Cybersecurity is something we all take for granted when it works and get fearful of what it means when it doesn’t.
Our National Cybersecurity Advisor, Mark Jackson (MJ), has answered a few questions from behind the server about what his job entails and what you can achieve from a career in cyber…
What’s the best advice you can give to help plan a career in cybersecurity?
MJ: Be curious and be creative. Cyber security is about a mindset and a way of looking at things, whether that’s from the point of view of figuring out how something works through to getting in to the mindset of the adversary and finding the ways that something could be broken. It all starts with being curious and if I was hiring somebody, I’d be looking for that curiosity and creativity ahead of most other things.
What’s one thing you do that nobody ever gets to see?
MJ: In a lot of ways, most of what we do in cyber is invisible, and that’s how it should be. People only tend to be aware of things when they go wrong and bad things start to happen. A good day in the world of cybersecurity is when nothing happens and folks can just get on with what they want to do.
What’s the biggest misconception about your job?
MJ: When people think ‘cyber’ they almost immediately think that I spend my days breaking into computer systems. I do have a strong technical background which helps me a lot in my job today, but the world of cyber is so much broader than just the technology. Ultimately, cyber security issues affect real things in real ways and so it’s really important to be able to translate the technobabble in to business speak. Most chief executives don’t care about the latest malware threat, but they do care if their business is unable to function.
Tell us one of your career highlights?
MJ: Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to visit a lot of very interesting buildings that many people will never get to see but my highlight must be visiting No10 Downing Street. I had to go onsite to support their IT staff with a demonstration of a Cisco security solution. Needless to say, I managed to grab a picture in front of this iconic door to show my Mum!
What advice do you have for someone new to the industry?
MJ: Find a mentor, or two! In my experience, people that work in cyber are incredibly collaborative and want to help, whether that’s helping new people joining the industry, or just help solve a problem. I have had various mentors throughout my career and they have really helped guide me and be a sounding board when I’ve needed to chat through a complex problem. Build a solid network from the outset and you won’t go too far wrong.
Learn more about cybersecurity at Cisco here, or sign up for one of our courses in the Networking Academy here.
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