Critical touchpoints for cybersecurity professionals

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A weekly delivery of cybersecurity knowledge and inspiration, with exclusive insights from the global Black Hat MEA community. 

This week we’re focused on…

Critical touchpoints that enable cybersecurity professionals to expand their knowledge and stay ahead of emerging threats. 

Why? 

Because we asked Dr. Leila Taghizadeh (CISO, IberoLatAm and Global Head of Cyber Risk at Allianz) what #BHMEA means to her, and she said: 

“In an industry where the landscape is always shifting, Black Hat MEA is a critical touchpoint for staying sharp, informed, and ready for what’s next.”

So what other critical touchpoints can cybersecurity professionals rely on? 

Leila’s words got us thinking: apart from international conferences and events, what are the other areas that cybersecurity professionals can engage with regularly in order to keep learning and stay ahead of the curve? 

We’re going to group these touchpoints into three different categories – and then we want to hear from you. 

1. Keep learning 

Our first category is continuous learning, because when you’re working in a threat landscape that’s evolving all the time, you have to keep evolving too. 

Attending major cybersecurity conferences is one driver of continuous learning. But in between those large-scale events which bring a significant percentage of the global cybersecurity community together in one place, you can:

• Attend smaller workshops and webinars to gather information and build your skills.
• Pursue certifications that validate your existing expertise and expand your skill sets.
• Practise real-world scenarios that you haven’t actually encountered in the real world yet via simulations and hands-on training.

2. Gather information all the time 

As well as developing your broader knowledge and skills, keeping up-to-date with shifts in the threat landscape is essential. To maintain a relevant picture of cybersecurity threats, you can:

• Engage with cybersecurity news and publications, particularly emerging research and open-source tool development.
• Monitor threat intelligence feeds.
• Get involved with online communities that promote information-sharing and collaboration.
• Take the time to analyse recent attacks you’ve seen in the news to understand the tactics threat actors are using right now. 

3. Keep building your network

Global cybersecurity events are a powerful way to build your network and discover opportunities for collaboration. But don’t wait until you’re on the ground at a conference to work on your network – you can create and strengthen relationships with others in the international cybersecurity all the time:

• Engage with peers and potential mentors through professional cybersecurity associations and online communities. If you’re not sure where to start, follow us on LinkedIn – and exchange ideas with other cybersecurity folk in the comment sections of our newsletters and blog posts.
• Get involved in online cybersecurity competitions and Capture the Flag (CTF) contests (read our blog post about why CTF matters).
• Contribute to open-source security projects, and keep an eye out for participation call-outs from cybersecurity researchers who might need your help. 

There’s no end point to career development in cybersecurity 

There’s always more to learn. You’ll never be ‘done’. So make a note of these three categories and commit to doing at least one thing every day to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape through learning, gathering information, and growing your network. 

We want to know what the most important touchpoints are for you when it comes to staying ahead of the curve. Open this newsletter on LinkedIn and tell us in the comment section. 

Do you have an idea for a topic you'd like us to cover? We're eager to hear it! Drop us a message and share your thoughts. Our next newsletter is scheduled for 16 October 2024.

Catch you next week,
Steve Durning
Exhibition Director

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