Over the last few weeks, several people have got in touch with one of two questions. How do I get into cybersecurity? And how do I move on from where I am now?
My answer always starts in the same place. This field is far broader than most people realise, which means you can choose a path that fits your interests and the skills you already have. My own route ran from software engineering through architecture, professional services and pre-sales to Field CISO, and I wouldn't have found it on a single-track career ladder.
So I've drawn the profession as a metro map. Eight lines, from offensive security and threat intelligence to governance, cyber resilience and AI security. Each station is a role, the interchanges show the moves people actually make between lines, and every line can reach the executive terminus.
The second page asks a simpler question: what motivates you? Someone who thrives on the adrenaline of a live incident belongs on a different line from someone who wants to shape board decisions, or make sure the business survives its worst day.
My rule of thumb: choose the line whose hardest day you would still sign up for.
