Naomi Buckwalter — CEO

How we can solve the labor shortage in cybersecurity in fewer than 10 years (and therefore win the war on cybercrime): 🔥🔥 An incomplete list: 1. Entry-level folks should be hired to work on the fundamentals that are often neglected by busy security teams - patching, web filtering, security awareness training, access control, asset management, and change management. Folks hired to do this work require very little hand-holding and can provide a return on investment to their companies within weeks, if not days. 2. Job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed.com should have a clear definition of what qualifies as "entry-level" and remove or reclassify job listings that do not meet this criteria. Companies should only be allowed to post "entry-level" cybersecurity jobs if the jobs do NOT require any previous work experience. Job sites should waive their fees for these entry-level job listings (or else offer a steep discount). 3. Certification bodies like (ISC)², ISACA, and SANS Institute should create certifications specifically for supervisors, managers, and security leaders on how to find, train, and grow junior-level cybersecurity talent. HR leaders should require their security managers to either obtain these certifications or take annual training specific to leading security teams. 4. Government entities like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) should create reusable templates for entry-level cybersecurity job descriptions and interview questions. These templates should focus on the core skills needed to succeed in cybersecurity: Critical Thinking, Emotional Intelligence, Integrity, Work Ethic, Communication, and the Ability to Learn. Companies should use these templates in their own entry-level job descriptions and interviews, with little modification. 5. Businesses should make sure Security does not report to IT. Security should at least be peers with IT, but should ideally report directly to the CEO or Board of Directors, and have its own headcount and budget. 6. Cybersecurity "thought leaders" and "influencers" should use their platforms to showcase the companies and leaders that are investing in the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. The more security leaders see it's okay to "hire someone with no experience", the more security leaders will do the same. We simply need to change what "normal" looks like in our industry. We can do this. We can do this. Break down the gates. 🚀 ** All opinions are my own and do not reflect my employer's **

Stackforce AI infers this person is a cybersecurity leader focused on talent development and organizational strategy.

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Experience: 3 yrs 9 mos