How to Get into Infosec: InfoSec Career Path Hacking

Maybe you've always dreamt of getting into the InfoSec field, and have been thinking about getting into information security for a while, or it's just coming to mind now. Regardless of where you are in your journey, welcome to the InfoSec community! In the words of the great Kung Fu Master, Shifu, “There is no level zero.”

If you’ve seen Kung Fu Panda, you may recall that Po is a panda who eats, sleeps, and breathes Kung Fu, yet finds himself outside that community. He dreams of being a warrior. One day, he sees an opportunity to witness a significant moment in Kung Fu history and so he sets out on his journey.  But first, he must climb to the temple. It would have been easy for him to zig-zag his way to the top of the mountain, though it might have taken longer. Instead, he started with the logical place... the stairs - a much shorter path. You too will have to choose your path... read more (external link to guest blog post) 

Not a conference conference

This week many people are at RSAC for the week gaining knowledge and a ton of vendor swag.

Believe me when I say I am not bitter about not being there. But watching from the sidelines got me thinking...    What if we took all the time and resources we spend on conferences and put them into security improvements? 

What would that look like? Well, surely you've been to working meetings where everyone brings their gear and talents and you collaborate on tasks. Sometimes this doesn't happen until a "crash team" is needed. Other times it more proactive. 

Food for thought.

Hacking the generation Gap - leading millennials in infosec

Millennials are the generation born from 1980 to 2000. Do you work with or lead millennials? The answer is likely yes. This group encompasses all workers between 18 and 37 years old!

Would you approach a problem in your job the same no matter the requirements, challenges or other considerations? Would you try to secure a cloud infrastructure the same way you would an on-premise infrastructure? Would those same controls work? Likewise, would you conduct a pentest the same without considering the environment? Fashion the payload without regard for the antivirus vendor? Deliver the same web app exploit without consideration for the use of a WAF? Attempt to bypass an nextgen firewall just as you would a traditional firewall? Obviously not, so why then are so many people trying approach leading the millennial generation using the same old tactics, techniques and procedures? Despite the stigmas and stereotypes this generation has differences that require a different approach.

I'd like to introduce you to four (4) ways you can (and perhaps must) change in order to effectively lead millennials - ABCs & Ds if you will.

1. Accept their differences
2. Bring the bigger picture into focus
3. Change our mindset
4. Develop their strengths; ignore their weaknesses

To further explain these areas I've recorded a short video. It's a first take but I hope it will help you greatly in your pursuit to lead millennials within your organization!