5 Specific Steps For Software Developers To Get a Job in Cybersecurity In 6 Months Without Starting Over
If you're a Software Developer who wants to get into Cybersecurity, this is your sign. Stop struggling and start taking specific steps that will get you where you want to be.
Remember: Trying to “learn everything” is the fastest way to get stuck.
Pick one direction early and go deeper instead of wider.
3. Get proof that you’re serious
Like it or not, certificates matter in this field.
They won’t make you automatically good at security. But they signal intent, and many companies simply won’t hire you without them..
Why?
Because they often can’t test your knowledge by themselves. So they rely on external entities.
Besides that, they answer an unspoken question hiring managers have:
“Is this person just curious, or committed?”
But there is one drawback to cybersecurity certificates.
They are expensive..
But I have good news for you! If you subscribe to this newsletter, I will teach you how to be smart about it and get the most results for the least effort.
Find out how to choose the right cybersecurity certificate by subscribing to Decoded Security.
But don’t worry, I will tell you what certificate to take as the very first.
If you are committed to this plan of becoming a cybersecurity expert, you need to know one organization - ISC2.
Why?
Because it is the most recognized organization in the field. And they have a cybersecurity certificate, which is completely FREE!
And I don’t want to be too annoying about it, but you find everything you need for the exam on Decoded Security for FREE.
4. Become a security champion where you already work
Who is the “Security Champion”?
A security champion is a developer or technical team member who acts as a security advocate, embedding security best practices directly into their team's workflow, bridging the gap between development and central security teams, and fostering a strong security culture from within.
Basically, be the person who studies the best practices and actively incorporates them into what you are doing.
Trust me, people will notice. And you will get something you need. The reputation of a cybersecurity expert. This is almost as important as getting a certificate.
And since most of the people and managers are trying to avoid cybersecurity topics as much as possible, you will be surprised how easy it is to stand out.
All you need to do is do it!
5. Join a community and learn how others think
While you have many skills that you can leverage in getting a cybersecurity role, there is one thing you will need to change.
That is your MINDSET.
The mindset required for security roles is simply different from what you are probably used to.
If you want to know specific differences, all you need to do is check one of my previous articles, where I break it down.
If you’re still reading, you’ve already done something most people never do: You stopped thinking about cybersecurity as a vague goal and started treating it as a direction.
I’ve been where you are. And I can tell you this. Progress doesn’t come from learning everything. It comes from understanding where you add value and how to demonstrate it.
If you follow these steps, things will start moving. Not overnight. But noticeably.
Your real task isn’t to become “perfectly ready.” It’s to build enough confidence and evidence that others can trust your judgment and give you responsibility.
That’s how security careers actually begin.
In the next article, I’ll break down what hiring managers and security teams really look for in security interviews and why many technically strong candidates fail that part.
If you don’t want to miss it, you know what to do.
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Let’s connect
If you want to collaborate, discuss, or just geek out over virtualization and cloud security, reach out to me:
Thanks, Erich, even though I'm not a software developer, this is such great guidance for getting into cyber security and security more generally. This would be really useful advice for undergraduate students as well.
The "security champion" step is the one most developers skip because it feels risky - you're volunteering to own a problem nobody else wants. But that's exactly why it works. I've been shipping production code for 14 years and the devs who become the de facto security voice on their teams always punch above their weight in hiring conversations.
Thanks, Erich, even though I'm not a software developer, this is such great guidance for getting into cyber security and security more generally. This would be really useful advice for undergraduate students as well.
The "security champion" step is the one most developers skip because it feels risky - you're volunteering to own a problem nobody else wants. But that's exactly why it works. I've been shipping production code for 14 years and the devs who become the de facto security voice on their teams always punch above their weight in hiring conversations.
The timing for this transition is also pretty striking right now - 62% of AI-generated code comes out with vulnerabilities baked in, and there literally aren't enough people to audit it. Wrote about the numbers behind this if you're curious: https://blog.devgenius.io/the-code-we-cant-secure-why-cybersecurity-is-about-to-become-the-hottest-career-in-tech-1f4f466d5c38