Defense in Depth

Recruiting from the Help Desk

May 30, 2024

Sasha Pereira, VP of Infrastructure and CISO at WASH, discusses the value of entry-level cybersecurity skills gained from working at the help desk. Topics include the overlooked nature of help desk experience, the ideal path to break into cybersecurity, and the importance of empathy and understanding business operations in the field.

29:32

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Episode guests

Sasha Pereira

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Help desk workers possess valuable entry-level cybersecurity skills often overlooked for recruitment.

Frontline perspectives from help desk employees aid in streamlining security procedures and enhancing user experiences.

Deep dives

Unlocking Cybersecurity Talent in Help Desk Roles

Help desk workers possess entry-level skills crucial for cybersecurity, such as understanding IT infrastructure and aiding various departments. Despite their valuable skill set, they are often overlooked for cybersecurity roles. Leveraging the diverse skills of help desk employees presents a goldmine for cybersecurity recruitment.

Introduction

2min

Empathy and Skill Building in Help Desk for Cybersecurity

11min

Empathy, Diffusing Tense Situations, and Crisis Management at the Help Desk

4min

Evolving Roles in Cybersecurity: From Help Desk to Security Team

9min

Emphasizing Empathy and Understanding Business Operations in Cybersecurity

2min

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series.

Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), the producer of CISO Series, and Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn. Joining me is our guest, Sasha Pereira, vp of infrastructure and CISO, WASH.

In this episode:

Is working the help desk a great place to get entry level cyber security skills?
So why is it so often overlooked or even looked down upon?
What kind of experience do you need?
What is the ideal path to break into the cybersecurity industry?

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Defense in Depth

Recruiting from the Help Desk

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Unlocking Cybersecurity Talent in Help Desk Roles

Help Desk as a Crucial Cybersecurity Resource

The Role of Empathy and Customer Service in Cybersecurity

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts