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.
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.
I find personal experience the best source of inspiration for my articles.
And you’re absolutely right, most of these steps aren’t specific to software developers at all.
If you were advising students today, what do you think they find most confusing about cybersecurity as a career? Roles, expectations, or the mindset shift?
I think for sure the roles because I think a lot of them think there's very specific jobs that can be done in this sector and that there may be quite few in number, which I don't think is the case at all.
That is a great idea for the next article! Many people, not only students, imagine cybersecurity as a handful of very narrow, highly technical jobs, when in reality it’s a wide spectrum of roles across engineering, operations, governance, risk, privacy, and decision-making.
Do you think universities could do a better job of mapping these roles early, or is this something people only really understand once they’re already in the field?
I am curious because I have a master’s degree in Cybersecurity, and nobody explained it to me back then. Which I consider shameful!
I'm no expert in this particular discipline, Erich, but I definitely think it's the latter. Although the number of cyber security degrees is definitely increasing, I wonder to what extent they've actually assessed the job market rather than stuck their finger into the air.
Security roles don’t map cleanly to curricula, because the job market evolves much faster than universities can usually adapt.
I don’t know how it works in other countries, but closer collaboration with industry seems like the only realistic way to align what’s taught with what organizations actually expect from candidates.
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.
Thank you, Sam! I appreciate your kind words!
I find personal experience the best source of inspiration for my articles.
And you’re absolutely right, most of these steps aren’t specific to software developers at all.
If you were advising students today, what do you think they find most confusing about cybersecurity as a career? Roles, expectations, or the mindset shift?
I think for sure the roles because I think a lot of them think there's very specific jobs that can be done in this sector and that there may be quite few in number, which I don't think is the case at all.
That is a great idea for the next article! Many people, not only students, imagine cybersecurity as a handful of very narrow, highly technical jobs, when in reality it’s a wide spectrum of roles across engineering, operations, governance, risk, privacy, and decision-making.
Do you think universities could do a better job of mapping these roles early, or is this something people only really understand once they’re already in the field?
I am curious because I have a master’s degree in Cybersecurity, and nobody explained it to me back then. Which I consider shameful!
I'm no expert in this particular discipline, Erich, but I definitely think it's the latter. Although the number of cyber security degrees is definitely increasing, I wonder to what extent they've actually assessed the job market rather than stuck their finger into the air.
I think that’s exactly the issue.
Security roles don’t map cleanly to curricula, because the job market evolves much faster than universities can usually adapt.
I don’t know how it works in other countries, but closer collaboration with industry seems like the only realistic way to align what’s taught with what organizations actually expect from candidates.