Non-technical skills needed in Cybersecurity.
Are you also confused about how to apply for your first job in Cybersecurity with no IT background?
Whether you are a lawyer, customer service representative, writer, or whatever non-tech field you work in — this could be helpful.
Seven months have passed since I started my cybersecurity course and five months since I joined CyberSafe Foundation. So far, my experience has been bittersweet:) One morning, I woke up crying about how overwhelming Cybersecurity actually is, and how I can’t continue. If you have doubts, this is your cue to continue since we are all on this journey together.
Our curriculum included soft skills training that you will need to succeed as a cybersecurity expert. My learning path was enjoyable, but I was stuck when we were asked to create a professional CV for an internship position in cybersecurity. Those who read my blogs probably understand why I felt stuck, but if you’ve not been reading, I’m a customer experience specialist with a degree in Arts and Humanities. As our facilitator called for one more meeting with us, I had the opportunity to ask him for assistance. I also reach out to cybersecurity professionals on Twitter since I figure this isn’t just a problem for me.
While you might not be very well versed in in-depth concepts and implementation of Cybersecurity, having some years of experience as a customer service professional has its advantages. I have worked as a customer service representative and customer experience professional for three years. I initially struggled to see how this was relevant to me as I transitioned into cybersecurity. However, my mentors and facilitators helped me see how it would be very helpful. In my role as a CX specialist, I have acquired the following skills;
Empathy
Among your core duties as a cybersecurity professional is to protect people from cybercriminals. You can empathize with your clients when you understand their pain and how they process thoughts and emotions. This is essential for social engineering. People are what we are supposed to protect, and you can protect people/organizations when you understand their product and the risks they are exposed to. In a different article, I’ll discuss social engineering, but as a cybersecurity professional, you may be asked to simulate phishing attacks against users. After which you will organise and recommend the training to lecture them on how they can detect this kind of attack.
Writing
As far as this is concerned, I think I shouldn’t say much because cybersecurity professionals are big on blogging about cyber safety. So, if you’re a writer, please join us…lol. As a security expert, you’ll write many reports on your work. As a pentester, you’ll write reports on your work: the object of the pentest, the tools you used, vulnerabilities you found, and the remediation you recommend. Your writing skills can also be put to practical use as a technical writer in the cyber security field. Being a writer opens up so many possibilities.
Knowledge of Escalating path
Customer experience specialists routinely escalate customers’ complaints and feedback to the appropriate departments to ensure we are constantly improving our products and services. In cybersecurity, this can be a vital skill; as a tier one security analyst, it will be your responsibility to monitor security events received through alerts from SIEM, and revise alerts escalated by end users and suspicious activities before elevating them to your superiors; and as a pen tester, it will be your responsibility to recommend solutions based on your findings.
Attention to details
The ability to detect vulnerabilities and risks of cyber breaches requires you to be extremely vigilant and detail-oriented. It is important to pay close attention to details as a lawyer so you can make the best decisions for your clients, and this skill is extremely valuable when it comes to cybersecurity.
Teamwork
Being able to work with other people will always be an important part of most tech jobs. Teamwork is a key skill required in a cybersecurity team, or the capacity to effectively collaborate and achieve common goals. In addition to being effective at solving problems, teamwork ensures overall sustainability for the team and the company as a whole. The key to moving a team forward is knowing the specific pain points and being dedicated to addressing these pain points together.
Additionally, I’d like to mention that I am a beginner in the field of cybersecurity, so all the information here is based on my research and the questions I asked professionals. Thank you for reading. I hope it was helpful. Also, you can mention relevant skills that a beginner in cybersecurity should learn.
