See Yourself in Cyber

Chapter 1Introduction and Motivation

I am an imposter.

Many people consider me an expert in cybersecurity, particularly software/application security. Yet, I have no degree in cybersecurity. I have zero security industry certifications. I have never been a cybersecurity practitioner for an enterprise or government agency. So I'm a phony, right? A fraud.

Wrong! Like many of us in this industry, I am mostly self-taught. I leveraged the education and experience I had to build the body of knowledge that has become my own—vast and broad and uniquely “Ed.” Nobody has the experience and education that I do. I have proven myself time and time again. I am a trusted advisor to my clients, I am a speaker at industry conferences, I am a cybersecurity talk show host, and I am a sought-after expert for that very knowledge and experience only I have. I belong.

Many of us in cybersecurity feel conflicted. We feel as if we don't belong because we haven't “earned our stripes” or we lack some technical degree, certification, or hands-on experience. Imposter syndrome is real. But I'm writing this to let you know that you don't need a technical degree or any particular certification or prior hands-on experience before starting your career in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity has hundreds of different types of jobs, both technical and nontechnical. I have many friends and colleagues in cyber (many holding C-level positions) who graduated with degrees in Spanish, finance, philosophy, and other nontechnical/engineering ...