97 Things Every Information Security Professional Should Know

Chapter 51. Lessons Learned: Cybersecurity Road Trip

Mansi Thakar

Over the span of 26 days, I traveled 3,600 miles in a bright green RV to interview 15 trailblazers as part of a PBS documentary, Life Hackers. Here are a few snippets from the trip, to keep you going even when the road is less traveled.

Myth Versus Reality

Our first interview was with Christina Morillo, the author of this book! A question that was near to my heart was regarding balance. It has been a common theme in my life—whether it’s balancing two different cultures or two different fields of study. Her reply to how to achieve balance, especially since cybersecurity isn’t a 9-to-5 job, was simply, “Balance is BS.” There was no such thing as achieving balance; Morillo’s perspective was that you have to prioritize and compromise.

Unleash Your Growth

As the youngest in my graduate program where most others come with 30+ years of experience (I haven’t even lived 30 years on this planet yet), I often feel a bit of a wall between myself and them. However, Rohan Amin, the CISO of JP Morgan Chase and Co., shed light that with persistence and truly developing a niche for yourself, everything else comes into line. He continued to say that cybersecurity is a field of problem solving, so pick a problem and immerse yourself into it.

Michael Echols, former Director at the US Department of Homeland Security, provided a different ...