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Quote I Live By
“We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.” – Epictetus

As a VET, I got into cyber…in 1988 when I was an Ensign in the Navy. An Ensign is the lowest ranking commissioned officer in the Navy, and on board a ship Ensigns lead a group of enlisted men that make up what is called a Division. I was asked to lead the Automatic Data Processing (or ADP) division. This division managed and operated the mainframe computers that support the fire control systems for guns and missiles.

On my ship, these computers had the nascent ability to communicate with other ships’ computers to organize a group defense against incoming missiles or planes. Because of this communication capability there were always concerns about the bad guys intercepting the communication. Because of this, we implemented encryption to protect the communication. I was very intrigued by the ability to protect data, and with the recent development of the personal computer, I started to see the protection of data as a viable career path inside or outside of the Navy.

For me, a positive cyber mindset is…made up of a few key attributes. First is the attribute of being thirsty for knowledge. The cyber industry is in constant change, and being thirsty for learning allows one to stay informed and knowledgeable of the latest technology.

Second is the attribute of being risk aware. Gone are the days when we can be risk averse and lock systems and applications down to the point of them losing the economies of scale (such as cloud computing brings). Today we must be aware that there are certain risk tradeoffs that allow entities to operate in a risk acceptable environment.

Lastly, is the attribute of cybersecurity being a habit. Cybersecurity is not an “act” that one accomplishes and can move on. Cybersecurity must become an ongoing “habit” that one deploys constantly such as brushing your teeth and combing your hair.

The skill that set me up for success…is the ability to translate very technical information into a message that a person in a leadership position can understand and get the “so what”. Too often our smartest folks in the cybersecurity world talk “inside baseball” and use terms that, one, leadership doesn’t understand, and, two, don’t get to the point of relaying what action is needed on the part of leadership. By having this translation ability, I have been able to become a trusted advisor at the C-suite and with clients.

My top tip to those interested in transitioning to a career in cybersecurity is…to invest in yourself and get one of the common cyber certifications. The Security + certification offered by COMPTIA is one of the best for early entrants into the field of cybersecurity. This top tip is followed closely by becoming connected to cyber organizations and sites on social media. The social media pages put out a lot of great information that helps one stay current but also learn.

The quotes I live by are:

” Try not to become a person of success, but rather, try to become a person of value.” – Albert Einstein.

“We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.” –Epictetus (Greek Stoic Philosopher)

I am a studier of the Stoic philosophy in life and try to practice their tenants as routine. Epictetus lays down the main tenant of stoicism when he states that one cannot always control external circumstances, but one can always control how one responds to the circumstance. This is not an easy path in life and requires practice and determination.

By following this tenant one can be seen as “calm under fire” or “focused” when the environment around them is torrid. Albert Einstein’s quote above speaks to a stepping stone in a stoic way of life. Too often we set our goals on becoming successful. But how is success defined or measured? If instead we set our goals to become a person who is valued by a team, boss, company, etc. Value becomes much more tangible and definable.

Disclaimer: This is solely the opinion of Stu Wharton and comments do not represent NTT DATA.