If you want to learn more about cybersecurity, it’s always a good idea to turn to the experts in the field for insight. On these pages, we will be presenting insights from a variety of information security experts, each of whom has their own unique combination of education, experience and know-how. Below are summaries of some of the more detailed information, legends of cybersecurity, and expert insights that you will find on the pages of CybersecurityEducationGuides.org.
Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4, has more than 18 years of experience in the medical, defense, and aerospace manufacturing fields. He notes that having a degree is a must if you want to work in the private sector. Part of his valuable insights includes the advice to train and test for cybersecurity industry certifications if you want to qualify for jobs within the Department of Defense. As he himself holds 13 such certifications, he notes that the following certifications can be the most valuable to cybersecurity professionals wishing to work for the Department of Defense:
- (ISC)2 certifications:
- CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional)
- CSSLP (Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional)
- CISSP (Certified Information System Security Professional)
- CISSP-ISSMP (Information Systems Security Management Professional)
- CISSP-ISSAP (Information Systems Security Architecture Professional)
- CISSP-ISSEP (Information Systems Security Engineering Professional)
- SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner)
- CompTIA certifications:
- A+
- Network+
- CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst)
- CASP+ (Advanced Security Practitioner)
- CISCO certifications:
- CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)
- GIAC certifications:
- GICSP (Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional)
- GSEC (Security Essentials)
- GCIH (GIAC Certified Incident Handler)
- ISACA certifications:
- CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)
Kevin Hawkins, information technology professor and SQL database administrator at Humana Health Insurance, notes the value of experience along with education. He advises cybersecurity students to gain all of the experience they can in any way they can. There is no substitute for hands-on experience.
Bruce Schneier, cryptographer, computer security professional, privacy specialist and writer is a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School as well as a program fellow at the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute. He writes a popular cybersecurity blog, Schneier on Security, and calls himself a public-interest technologist working at the intersection of security, technology and people.
Eric Corley, also known by his pen name, Emmanuel Goldstein, is one of the most famous cybersecurity hackers in the world. Corley directs a nonprofit organization, 2600 Enterprises, Inc. and publishes a magazine, 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. In addition, he hosts the hacker convention Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE). He has testified before Congress to uphold the fact that computer code is free speech and should therefore be protected from censorship. Although he lost his legal claim, he won by bringing attention to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Eugene Kaspersky is a Russian cybersecurity expert and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, an information technology security company. He created an antivirus engine that has served as the foundation for products from other security vendors worldwide.
Jeff Moss founded the Black Hat and Defcon hacker conferences, which allow agents from the National Security Agency (NSA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to mix with those who create malware and steal cyber data.
Peiter Zatko, also known as Mudge, is a network security expert who was the most prominent member of the hacker think tank L0pht. Although his education is in music, he discovered some of the first vulnerabilities in code and was able to exploit them.
Tsutomu Shimomura is a Japanese-born American physicist and computer security expert best known for helping the FBI track and arrest hacker Kevin Mitnick. He wrote a book about his experience, called Takedown, in 1996, which was later turned into a movie, Track Down, in 2000.
Kevin Mitnick is a convicted hacker who was arrested in 1995 who now runs Mitnick Security Consulting, LLC, and is also Chief Hacking Officer and part owner of the security awareness training company KnowBe4.
Also within the following pages:
- In an interesting piece, we will examine how cybercriminals are leveraging the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. The article also notes that Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has disappeared and is now thought to have been a group, not an individual (Satoshi Nakamoto translates to “central intelligence”).
- We will look at the soft skills that are necessary in order to succeed in a cybersecurity career in the article It Takes More Than Technical Skills to Make A Name for Yourself in the Cybersecurity Field. Expert Erich Kron notes here that being able to work as part of a team, writing well and effectively, interpersonal communication and people skills, and excellent speaking skills are all vital to succeeding in cybersecurity.
We present a piece that examines The Myth of Enterprise Data Security. This article discusses how employees can be the weakest link in a company’s security system, and the importance of basic cybersecurity training for all employees of any organizations.
Top Cybersecurity Experts to Follow in 2020
In addition to the expert insights that we have presented here, there are more whom you should be following now. If you want to keep on top of cybersecurity and technology, experts that you should consider keeping tabs on include:
- David Linthicum is chief cloud strategy officer at Deloitte Consulting and has written over 5000 articles and 13 books. Apollo Research named him the number one cloud influencer. He has created courses at Lynda.com, blogs at InfoWorld, or you can follow him on Twitter.
- Jeff Barr, who founded Amazon Web Services in 2006 (AWS) and blogs at both AWS and Medium, as well as maintains a pretty active feed on Twitter.
- Graham Cluley is a cybersecurity expert from Britain who has blogged and written against cybercrime since the 1990s. The author of Dr. Solomon’s Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows, Cluley can be followed on Twitter, via his personal blog, or on his Smashing Security podcast.
- Lydia Leong, who has worked in all three of Gartner’s major research divisions during the course of her career and currently holds the title of Distinguished VP and Analyst with Gartner for Technical Professionals (GTP). Follow her on Twitter.
- Jeremiah Grossman is the founder of White Hat Security, a founding member of the Web Application Security Consortium (WASC), and chief of Security Strategy at SentinelOne. Follow him on Twitter, via his YouTube channel, or via his website, JeremiahGrossman.com.
- Melissa Elliott is a fantasy fiction writer and application security researcher at Veracode who calls herself an “Infosec supervillain.” Follow her on Twitter.
- Mikko Hypponen is one of the most often followed cybersecurity industry leaders. PC Magazine named him as one of the 50 Most Influential People. He is Chief Research Officer at F-Secure, writes and speaks, and consults on information security matters with several governments. You can follow him on Twitter, Ted.com and via his website, MikkoHypponen.com.
- Shira Rubinoff is one of the most influential female cybersecurity experts today. The co-founder and president of Green Armor Solutions and president of SecureMySocial, Rubinoff talks about human-facing cybersecurity on Twitter.