by Lisa Ventura MBE FCIIS, Founder of Cyber Kindness
If you are new to cyber security, there are a few things I wish someone had told me at the start. Consider this the letter I did not get.
You will not know everything, and you never will. The field is enormous and it changes constantly. Nobody you admire knows all of it either. They have just learned to be comfortable saying I am not sure, let me find out.
The pressure to appear certain is one of the quiet traps of this field. Threats move quickly, vendors speak in absolutes and it can feel as though everyone else has read a manual you missed. They have not. Most of what looks like effortless expertise is years of asking, getting things wrong and trying again. Give yourself permission to learn in the open.
Asking questions is a strength. The people who roll their eyes at a question are telling you about their own insecurity, not about your ability. The genuinely expert people I know are almost always the most generous with their time, because they remember not knowing.
Find your people early. A good mentor, a friendly community, a colleague who answers your messages without making you feel small, any of these will carry you a long way. You do not have to navigate this alone, and the people who are worth learning from will be glad you asked.
However you got here, you belong here. A non-linear route into the industry is not a weakness to apologise for. Different backgrounds, different careers and different ways of thinking are exactly what this field needs more of.
Look after the basics while you are at it. This work can pull you in and keep you up at night, sometimes literally. Rest is not a reward you earn once the queue is empty, because the queue is never empty. The people who last in this industry are the ones who learn to protect their own time and energy, not only everyone else’s systems.
You may meet a few gatekeepers, the people who act as though the door should close behind them. Try not to take it to heart. Their behaviour is about them. For every one of them there are many people who will cheer you on, and those are the people worth your energy.
When you do meet kindness in this field, and you will, let it land. Say thank you. Notice who made space for you. One day you will be able to do the same for someone else, and that is how the culture slowly shifts in the right direction.
If you feel like you are making it up as you go, you are in good company. That feeling shows up for people years and even decades in. It is not a sign you do not belong. It is a sign you care about doing well.
Curiosity will take you further than any single certification. The tools and the threats keep changing, so the habit that lasts is the willingness to keep learning. Pick the area that genuinely interests you and follow it, rather than chasing whatever is loudest this week. Depth in something you care about is worth far more than a shallow tour of everything.
One day, sooner than you think, you will be the experienced one in the room. When that happens, remember how this felt. Be the person who answers the question kindly. That is how we change the industry, one welcome at a time.
And finally, always remember, even when you don’t feel like it, that you belong in this industry.
Final Thoughts
If you are at the start of your career in cyber security, hold on to this letter for the days when it feels hard. You were not let in by accident, and you do not have to prove your right to be here. The industry is better with you in it.
If you would ever like encouragement, a friendly ear or a community that believes the same, I would love to hear from you. You can reach me via lisa@cyberkindness.org.uk.
