What can we established cybersecurity practitioners ACTUALLY do to help those new in the field besides blathering back and forth about the problem in the echo chamber that is LinkedIn?

Drew got the clever idea of inviting three folks who are brand new to the field or barely started on their cyber journey, and, get this: ASKING them what they're experiencing and what they need! Clever, huh? It's an eye-opening show for a CISO.

We are join on this week's episode by Amé Venter, May Ferreira, and Bryce Hill, who share their perspectives from their early stages in this field. It's a sobering perspective.

To a certain extent, they've all been lied to and led on, and that's all of our faults.

Key takeaways:

Prodsec/Appsec might get you out of being a cost center in cybersecurity, but no intro programs seem to show folks how to get there.
Certs aren't enough. Education is not enough. It is HARD to get started.
Internships sound great, but even after you have secured one or two of them, entry-level positions remain elusive. Especially "entry-level" positions that require experience.
Innovative programs like the one Bobby Ford is doing over at Hewlett Packard Enterprise are a huge leg up, but such programs are few and far between.
There are a lot of folks standing outside the doors to our industry who were told this was the promised land. But there they are, still standing and peering in, waiting for an invitiation.

CISOs, please listen to this show. Please re-think your hiring strategies!

Y'all be good now!

My mind is a sanctuary of gentle peace