The security community is continuously changing, growing, and learning from each other to better position the world against cyber threats. In the latest post of our Voice of the Community blog series, Microsoft Security Product Marketing Manager Natalia Godyla talks with Heath Adams , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at TCM Security about being a mentor, hiring new security talent, certifications, upskilling, the future of cybersecurity training , and lots more.
Natalia: What do you recommend to security leaders concerned with the talent shortfall?
Heath: There needs to be more openness and getting away from gatekeeping. In this industry, there’s a lot of, “I went through this path, so you need to go through this path.” Or “I did these certifications, so you need to do these certifications.” Everybody wants this perfect candidate—somebody who has 10 years of experience—even when they don’t necessarily need it. We need to be able to take somebody that’s more junior, who we can help train. Or take someone with a clean slate.
As a manager, be open to more than just what’s on the Human Resources job description. And be open to new people with different backgrounds. People are coming from all walks of life and age groups. So, if you put those biases aside and just consider the person that’s in front of you, that will help with the job shortage and help close the talent gap.
Natalia: And how has the pandemic and the shift to hybrid work changed cybersecurity skilling?
Heath: I think it’s been a positive. In our field, the ability to work remotely was always there. But the pandemic shifted things, so more companies are starting to realize that fact. I’ve worked jobs as a penetration tester where I had to relocate, even though I was working out of my home 95 percent of the time. Now, more companies are opening their eyes to talent that isn’t local. You no longer have to look in big markets; you can look at somebody on the other side of the country who’s studying cybersecurity, and they can be an asset to your team.
I was doing a lot of Twitch streaming during the shutdown, and I noticed our streams were way bigger than before. We had more people watching, more people interested. There’s a lot of people who took advantage of the shutdown to say, “Hey, this is my time to get focused. I want a new career.” There are high-paying jobs and there’s remote work. And as I mentioned, you don’t need a specific background or degree to get into this field. People can come from all walks of life. I think the pandemic helped shine a light on that.
Natalia: You’re well known as The Cyber Mentor™. How has mentoring impacted your career?
Heath: It keeps me on top of my game. I have to be able to give people direction and I don’t want to give out bad information, so, I’m making sure that I stay on top of what the industry changes are, where the jobs are heading, and how to interview properly—all of which seem to change from year to year. It helps me stay in touch with the next generation that’s coming into the security field as well.
Natalia: Do you have your own mentors that help you progress in your career?
Heath: I came up with what I call “community mentorship.” I have a Discord community, and we use that to encourage other people to give back. You want to be able to help people when they need it or get help when you need it while learning from each other. When it’s time for networking or needing a job, that goes a long way. For me, it’s more about being where there are groups of like-minded people. I’ve got a lot of friends that own penetration test companies, and we’ll get together, have lunch, talk strategies. What are you doing? What am I doing? That’s the kind of mentorship that we have with each other; just making sure we’re keeping each other in check, thinking about new things.
Natalia: What are the biggest struggles for early career mentees who are trying to grow their skills? And how can leaders address those challenges?
Heath: For a person looking to get a role, there are a few things to remember. One is to make sure you’re crawling before you walk, walking before you run. I’ll use hacking as an example. A […]
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