The word cybersecurity really gained traction during the Obama era. Even with Obama out of office, marketing executives around the world have decided to turn cybersecurity into a buzz word which is synonymous with some of the biggest security vendors out there. The word itself exemplifies an elusive industry that only a chosen few get a chance to experience. That brings me to the point of this article.
Do you consider Cybersecurity a Job or a Career?
Since I am writing this article from the perspective of someone who has had the luxury of working on the vendor side of the cybersecurity industry for almost four years, I would say this questions isn’t necessarily an easy one to answer. In cybersecurity you will find lifers, but you will also find individuals who care less about making this a full-time journey and more about cashing in on the fruits of their knowledge.
Unfortunately, this industry doesn’t necessarily have a great deal of job security so I can understand the perspective of why someone would consider a position in cybersecurity as being just a job. The boat has definitely sailed in that perspective. You can’t go a day without hearing about the latest cybersecurity incidents in the news. It has almost become common place to hear about the latest and greatest data breaches, but what about the soldiers on the good side? Do we pay them enough attention to realize that someone’s job is on the line or that someone’s career is in jeopardy.
We tend to only pay attention to the aftermath of situations and disqualify those hardworking career oriented individuals as being subpar because their own individual efforts weren’t necessarily great enough to stop an attack in their tracks. After receiving such public backlash why would this same person want to consider another stint within the same industry that was so quick to crucify them.
Just today I was onsite with a prospect and they mentioned that virtual CISO positions are getting popular because as a consultant you really can’t be blamed for company mishaps. CISOs that are employed directly by a company have to deal with the daily stresses that come along with the position. A virtual CISO can really just say I told you so and leap right onto another lily pad and be comforted by the waters of the security consultancy pond.
It’s not easy to be a cybersecurity professional. You literally have the weight of the world on your shoulders or from a corporate perspective, you are responsible for keeping the corporate cyber realm secure. This highly complex task requires someone who considers themselves a lifer. This is my opinion, but it is backed up by factual evidence. Those that progress to the C-Level positions in their security careers are far beyond considering cybersecurity as just a job. They have taken it upon themselves to get educated on just about every aspect of the industry. They enjoy continuous learning and are normally self-governed when it comes to this process.
If you have gotten to this point in this article you are probably either seeking a cybersecurity career or you consider yourself a lifer and are currently plotting that next big step in your cybersecurity journey. I think it is safe to say that cybersecurity is not just a job and although it is stressful the benefits definitely outweigh the challenges.
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