Finding a new job in the field of cybersecurity can be a challenging task, but AI can definitely assist in various ways. Here’s a comprehensive list of 10 ways AI can be used to help cybersecurity experts find a new job, along with descriptions and examples of AI technologies for each:

1.  Resume Optimization: AI can analyze your existing resume and recommend improvements to highlight relevant skills and experiences for cybersecurity roles.

• ResyMatch: ResyMatch is an AI-powered tool that analyzes your resume and provides suggestions for improvement. It highlights keywords, skills, and experiences relevant to the cybersecurity job market, enhancing your chances of getting noticed by recruiters.
• RezScore: RezScore evaluates your resume’s content and structure using AI algorithms. It identifies areas for improvement, such as readability, keywords, and formatting, to help you create a more impactful resume.
• SkillSyncer: scans your resume and job descriptions to ensure that your skills align with the requirements of cybersecurity positions. It provides recommendations to enhance your resume’s relevance to specific job roles.

2. Job Matching: AI algorithms can match your skills and preferences to suitable job openings in the cybersecurity sector.

• Jobscan: Jobscan is a tool that compares your resume against job descriptions using AI. It identifies matches and suggests adjustments to your resume to better align with the specific requirements of cybersecurity job listings.
• ZapInfo: ZapInfo (now Indeed) uses AI to match your skills and preferences with available job openings. It gathers information from various job boards and recommends positions that closely match your cybersecurity background.

3. Skill Gap Analysis: AI can assess your skill set and identify areas where you might need to upskill or acquire new knowledge.

• Skillometer: Skillometer uses AI-driven assessments to evaluate your current skill set against industry-specific benchmarks for cybersecurity roles. It then offers recommendations for improving any identified skill gaps.
• Degreed: Degreed’s AI platform maps your existing skills and experiences to cybersecurity roles and identifies areas where you can expand your capabilities through personalized learning pathways.

4. Interview Preparation: AI-powered tools can simulate job interviews, offering practice and feedback to improve your interview skills.

• InterviewBuddy: InterviewBuddy offers AI-enabled mock interview sessions. It provides real-time feedback on your answers, body language, and presentation, helping you refine your interview skills for cybersecurity roles.
• Interviewing.io: Interviewing.io provides anonymous, AI-powered practice interviews with experienced technical professionals. It offers insights into your performance and helps improve your communication skills for cybersecurity interviews.

5. Company & Prospect Research: AI can gather and summarize information about potential employers, aiding your understanding of their cybersecurity practices.

• Crystal Knows: Crystal analyzes online profiles and communication patterns to provide insights into individuals’ personalities. This information helps you tailor your networking approaches for effective connections in the cybersecurity industry.
• ZoomInfo: ZoomInfo’s AI technology collects data from online sources to create comprehensive company profiles. It assists in researching potential employers’ cybersecurity initiatives, market presence, and key decision-makers.

6. Customized Cover Letters: AI can generate personalized cover letters for each job application, highlighting your relevant experience.

• Text Blaze: Text Blaze is an AI-powered text expansion tool that helps you create personalized cover letters efficiently. It saves time by generating customizable templates for your cybersecurity job applications.
• GrammarlyGo: Grammarly’s AI-powered writing and voice assistant ensures your cover letters are error-free and well-structured. It suggests improvements to your writing, enhancing the quality of your job application materials.
• WriteSonic: WriteSonic is an AI copywriting tool that helps you craft engaging and tailored cover letters and blog articles. It generates content based on input and provides options for customization to suit various cybersecurity blog articles and topics.

7. Salary Negotiation: AI can provide insights into salary ranges for specific roles and locations, helping you negotiate better offers. 

• PayScale: PayScale’s AI-driven salary data helps you benchmark cybersecurity roles’ compensation. It provides insights into salary ranges based on factors such as experience, location, and specific job roles.
• Glassdoor’s Know Your Worth: Glassdoor’s tool uses AI to estimate your market value based on your skills, experience, and the current job market trends in the cybersecurity sector.
• Salary.com: Salary.com offers AI-powered compensation data for various industries, including cybersecurity. It helps you understand fair salary ranges for different cybersecurity job positions.

8. Personal Branding: AI tools can assist in developing your online presence, curating content, and positioning you as a cybersecurity thought leader.

• SocialBee: SocialBee uses AI to curate and schedule social media content that aligns with your cybersecurity expertise. It helps maintain a consistent online presence, positioning you as a thought leader in the industry.
• BrandYourself: BrandYourself’s AI-driven platform helps manage your online reputation. It identifies potential negative content and provides guidance on creating positive online branding for yourself.
• DrumUp: DrumUp uses AI to discover and suggest relevant content for sharing on your social media channels. It assists in building your personal brand by sharing valuable insights and articles within the cybersecurity domain.

9. Skill Development Pathways: AI can recommend learning paths and courses tailored to your career goals within cybersecurity.

• Pluralsight IQ: Pluralsight IQ uses AI to assess your cybersecurity skills and knowledge. It then suggests personalized learning paths to help you develop specific competencies required for your desired job roles.
• Udemy’s Learning Paths: Udemy offers learning paths curated by AI for different cybersecurity career trajectories. These paths include relevant courses to help you build skills progressively.
• LinkedIn Learning’s Learning Paths: LinkedIn Learning uses AI to recommend learning paths based on your career goals within AI & cybersecurity. It guides you through a series of courses to develop expertise in targeted areas.

10. Personality and Culture Fit Analysis: AI can assess your personality traits and match them with company cultures for better fit. 

• Birkman Behavior and Occupation Assessment: The Birkman assesses personality and behavior traits across over 5M profiles to evaluate how you stack up on certain communication traits. It helps you tailor your communication style to match the preferences of those you’re interacting with.
• Plum: Plum’s AI-driven platform measures personality traits and matches them to company cultures. It ensures you align well with the organizations you’re considering.

These AI technologies, combined with your own expertise and effort, can greatly enhance your job search journey as a cybersecurity expert. Remember that while AI tools offer valuable assistance, they should be used in conjunction with human judgment and careful consideration.

Job Hunting Tips:

• Powerful Tips on How You Can Land Your Next Dream Job
• Laid Off? Fired? Here are 5 ways to get over the Grief of Losing your Job.
• 5 Ways to use Mind Control to Land Your Dream Job

Finding Job Opportunities:

• Who’s Hiring and who’s Freezing (Over 5,000 Companies!) – External Link to Candor
• Companies hiring right now – External Link to LinkedIn
• Should You Apply On-Line? Here’s a better way….

Attracting Hiring Managers:

• Six (6) Resume Writing Myths and How to Get More Responses on your Resume
• Six (6) Powerful Ways to Attract More Career Opportunities on LinkedIn
• Put the  X-factor in your job search

Interview Prep: 

• How to Handle Common Interview Questions
• Pro Interviewing Tips
• Using the S.T.A.R. Method to tell Better Stories During Interviews
• Prep’ing for Behavior Based Interview Questions

Job hunting is a full-time job itself and companies are hiring.  Within these articles, you will find ways to be more strategic and productive, than just applying on-line.  We hope you find this helpful.  Your diligence and technique will outperform your luck.  Good hunting.

About Tim Howard

Tim Howard is the founder of 5 technology firms including Fortify Experts which helps companies hire the Best Cyber Talent on the Planet as well as provides expert consulting and NIST based security assessments. 

In addition, he has a passion for helping CISO’s develop Higher Performing Teams through coaching, by creating interactive CISO Forums and by helping them create highly-effective team cultures.

He also teamed up with Lyndrel Downs to launch www.CybersecurityDIVAS.com to help promote the most influential women in cybersecurity and provide a mentoring program to help encourage and support more diversity within the cybersecurity industry.

Tim has been leading technology staffing teams for over 20 years and has degrees from Texas A&M University in Industrial Distribution and Marketing.  

Invite me to connect:  www.linkedin.com/in/timhoward

Why the SEC Ruling could make it more difficult for CISOs.

After a year of speculation, the SEC finally ruled on its new cybersecurity initiative.  Many security leaders are extremely disappointed with the watered-down ruling.  There was hope that the SEC would dictate that each public board must have a named director who would be responsible for overseeing cyber risks.  

While the ruling fell short of requiring a “named” director, instead, it loosely outlined that the board needs to have cyber awareness on the board and to have a plan for addressing cyber risks.

Security Leaders (i.e. CISOs) had been campaigning for the named director to give them an ally in the board room.  Too often the board lacks the knowledge and desire to address cyber risks to the level a CISO feels is adequate to protect the company. 

I’ve always contended that the CISO role is the most difficult executive position because of its breadth of responsibility, and the lack of executive support.  

Often, the lack of boardroom understanding about cyber risks makes it difficult to garner the support and budget to adequately protect the firm.  But yet, CISOs are still seen as the ones to blame if a cyber event happens.  

This causes frustration with both the CISO and the Board which is a core reason the average tenure of a CISO is only 24 months. This is the shortest tenure of any of the CXOs.

So will the new regulation improve or hurt the CISO position? I think both. 

It will elevate the awareness of cybersecurity in the boardroom as it requires there to be:

• Cyber Risk Knowledgeable Board Oversight 
• Defined Cyber Risk Processes
• Timely Disclosure of Breaches (4 days)

With the SEC monitoring over 12,000 public entities, Boards can no longer ignore cybersecurity.  Investors and consumers will be more informed about the cyber health of public companies. 

Therefore, the target on the CISOs back just got bigger and more visible.

They will need to develop public-facing cyber policies that the board will need to agree to and adhere too.  Boards will add CISO oversight as a watchdog and for compliance to cyber policies and reporting. 

In addition, CISOs will be held accountable for quickly discerning the impact of cyber events and the information which needs to be disclosed, plus how and when it is reported and communicated. 

In the short term, the CISO position will be burdened with establishing new processes and procedures to meet SEC expectations. They will also have to communicate it and get buy-in across the organization. 

In the long term, the new SEC requirements should provide additional visibility that CISOs need.  Maybe it will help the rest of the executive team take cyber risks as seriously as the CISO does.

Conclusion

At Fortify Experts, we understand the challenge of finding and hiring a CISO that fits your company’s goals. That’s why we’re committed to helping executive leadership teams find the right CISO for their organization and have developed a step-by-step guide on how to hire a great CISO who meets your firm’s expectations.

Request your free copy of How to Hire a Great CISO by Fortify Experts today and take the first step towards establishing a strong security program for your organization.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has published the Annual Internet Crime Report 2022.

The IC3 received a total of 800,944 complaints in 2022, with losses exceeding $10.3 billion. Phishing schemes were the number one crime type with 300,497 complaints, and for the first time, Investment schemes, reported the highest losses to victims, totaling over $3.3 billion. In 2022, the IC3 received 88,262 complaints from victims over the age of 60 with losses in excess of $3.1 billion, as result of the significant impact of scams targeting the elderly, IC3 is planning to release its third annual report focusing entirely on Elder Fraud within the next few weeks.

Besides focus on crime types, International and State statistics, the Threat overviews for 2022 include:

• BEC complaints ranked the second largest dollar losses reported to IC3 at over $2.7 billion. Highlights of the continued success of the Recovery Asset Team, assisting in freezing over $433 million in funds for victims who made transfers to US accounts under fraudulent pretenses.

• Crypto-investment scams saw unprecedented increases in the number of victims and the dollar losses to these investors. In 2022, investment scam losses were the most (common or dollar amount) scheme reported to the IC3. Investment fraud complaints increased from $1.45 billion in 2021 to $3.31 billion in 2022, which is a 127%. Within those complaints, cryptocurrency investment fraud rose from $907 million in 2021 to $2.57 billion in 2022, an increase of 183%.

• Ransomware incidents, although smaller reporting numbers with 2,385 complaints identified as ransomware, the adjusted losses were more than $34.3 million. The IC3 received 870 complaints that indicated organizations belonging to a critical infrastructure sector were victims of a ransomware attack. Of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors, IC3 reporting indicated 14 sectors had at least 1 member that fell victim to a ransomware attack in 2022. The three top ransomware variants reported to the IC3 that victimized a member of a critical infrastructure sector were Lock bit, ALPHV/Blackcoats, and Hive.

• Illegal call centers defraud thousands of victims each year. Two categories of fraud reported to the IC3, Tech/Customer Support and Government Impersonation, are responsible for over $1 billion in losses to victims. Almost half the victims report to be over 60 (46%), and experience 69% of the losses (over $724 million).

FBI Internet Crime Report 2022 (gasa.org)

If you are one of the many who have recently been impacted by a layoff or forced to separate from your employer, this can be an emotional and mentally challenging time. Suffering a loss like this can actually result in a grieving process similar to when we lose a loved one. It is a natural response to loss. Accepting that grief is part of the healing process can help someone pick back up and move forward.

Grief is a complex process that we all experience at some point in our lives.   The stages of grief are commonly referred to as the Kübler-Ross model, named after psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who first proposed them in her book “On Death and Dying.” The model consists of five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

1. Denial:  The first stage of grief is denial. It is a defense mechanism that helps us cope with the shock of the loss. When someone is laid off from their job, they may initially refuse to accept that it has happened. They may believe that there has been a mistake or that they will be able to return to their job soon.
2. Anger:  The second stage of grief is anger. It is a normal response to the loss of control and the feeling of being wronged. When someone is laid off from their job, they may become angry at their employer, the company, or even themselves. They may feel like they have been unfairly treated or that they have been let down by people they trusted.
3. Bargaining:  The third stage of grief is bargaining. It is a way of trying to regain control and find a solution to the loss. When someone is laid off from their job, they may start to bargain with themselves or their employer. They may ask themselves if they could have done something differently or if there is anything they can do to get their job back.
4. Depression:  The fourth stage of grief is depression. It is a natural response to the sadness and loss that comes with the experience. When someone is laid off from their job, they may become depressed and experience feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness. They may feel like they have lost their purpose and identity.
5. Acceptance:  The final stage of grief is acceptance. It is the stage where we begin to come to terms with the loss and find a way to move forward. When someone is laid off from their job, they may eventually come to accept that they have lost their job and that they need to find a new path forward. They may start to explore new opportunities or consider a career change.

Recovering mentally from a job loss can take time and effort, but there are some things that can help.

1. Allow Time to Grieve:  First and foremost, it’s important to take care of yourself during this time. Take a few days or a week to work through the stages of grief.  Allow yourself some time to mentally decompress.  This might mean taking time off to focus on your mental health or engaging in activities that you enjoy.
2. Reach Out:  It’s important to reach out for support, whether that’s from friends, family, or a mental health professional. This is different than networking.  That will come later.  Locate those nearest to you who can provide emotional and mental support.  Talking through the event can speed up the healing process and be the first step to recovery.
3. Acknowledge your Emotions:  One way to help yourself move through the stages of grief is to acknowledge and work through your emotions. This might mean journaling about your feelings or talking to someone about what you’re going through. It’s important to remember that everyone’s grief journey is unique, so it’s okay if you don’t feel like you’re progressing through the stages of grief in a linear way.
4. Set Goals:  Another way to help yourself recover mentally from a layoff is to set goals for the future. This might mean exploring new job opportunities, starting a new hobby, or making plans for the future. By focusing on what’s next, you can help yourself move on from the past.
5. Use Prayer, Meditation even or even Mind Control:  Calming your mind to help you make better decisions during this time can be hugely beneficial. Try spending some alone time in prayer or in meditation asking for direction.  If you want to go even deeper, consider learning techniques like the Silva Mind Control Method to strengthening your mindset and open up mentally creative avenues.

While the experience of being laid off from a job may not be the same as losing a loved one, it can still be a significant loss that triggers a range of emotions. By understanding the stages of grief and recognizing where we are in the process, we can begin to work through our emotions and find a way to move forward with some determination and focus.

I hope this help you in your job search.  If we can be of assistance, please reach out.  Below you will find many additional job hunting and interviewing tips.  If you know someone who would benefit from these, please share them.

Recovering From a Job Loss:

• 5 Ways to use Mind Control to Land Your Dream Job

Finding Job Opportunities:

• Who’s Hiring and who’s Freezing (Over 5,000 Companies!) – External Link to Candor
• Companies hiring right now – External Link to LinkedIn
• Should You Apply On-Line? Here’s a better way….

Attracting Hiring Managers:

• Six (6) Resume Writing Myths and How to Get More Responses on your Resume
• Six (6) Powerful Ways to Attract More Career Opportunities on LinkedIn
• Put the X-factor in your job search

Interview Prep: 

• How to Handle Common Interview Questions
• Pro Interviewing Tips
• Using the S.T.A.R. Method to tell Better Stories During Interviews
• Prep’ing for Behavior Based Interview Questions

Job hunting is a full-time job itself and companies are hiring.  Within these articles, you will find ways to be more strategic and productive, than just applying on-line.  We hope you find this helpful.  Your diligence and technique will outperform your luck.  Good hunting.

About Tim Howard

Tim Howard is the founder of 4 technology firms including Fortify Experts which helps companies hire the Best Cyber Talent on the Planet as well as provides expert consulting and NIST based security assessments. 

In addition, he has a passion for helping CISO’s develop Higher Performing Teams through coaching, by creating interactive CISO Forums and by helping them create highly-effective team cultures.

He also teamed up with Lyndrel Downs to launch www.CybersecurityDIVAS.com to help promote the most influential women in cybersecurity and provide a mentoring program to help encourage and support more diversity within the cybersecurity industry.

Tim has been leading technology staffing teams for over 20 years and has degrees from Texas A&M University in Industrial Distribution and Marketing.  

Invite me to connect:  www.linkedin.com/in/timhoward