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When trying to handle a cybersecurity talent shortage at your business, a critical question typically arises. Do you provide SecOps training to your current employees or simply source and hire new candidates? Of course, the continued high demand for experienced cyber professionals makes upskilling an easier choice in many cases.

With a goal of preventing a cybersecurity skills gap at your company, check out these upskilling pros and cons. Use this information to inform your staffing plans now and in the future. In the end, a mixture of training and new hires just might provide the best solution for you.

Upskilling Your Current Employees in Cybersecurity

Any single employee might be the weak point allowing a cyber attack on your company’s technical infrastructure. This remains the major reason to provide SecOps training to your entire staff. Cybersecurity awareness across the organization plays a key role in protecting all corporate IT assets. Relevant training topics include creating strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and recognizing phishing emails.

At the same time, your technical staff needs even more rigorous training. This is especially the case with developers and network administrators. Your company’s internal software and network are the front line in your SecOps defenses. Ensure these employees get the right training, even to the point of earning a certification.

The Additional Benefits of Upskilling

Investing in the professional development of your employees by upskilling them in cybersecurity provides other important benefits. Simply allowing them to improve their skill set boosts employee morale and subsequently their productivity. Considering the importance the modern tech employee places on receiving training, expect your company’s retention rate to also improve. Ultimately, it’s the right approach for boosting your SecOps posture and helping retain your talent.

Upskilling Doesn’t Replace the Need For Experienced SecOps Talent

While providing your employees with cybersecurity training remains a great idea, you still likely need experienced SecOps professionals. Unfortunately, with the demand still high, expect a difficult search process for the cyber talent your company needs. While remote working widens your candidate pool, the competition remains fierce.

In this scenario, partnering with a staffing agency focused on cybersecurity professionals makes perfect sense. The best agencies provide the talented candidates you need to protect your organization’s tech infrastructure. They already vet any candidates; helping to streamline your company’s staffing process.

Why Choose Redbud?

At Redbud Cyber, we understand the importance of having a well-equipped cybersecurity workforce. Our expertise in recruiting and consulting, paired with a deep understanding of the cyber landscape, positions us as your go-to partner in building a skilled and resilient cybersecurity team. We provide not just top talent but also strategic insights to enhance your cybersecurity programs. Let us help you build a team that can safeguard your organization against evolving threats.

As one of the top SecOps employment agencies in the country, we provide great candidates interested in protecting your company’s technical assets. Schedule a meeting with us at your earliest convenience,

Your well-crafted résumé and cover letter earned you an interview for an intriguing cybersecurity position. Now the real work begins, as you need to prepare and practice for the big day. After all, a great performance gives you the best chance at that coveted job offer.

With an eye towards nailing your next SecOps job interview, check out these tips to improve your performance. Ultimately, your preparation needs to include significant research and at least a few hours of interview practice. Let’s take a closer look at the details to ensure you receive that job offer!

A Professional Appearance is a Must

Whether an interview is in-person or virtual you need to make a positive impression on the interviewer. This means dressing in a professional fashion even if the company has a casual dress policy. Also remember to spend extra time on your hygiene. Don’t forget the fact that first impressions truly matter, especially during a job interview.

Research Your Own Résumé

Before the interview, spend time researching the contents of your résumé. Pay special attention to your technical and soft skills, in addition to your professional history. Expect to be asked to provide more detail on project work matching the requirements of the open position.

Additionally, if you list a technical skill or SecOps tool on your résumé, a question or two on either is likely. Researching this information puts that content at the forefront of your mind. This approach lets you answer clearly and confidently when asked.

Also Research the Company Where You are Interviewing

You also need to research the company with whom you are interviewing. Find out about their history, current project work, and their executive team. When prompted to ask your own question during the interview, use this information to show off your studying effort. It highlights the fact that you are truly interested in their position.

Practicing Your Interview Techniques is Critical

Take some time to practice the interview with a friend or trusted colleague. If it’s a virtual interview, conduct the practice using video conferencing software. This lets you vet the quality of your camera, microphone, and home office lighting. Be sure to fix any issues before the big day. Once again, making a professional impression on the interviewer raises your chances at a job offer.

Why Choose Redbud?

At Redbud Cyber, we understand the importance of having a well-equipped cybersecurity workforce. Our expertise in recruiting and consulting, paired with a deep understanding of the cyber landscape, positions us as your go-to partner in building a skilled and resilient cybersecurity team. We provide not just top talent but also strategic insights to enhance your cybersecurity programs. Let us help you build a team that can safeguard your organization against evolving threats.

As one of the top SecOps employment agencies in the country, we provide great candidates interested in protecting your company’s technical assets. Schedule a meeting with us at your earliest convenience,

The rise of cryptocurrencies and associated technologies like blockchain continue to disrupt businesses in multiple industry sectors. While many technology organizations worry about the security of blockchain, others feel it helps protect businesses. Still, as with any still maturing IT innovation, new blockchain opportunities abound for SecOps companies and professionals.

The bottom line is simple. Companies continue to invest billions in new systems based on blockchain technology. Notably, the amount of those investments is increasing in an exponential fashion. So let’s take a closer look at blockchain and its influence on the world of cybersecurity.

Blockchain Offers Some Measure of Cyber Protection

Blockchain’s function as a digital ledger provides a measure of protection from cybercriminals in specific areas. Ed Powers, Deloitte’s U.S. Cyber Risk Lead, commented the use of blockchain in SecOps. “While still nascent, there is promising innovation in blockchain towards helping enterprises tackle immutable Cyber Risk challenges such as digital identities and maintaining data integrity,” said Powers. This functionality is one reason businesses in finance and securities trading are investing in blockchain applications.

Still, Deloitte feels the technology itself offers no substitute for strong cybersecurity practices and procedures. In fact, they recommend any new blockchain projects include typical SecOps controls protecting the system, data, and network infrastructure. Nevertheless, synergies exist between blockchain and cybersecurity especially when it comes to digital identification.

How Does Blockchain Help Cybersecurity?

As a digital ledger with tight controls on access, blockchain tracks every change made to itself. This tracking includes the digital ID of any entity making a change as well as the timestamp. The underlying data describing each change is immutable. This tracking data also helps cybersecurity analysts determine the nature of any cyberattack.

Additionally, the distributed nature of a blockchain means multiple copies of the data are stored in different locations. If one data copy becomes corrupted, simply restore any of the other copies to the corrupted database. This blockchain feature helps achieve data integrity as well as becoming critical during disaster recovery scenarios.

The strong digital identification aspects of blockchain also provide some protection against identity theft. The digital blockchain process requires computer control of any access authentication; helping keep cybercriminals out. Ultimately, the use of blockchain technology enhances the protection of data and associated systems, especially in the financial sector.

Why Choose Redbud?

At Redbud Cyber, we understand the importance of having a well-equipped cybersecurity workforce. Our expertise in recruiting and consulting, paired with a deep understanding of the cyber landscape, positions us as your go-to partner in building a skilled and resilient cybersecurity team. We provide not just top talent but also strategic insights to enhance your cybersecurity programs. Let us help you build a team that can safeguard your organization against evolving threats.

As a cybersecurity professional, you probably enjoy the fact companies want your skills and experience. This high demand for your services means any job search is likely to be a successful one. Still, you need to craft a great résumé that clearly details what you bring to any interested employer.

So here’s a list of useful tips for writing a résumé that stands out from the rest of the candidates. After all, a successful job search requires you to attract interest from hiring managers. Following this advice means a great new cybersecurity position is soon to be yours.

A Clear and Concise Approach is a Must

Hiring managers sometimes deal with over a hundred résumés for an open technology position. Because of this, they only get around a minute or two for an initial glance at your qualifications. This is even the case for SecOps jobs.

So make sure your résumé is clearly laid out, with bullet points highlighting your technical skills. Try to use the hottest keywords to help HR personnel find you using search. Use your cover letter to go into more detail; supporting the content of your CV.

Highlight The Tangible Experience Throughout Your Career

The professional history section of your résumé gives you a chance to show the impact you made for previous employers. Power verbs work well for this purpose. For example: “Reduced unauthorized access to company’s database server farm by 98.4 percent.”

That sentence also illustrates your tangible impact by including a percentage. Use facts and figures in this manner for a more effective résumé. This approach is sure to leave a positive impression on the hiring manager. As a cybersecurity professional, you probably boast many impactful examples throughout your career easily explainable using numbers.

Personalize The Résumé for The Open Position in Question

Following the previous tips makes for a great online version of your résumé. Also, post it on your LinkedIn account. But when applying for a certain position, make it a point to personalize your CV specifically for that job.

Look at the job descriptions and requirements for the open position. Use this information when crafting the examples in your work history; trying to find scenarios matching the company’s needs. Also, emphasize your technology skills in a similar matter. This approach pays dividends whenever you find an IT position of your dreams.

Why Choose Redbud?

At Redbud Cyber, we understand the importance of having a well-equipped cybersecurity workforce. Our expertise in recruiting and consulting, paired with a deep understanding of the cyber landscape, positions us as your go-to partner in building a skilled and resilient cybersecurity team. We provide not just top talent but also strategic insights to enhance your cybersecurity programs. Let us help you build a team that can safeguard your organization against evolving threats.

As one of the top SecOps employment agencies in the country, we provide great candidates interested in protecting your company’s technical assets. Schedule a meeting with us at your earliest convenience,

Many tech companies continue to make a determined effort to employ a diverse workforce. The reasons for this newfound staffing approach are numerous. Of course, building a welcoming office culture matters ethically. However, cybersecurity companies especially benefit in significant ways from embracing diversity when it comes to their strategic hiring.

After all, as cyber threats themselves become more diverse, insights from different points of view help effectively combat them. In short, fostering inclusivity in your staffing ends up improving the efficiency of your company’s SecOps efforts. So let’s take a closer look at why diversity matters in cybersecurity.

A Diverse Workforce Fosters Diverse Thinking

Successfully fighting hackers ultimately requires a multi-faceted approach. A homogeneous SecOps team simply doesn’t have the broad experiences to do an effective job. Cybersecurity strategist, Adenike Cosgrove commented on this issue for Infosecurity Magazine.

“How can we really expect a cybersecurity team that is homogeneous in its make-up, its thinking and its decision-making to protect an employee-base comprising a wide variety of ages, genders, and social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds?” said Cosgrove. It’s also important to consider the cybercriminal community tends to be diverse.

Understanding the Employees Cybercriminals Target

A recent study reveals phishing or other email-based attacks typically target lower-level employees, as opposed to executives. In fact, many are aimed at generic email addresses where two-factor authentication is difficult to implement. These attacks become dangerous since multiple employees at lower job levels receive a significant portion of the bogus emails.

Notably, this group of employees tends to be quite diverse. It’s a major reason why employing cybersecurity pros with varying backgrounds makes sense. Ultimately, this team offers the wide perspective necessary to craft an effective approach for protecting the company’s technical assets.

Building a Cybersecurity Team With Diverse Backgrounds

If your company foregoes diversity when building its SecOps team, expect a narrow-minded approach to detecting threats. Your team needs cyber professionals with decades of IT experience, as well as those fresh out of college. This diverse approach to hiring must also take into account gender, race, ethnic, and educational backgrounds.

Recent studies note that diverse teams make better decisions more quickly. This same concept also applies to the IT and SecOps community. It’s definitely something to consider before your next cyber security staffing effort.

Why Choose Redbud?

At Redbud Cyber, we understand the importance of having a well-equipped cybersecurity workforce. Our expertise in recruiting and consulting, paired with a deep understanding of the cyber landscape, positions us as your go-to partner in building a skilled and resilient cybersecurity team. We provide not just top talent but also strategic insights to enhance your cybersecurity programs. Let us help you build a team that can safeguard your organization against evolving threats.

Technology professionals experienced in cybersecurity remain the Holy Grail for many companies in today’s job market. The reasons for this high demand largely relate to the continued growth of the eCommerce economy. Frankly, innumerable financial transactions make for an attractive target to hackers and other cybercriminals.

If your company struggles to source and hire talented cybersecurity professionals, you aren’t alone. A rewarding effort requires planning, persistence, and the right connections in the industry. So let’s take a closer look at how to ensure your organization hires the talent it needs.

Why are Cyber Professionals Difficult to Source?

We previously noted the growth of eCommerce as a major driver in the demand for professionals experienced in cybersecurity. Mobile technology also contributes, considering the proliferation of devices able to be hacked. The IoT also plays a role, with offices and factories both increasing their number of Internet-connected devices. Of course, data privacy and government edicts to protect data matter as well.

The bottom line is simple. Your company needs a focused effort when sourcing cybersecurity talent. A two-pronged approach covering both your long-term and short-term needs is a wise strategy to implement.

Craft an Internship Program as a Source For Cybersecurity Talent

Developing an internship program with a local college or trade school provides one source of cybersecurity employees. Obviously, these won’t be experienced professionals when first beginning their internships. Upon their graduation date, however, your company can hire an IT pro with months of experience securing your technical infrastructure.

Over time, expect this program to become a valuable source for talent. It provides the means to meet your company’s long-term hiring needs in cybersecurity and potentially other technical disciplines.

Partner With an IT Staffing Agency Focused on Cybersecurity

Still, most companies don’t have three to five years to wait for their internship program to begin paying dividends. For your immediate cybersecurity hiring needs, consider forging a partnership with a technical staffing agency focused on this discipline. This approach provides a direct pipeline to experienced talent for your organization.

Why Choose Redbud?

At Redbud Cyber, we understand the importance of having a well-equipped cybersecurity workforce. Our expertise in recruiting and consulting, paired with a deep understanding of the cyber landscape, positions us as your go-to partner in building a skilled and resilient cybersecurity team. We provide not just top talent but also strategic insights to enhance your cybersecurity programs. Let us help you build a team that can safeguard your organization against evolving threats.

As one of the top SecOps employment agencies in the country, we provide great candidates interested in protecting your company’s technical assets. Schedule a meeting with us at your earliest convenience.

Phishing attacks remain a scourge throughout the business world as well as among the public. Unethical hackers leverage this technique to gain credentials to company infrastructures, home networks, bank accounts, and more. With remote working now commonplace, corporate network perimeters greatly expanded. Preventing this type of cyber-attack becomes even more critical as a result.

As the nature of phishing attacks regularly evolves, the means for preventing them also change. So take heed of these latest 2024 insights on this vital form of cybersecurity protection. Ultimately, they play an important role in protecting your company’s IT assets in the office and from home.

Ensure Your Cybersecurity Software is Regularly Updated

A robust SecOps footprint includes antivirus software, spam filtering, and firewall protection. They play a key role in preventing phishing emails from reaching your employees. However, you need to ensure all these components get updated on a regular basis.

This approach provides protection both at the office and on the home networks of your remote employees. It also applies to any mobile devices used by your employees when traveling. Of course, regular software updates are essential for any other applications used by your organization. It remains a key piece of any business’s overall cybersecurity strategy.

Leverage Encryption and VPNs For Remote Workers

Data encryption and virtual private networks help ensure remote workers stay protected from the adverse effects of phishing emails. In fact, most high-end VPN options include baked-in encryption as part of their functionality. Since employees working from home must access corporate technical infrastructures, they make attractive targets for cybercriminals. As such, this form of SecOps protection remains critical.

Increase Employee Awareness of Phishing Emails

Each employee must know how to recognize a phishing email or a suspicious URL. Thus, your company needs to take a proactive approach toward increasing employee awareness of these types of cyber threats. Get your SecOps team to develop a set of best practices for protecting home networks from cybercrime. Include relevant knowledge on creating strong passwords as well as protecting against phishing emails and similar types of cyberattacks.

Create Strong BYOD and MDM Policies

As noted earlier, employees use smartphones and other mobile devices to access company IT resources. Because of this, you must have strong BYOD and MDM policies in place. Require updated mobile antivirus and other cybersecurity software as part of this policy.

If your organization needs to add cybersecurity talent, connect with the team at Redbud Cyber. As one of the top SecOps staffing agencies in the country, we provide experienced candidates able to protect your IT infrastructure. Schedule a meeting with us to discuss your current staffing plans.