Matt Christensen

Table top exercise a real scenario with real financial impact. Identify the core services that are tied to financial revenues and identify daily revenues. Multiple that by 3-4 weeks min if ransomware is your scenario. Then start asking the questions…. Are you pulling from reserves or taking out lines of credit? Are you going to wait until an unknown and often overestimated timeline to restore services or pivot to a different provider? What other impacts do you have when revenue stops?

One of the best ways to network is simply to give back first so your focus is on others not yourself. - Share something actionable on LinkedIn. Take time to write it. Make it meaningful. - Say yes to speaking engagements - Take someone to a purposeful lunch - Send a simple IM or text - Have genuine and constant touch bases with those you admire - don’t just reach out when the fan gets hit. - Read books on networking and practice. It’s a craft. You can’t mimic others or it ends up being disingenuous. - Introverts are some of the best at it because it’s not loud and proud. Don’t feel disadvantaged if you’re in this group. You know you’ve hit the right level when you keep the discussions going at the right cadence. Think Goldilocks.

Do the unexpected. The ones that shine and get the attention (early promotion): - show up early - ask smart questions - take on projects or tasks that tenured employees are “too busy” - speak up confidently - don’t label yourself as an intern but as a valued contributor - fail often, fail fast - don’t worry about credit - hard work is self-evident - anticipate needs and act - provide regular, measurable updates w/o being asked - ask for feedback and act on said feedback - smile and don’t take yourself too serious Lastly, be the intern you would want to have work for you down the road. Treat your peers, leaders and especially the admins with respect. I’ve seen interns become their peers’ boss more than once 😁

Master the cybersecurity fundamentals and you’ll know what threats to address, controls to implement, or most importantly, what questions and who to ask to address modern attacks. Few cyber professionals will have depth and breadth of all domains but those that make lasting impact have generally mastered the fundamentals.

Find ways to consistently solve problems that help your leader and your leaders leader. Take on the neglected projects…the ones no one wants or the ones that have failed. Be patient and understanding. It might be justified and warranted and may not come with no fault of your upline. Sometimes if negotiations are unsuccessful, interviewing at other orgs can affirm if you are worth more than your current salary. Before jumping ship, consider your total compensation: salary, benefits, match, pension, pto, flex work, etc. the grass is not always greener.

Shift or eliminate some of the educational requirements for certain positions. Not every role in cyber needs a tech degree to get the job done. Personally, I’ve seen amazing talent come through that fills the shortage need. As their leader, I always push them to still get their undergrad which they almost always do. They just needed a company and manager willing ti give them experience.