eXecutive Security

ThreatX surveyed 2,000 consumers in the US and UK about the cybersecurity skills gap – to get their thoughts on its causes and effects.

In this episode, Gene and ThreatX Field CISO Jeremy Ventura analyze the results, including:

• 62% reported that if they or their child had more education around cybersecurity in school, they would have considered entering the field. 

• 90% reported that they are concerned about the future of cybersecurity if more isn’t done at an earlier stage to expose students to the field.

• 78% are under the impression that a college degree is necessary to pursue a career in cybersecurity, and 67% thought a career in cybersecurity should be achievable through certifications or apprenticeships versus a 4-year+ college degree.

• 52% say engaging students of all backgrounds earlier in STEM/cybersecurity courses it will help minimize the talent shortage among the cybersecurity industry.

Full survey results: https://info.threatx.com/hubfs/ug/ThreatX-global-2023-survey-cyber-talent-shortage.pdf

Jeremy Ventura on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremy-ventura-36204676

What's the difference between working in fraud and working in cybersecurity? Nancy Schuehler, Director of Cyber Strategy and Program Execution at Verizon, has worked in both and breaks it down for our listeners.

She and Gene also dig into the pros and cons of working for a large enterprise, and of staying with one company for many years.

Nancy Schuehler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-schuehler-87311610/

Verizon cyber recruiting: https://verizon.com/cybersecurity

No experience? No problem. In this episode, CISO Dane Jones explains how to build a resume that highlights a passion and aptitude for cybersecurity without any work experience in the field.

 
Dane Jones is CISO at HighRadius. He has been a security leader for many years, including at Lowe’s.

Dane Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daneejones/

Is a career in cybersecurity right for me? https://www.isc2.org/thank-you/is-a-career-in-cybersecurity-right-for-me 

(ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Study: https://www.isc2.org/Research/Workforce-Study# 

Cybersecurity is a great field because of the all the change, says Ted Julian. But to succeed, you have to be proactive about that change. Ted and Gene talk about how to keep up with the change, plus about his experience in the early days of cybersecurity, what it’s like to work in product management, and why joining an early-stage company is so beneficial.

Ted Julian has held leadership positions in several security companies, including Devo and Resilient. He is currently a Venture Partner at Glasswing Ventures.

Ted Julian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedjulian/

Gene sits down with Stratejm CEO John Menezes to talk about working for an MSSP, plus gets John’s thoughts on hiring and nurturing the next generation of cybersecurity talent.

Stratejm: https://stratejm.com/

Success in cybersecurity is not about your technical skills, but your emotional intelligence, according to CISO Randy Raw. Randy and Gene talk about why he thinks this, plus his approach to hiring, why leaders need to be proactive in asking their reports how they want to be managed, why everyone needs both a coach and a sponsor, and more.

Randy Raw is the CISO at Veterans United Home Loans, where he has worked for almost 12 years. He is also a leadership coach at SABERS Coaching.

Randy Raw on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randyraw/ 

Randy Raw’s blog: https://randyraw.com 

Lowe’s CISO Marc Varner has had a long career in cybersecurity, including CISO roles at Yum Brands and McDonald’s. Why does he think cybersecurity is a good career choice? Because there is always a new challenge. “What was the last really cool discovery or change in math?” he jokes. There’s something new in cybersecurity just about every day. 

Tune in to his podcast episode with Gene to hear more. They discuss his journey, keys to success in the field, skills from other experiences that are transferable to cyber, and what he is looking for in entry level candidates.

Why is the geopolitical landscape critical to cybersecurity strategy? CISO Mark Houpt breaks it down in this episode. Mark also shares his advice to the college and high school students he mentors, how to approach the ever-changing nature of cybersecurity, and how to think about a college education.

Mark Houpt is the CISO at DataBank. Previously he held senior security roles at organizations including State Farm, Lincoln Christian University, and Sallie Mae. Mark served in the US Navy from 1991 to 1999.

Mark Houpt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-houpt/ 

Mark’s recommended list of classes:

-        Microsoft CISO Workshop: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/ciso-workshop/ciso-workshop 

-        Ascend Education: https://ascendeducation.com/monthly-subscription/ 

-        Amazon Cybersecurity Awareness Training: https://learnsecurity.amazon.com/en/index.html 

-        Center for Development of Security Excellence: https://www.cdse.edu 

-        ISC2 -Certified in Cybersecurity: https://www.isc2.org/1mcc 

-        Cisco Networking Academy: https://skillsforall.com/course/introduction-to-cybersecurity 

-        Cyberbit Remote Training: https://go.cyberbit.com/100k-worth-of-free-remote-cyber-range-training/?utm_source=nist_website&utm_medium=list&utm_campaign=free-remote-soc-team-training-nam 

-        StationX - 12 Month Trial: https://www.cybersecurityjobs.com/csj-training-fund/ 

-        Cyber Training 365: https://www.cybertraining365.com/cybertraining/FreeClasses 

-        Cyber Skyline Professional: https://cyberskyline.com/professional/purchase 

-        Cybrary: https://www.cybrary.it 

-        EC.Council: https://www.eccouncil.org/cybersecurity-exchange/free-cybersecurity-resources-2022/ 

-        Elastic: https://www.elastic.co/training/free 

-        Evolve Academy: https://www.academy.evolvesecurity.com/cybersecurity-fundamentals 

-        Federal Virtual Training: https://fedvte.usalearning.gov 

How do you make the jump from ER nurse to SOC analyst? Alex Gatz did it, and he’s sharing his insights and tips with the eXecutive Security podcast audience. Don’t miss this fascinating discussion about making a bold career change, the power of LinkedIn, what a security researcher does, the benefits of working for a startup, and more.

Alex Gatz is a senior security researcher at ThreatX. Previously, he worked as a data analyst and ER nurse at MidMichigan Health.

Alex Gatz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexgatz/ 

Stephen Semmelroth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/semmelroth/ 

We Hack Purple: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wehackpurple/ 

The job market has shifted dramatically in the past two years, and Mike Privette shares his thoughts on navigating it in this episode. He and Gene discuss things you can do TODAY to get your foot in the cybersecurity door. 

Mike Privette is the CISO, VP of Information & Cyber Security at Passport. He is also the founder of Return on Security, which publishes the Security, Funded newsletter. Previously, he held cybersecurity leadership roles at various organizations, including Defiance Digital, Truist, MetLife, and Ally Financial.

Mike Privette on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeprivette/