What is The Career Path For a CISO in 2021?

How to Start a Career in Cybersecurity

In today’s episode of Life of a CISO, Dr. Eric Cole answers the question, how does one actually become a CISO?

Many technical cybersecurity professionals think that by working hard and long enough on the technical path, they deserve to be a CISO.

There’s nothing wrong with being a world-class security expert, but becoming a CISO is a different career path.

Listen to this episode to better understand the difference in these two career paths.

0:11 What is the career path for a CISO
0:33 A CISO needs 2 skills: A business and cybersecurity skillset
1:00 An example of these 2 skillsets
3:01 Switching hats
3:51 Notice the difference
4:36 Both sides are fighting, you’re a translator and marriage counselor
6:52 If you think a CISO doesn’t need to know it, you’re not cut out to be a CISO (right now)
8:23 You aren’t creating financials, you just need to understand them
9:12 You need to understand technical language and communicate it
9:41 The three categories of CISOs
11:40 A story about a C-Suite and the CISO
14:19 “What do the executives want to get out of that meeting?”
16:04 Do you really want to be a CISO?
19:54 Assuming you want to be a CISO, most people have a security background, not a business background
22:04 How to nail the interview
25:37 How to move up within your current company
26:45 Keep asking until you get a yes
28:23 Why ask people for advice in positions you don’t want to have?
29:03 First, honest assessment of where you are in business and security
29:40 The two options to go from one to another
30:01 Start within your own company
32:49 You can’t be afraid of the word “no”