Intercast Staffing – May 2022 Newsletter
Welcome to the May edition of Intercast’s monthly newsletter for cybersecurity professionals. As always we’ll bring you the latest news and views to make you a better informed professional.
In this edition:
- Client Insights
- After 13 years, We’ve got a new logo!
- Microsoft goes global to boost cybersecurity recruitment
- Remote cybersecurity jobs a boon for neurodiverse candidates
- State Department makes a big deal of cybersecurity
Client Insights
Every month we ask our clients what they are looking for when they consider candidates and how employees and contractors can do a better job. This month’s most common message is a simple one: RISK RISK RISK; always articulate the Risk equation in everything you have done.
Whatever your role in cybersecurity, ultimately a business wants you to reduce its risk. When you’re applying for a position or being interviewed, always be ready to explain how you addressed and reduced risk in your previous projects.
Our mask is off with a new logo. We’ve adapted elements of the cybersecurity risk wheel in the letter C. And created a new tagline; Be Resilient. An idea that captures Intercast culture.
Microsoft Targets – The Cybersecurity Gap
Microsoft is expanding a US program to increase cybersecurity skills and recruitment to 23 other countries. It picked them based on the cybersecurity risks in the country, the shortfall in suitable candidates and the diversity – or lack of it – of workers in the industry.
How Microsoft will use its investment will vary depending on the specific situations and problems in each country. Measures will include free cybersecurity courses, training to help teachers explain cybersecurity to students, and mentoring programs where female cybersecurity experts can help inspire the next generation to close the gender gap.
It builds on existing US work including scholarships for students seeking cybersecurity degrees and other qualifications.
Cybersecurity And Neurodiversity
The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating report on how the boom in work-from-home cybersecurity positions has helped neurodiverse candidates thrive. It notes that some aspects of conditions such as autism and hyperactivity disorder can be a positive for cybersecurity skills, for example through pattern spotting and hyperfocus.
The problem is those same conditions can be a barrier in a traditional office setting where social interactions play a bigger role and sensory processing can be a challenge.
The report notes that while remote working has helped prove the skills of many neurodiverse workers, keeping home working doesn’t have to be the only option. Instead employers can help staff achieve their full potential in the office through measures such as noise cancelling headsets. One worker even proved more productive when given four screens to make it easier to harness ideas without losing track of ongoing tasks.
US Government Goes Big On Cybersecurity
The US State Department has launched a dedicated Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, with tasks including addressing “national security challenges” in the digital world. It’s split into three policy units, covering “International Cyberspace Security”, “International Information and Communications Policy”, and “Digital Freedom.”
The move reverses a 2018 decision to merge a previous cybersecurity bureau into another government office. The new structure with a dedicated bureau is seen by many as a signal of the government placing increased importance on cybersecurity, particularly when it comes to dealing with Russia and China.
In a press briefing, a state department spokesperson said the new bureau “will lead and coordinate U.S. cyber and digital diplomacy to encourage responsible state behavior in cyberspace, protect the integrity and security of the internet, promote a competitive digital economy, and uphold democratic values.”
As always, we want to hear from you. Please reach out to update us on your current projects, interests and life in general!