Taimur Ijlal

🚀 Top 1% Cybersecurity Career Coach | Writes About Cloud and AI Security | 🧑‍🎓 Talk To Me :

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

100% .. this will become even more prominent once autonomous AI goes mainstream

[Dave Kennedy @HackingDave]

Cybersecurity automation with AI/LLMs is starting to become and will be one of the most desired skillsets in the next 3-5 years in all of security.

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

@georgiaweidman looks legit to me :)

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

My new book "The Practical CISSP Study Guide" is about to be launched soon

If you are interested in getting a free copy upon launch then feel free to sign up below and get notified

https://t.co/7cZdspBuJQ

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

This simple LinkedIn post went mini-viral
Boosted my following greatly BUT a lot of feedback was negative
A lot of people accused me of rage-baiting which was hilarious
Just goes to show you cannot please everyone :)

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

@georgiaweidman @topmateHQ Good luck Georgia !

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

3 reasons to become a mentor in Cybersecurity

1 - Give Back to the Community

2 - Improve Your Own Learning

3 - Expand Your Professional Network

Becoming a cybersecurity mentor is a great way to create a knowledge-based legacy

Good luck on your journey !

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

How To Step Out of Your Comfort Zone in Cybersecurity ?

1. Learn to code. Nothing tests you more than coding

2. Share Your Knowledge via blogs or videos

3. Mentor someone new to Cybersecurity

4. Speak at conferences instead of just attending

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

How To Avoid Being Overwhelmed in Cybersecurity ?

1 - Create a learning plan

2. Focus on credible sources: Do not trust everything on YouTube or LinkedIn. Stick to trusted resources like the SANS Institute, NIST, and thought leaders in cybersecurity.

3. Prioritize topics

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

1 - Choose a specialization

2 - Build a portfolio

3 - Share your knowledge

Niching down will help you stand out in an increasingly crowded job market.

Good luck on your journey !

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

Avoid being a generalist in Cybersecurity

Meaning .. the guy who knows a little bit about everything

Niching down has more benefits

You become the "go to" expert on that particular topic rather someone who knows just a little about everything.

How To Niche Down ?

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

Tech skills are not enough in Cybersecurity

Learn these skills to move up the ladder
- Risk Management
- Budgeting
- Project Management
- Vendor Management
- Report Writing

These will help you talk with non-technical stakeholders i.e. the people who are about business

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

Are you a newcomer to Cybersecurity or Cloud ?

Do not jump straight into the CISSP or CCSP certs !

These certifications are high in demand but made for those with significant experience in the field

Focus on hands on skills over certs at this stage

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

You do not need tools to learn Threat Modeling ..

It is a skill that you can get started with just a pen and paper

The key step is to systematically thinking through potential threats to your systems.

Effective threat modeling starts with understanding your environment.

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

Risk assessments are not just about filling in an Excel sheet

Too often, I see risk assessments treated as a checkbox exercise

Or something done to pass an internal or external audit

Risk assessment is a key part of cybersecurity

Do it properly or risk a compromise !

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

Failing A Cybersecurity Cert Exam Is Not The End ..

1 - Find out what went wrong.
2 - Revise Your Study Plan.
3 - Join a Study Group.
4 - Take Breaks and Stay Positive:
5 - Practice, Practice, Practice:

Embrace the setbacks, learn from them, and come back stronger.

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

https://t.co/B57KcyBEhQ

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

Having an entrepreneurial mindset in Cybersecurity is a massive plus

It can show you how to break away from the 9 to 5 grind and start your own one-person company.

It will also make you more resilient to technological disruptions like AI.

Check out my newsletter on this 👇

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

No AI can “read a room.”

It cannot replace the human touch needed to communicate complex security issues to non-technical stakeholders.

Being able to explain cybersecurity risks in a way that others can understand is a skill everyone should develop ASAP

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

AI augmented roles are the future of Cybersecurity

Working with AI instead of being replaced by it

Pure tech skills will go down in value

The ability to make sense of AI generated insights will be in high demand !

[Taimur Ijlal @CloudSecurityG2]

Thinking "AI cannot replace Cybersecurity Analysts" is a mistake

Yes AI makes mistakes . .but it is improving rapidly

Soon it will become "good enough"

Once that happens companies will start thinking about replacing analysts with AI

https://t.co/XvPD99uNrM