finding a Cybermentor can be a great first step into the industry, as this person can help explain how to position existing technical skills, as well as soft skills like problem solving, abstract thinking and analysis, when applying for a cybersecurity role. We had 2 mentors before we found our current Cybermentor. An experienced Cybermentor with 20 years + experience around the Globe with Smaller and Large companies

Having a mentor can help bridge that gap — and there’s always going to be a gap, whether that’s in confidence, skills or ability. A mentor is someone who can see where you are and where you want to be and then help you find that pathway between the two.

To find a cybermentor at work, get out of the office! 

Some of the best professional connections are not made in the office or on a team project, but through an area of personal interest. At CrowdStrike, we have Slack channels that focus on interests like cars, cycling, gaming, cats — you name it. Interacting through those channels is a great way to build your network in a natural way. 

For people who may not have those digital channels available, try to make the rounds at events, lunch-and-learns, happy hours — any type of social event that will put you in contact with people who may one day help in a mentorship capacity. You don’t need to ask for a meeting or a sit-down right away, but when you feel comfortable, ask if you can meet for a coffee or have a 15-minute call. In many cases, people are more than happy to take that time to share the knowledge they’ve accumulated over the years. 

Our current contract is an fairly easy one: we can book an appointment for dayparts (minimal 4 hours) where the Topic we need to discuss is in 2 bullits explained. And the Cybermentor Agency is working with a team of experts, where due to in-availability a colleague can take care. But besides that: the biggest advantage discovered Christmas 2022, when log4J was discovered. They work remote and outside business hours. In 2 days we gained all the support and knowledge to fix the issues with him.
I never felt more than a valued customer than these days!