Breaking into InfoSec: Attitude and Mindset
One of the main things that people look for when interviewing for junior/starter career InfoSec jobs is passion. . . the willingness to stay-up all night learning the “new thing”, to keep up to date with shifting trends and maybe even be ahead of the curve.
Today though, I want to discuss something I believe is even more important, and a fundamental aspect that’s required for you to succeed in Information Security. That is, your attitude and mindset towards Information Security, where it fits in your organisation, your industry, your community and the wider world.
What do I mean when I say attitude and mindset? It’s difficult for me to explain, but I believe it’s very much about the how one interprets the inputs of stress, complexity, and urgency that can come with security related incidents. Can you cope well under pressure? Can you triage and focus on the most important task at hand? Can you identify the best skillsets to tackle each subset of the issue at hand and delegate well? Do you feel despondent about not being able to put out ALL the fires at once? Most importantly, how do you view the world and its problems when you look through the lens of cybersecurity? Is it too intimidating? Is it overwhelming? Or, with all that’s going on, is this the spark that drives you to roll up your sleeves, pull out your laptop/notepad, and start…
