The cybersecurity profession is suffering from a peculiarly positive perception problem: People outside the industry view the job with such high regard that it seems beyond their reach as a viable career option for themselves. The newly released 2020 (ISC)² Cybersecurity Perception Study, which polled 2,500 people across the U.S. and the U.K. who are not working in the cybersecurity field, found that the traditional image of cybersecurity professionals as mysterious characters working in the shadows has been replaced by one of smart, talented people and the “good guys fighting cybercrime.” It’s a welcome change for those in the industry who work every day to protect organizational data and keep us safe. The reason for the reticence in joining the

Remote working is here to stay The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to our lives: social distancing, face masks, and WFH (work from home). Based on health scientists’ advice to protect society and driven by the need to maintain business continuity, private and public sector organizations have directed their employees to work from home. The change in work habits is enormous: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 29 percent of Americans were able to work from home before the COVID-19 era. However, remote working is here to stay. According to a recent Gartner survey, 74% of enterprises intend to maintain at least 5% of staff in permanent remote work employment, while 17% of the respondents said that

As published in the July/August 2020 edition of InfoSecurity Professional Magazine By Michael M. Hanna, CISSP Defenders of the cyber domain carry a significant weight because of the demands placed upon them. In addition to the technical skills needed to protect companies and entire communities, cybersecurity professionals must have the know-how to protect information systems and data that support national security requirements, critical infrastructure and/or sensitive customer details. Our actions directly serve to protect and sup-port our families, significant others, friends and colleagues. These responsibilities surely carry a weight for us all and incur considerable stress. How could they not? The stressors we experience on a daily basis can influence our well-being, on and off the job. Compound these daily

As published in the July/August 2020 edition of InfoSecurity Professional Magazine By Deborah Johnson How to stay sane and manage stress during a most unusual time, no matter where you live and work. Every day, cybersecurity professionals face pressure, from the daily demands of protecting data and people’s privacy to the worst-case scenarios of a breach’s financial and reputational repercussions. That’s nothing we didn’t already know. But what’s changed in the past six months is the level and severity of those demands since the world’s response to COVID-19 required companies, citizens and cybersecurity professionals to abruptly pivot in almost all ways. Managing added levels of stress takes some internal assessment: What’s causing it? What can I do about it? Do I need

The (ISC)² Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP) certification has earned a place in a list of 10 IT certifications with the most increased value over the past year. Researcher Foote Partners collected compensation data from more than 3,300 employers in the U.S. and Canada to compile the list as part of its 2020 IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index report. The index calculates certification value based on the percentage of salary that accounts for a certification. CSSLP holders earn 13% on top of their base salary, according to the research. The index gives holders – or those planning to earn the certification – information based on actual market value about how much a certification is truly worth. Its place