Overcoming challenges to build a cybersecurity career | Guest Dr. Chanel Suggs

Today's Cyber Work Podcast features Dr. Chanel Suggs, the Duchess of Cybersecurity®. Dr. Suggs is a teacher, business owner and thought leader and has appeared on TV and podcast platforms around the world to talk about cybersecurity and the hacker mentality. She also had an incredibly challenging and seemingly insurmountable upbringing. Her tumultuous story can be found in her book, “Against All Odds: Overcoming Racial, Sexual and Gender Harassment on the Digital Battlefield.” This episode contains a lot of heartbreak and some challenging stories, as well as incredible insights and some thoroughly important takeaways.

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0:00 - Free cybersecurity training resources
0:56 - Overview of today's episode
1:58 - Who is Chanel Suggs, the Duchess of Cybersecurity?
3:12 - Overcoming family obstacles
4:50 - What drew her to a career in cybersecurity
8:10 - First steps to learning IT and cybersecurity
10:45 - Earning cybersecurity certifications
12:20 - Making a cybersecurity training "dungeon"
14:40 - Workplace abuse and harassment
18:28 - Issues with hiring diverse candidates
22:23 - What is Wyvern Security?
27:25 - Changing the workplace culture
32:47 - Social media is key to finding diverse candidates
36:55 - Preventing burnout with employees
40:10 - Advice on earning advanced degrees
42:03 - Contract work vs. full-time employee
43:34 - Free resources and services
44:52 - What's Chanel Suggs book about?
47:48 - Outro

About Infosec
Infosec believes knowledge is power when fighting cybercrime. We help IT and security professionals advance their careers with skills development and certifications while empowering all employees with security awareness and privacy training to stay cyber-safe at work and home. It’s our mission to equip all organizations and individuals with the know-how and confidence to outsmart cybercrime. Learn more at infosecinstitute.com.