I don't know is an ANSWER
Have you had that “so you do not know “ look or someone outrightly tells you “You really don’t know this?” because they just assume you should know “everything” .
It’s been a while. Who missed me? 😁😁😁
I had opened my notepad at least 5 times in the past weeks to write something but I could not – I was not sure what to write about .
It is great to be writing to you all again.
Now, let’s talk about other people’s “unrealistic” expectations of us.
If you have a good online presence , you will get a very good feel and an entirely different context.
For me, I have been posting/writing about cybersecurity for almost 6 years. I post thoughts, ask questions and create cybersecurity awareness using social media - More of twitter really.
I am very conscious about not talking /commenting on things I don’t know but it is easy for people to make assumptions because they have no idea how broad cybersecurity is.
Sometime this year, someone reached out to me to talk about something related to blockchain security and to be honest , at that time the only thing that came to mind when I heard of blockchain was “bitcoin” . I know there is a general concept that applies to securing data and information but I also know it is easier to relate these concepts if you know more about blockchain.
What did I do?
I told them I do not know about blockchain security yet and I referred them to someone who I know has been doing some readings and research on blockchain security - I was reminded again that there is so much to explore in security.
Is I Don't Know Really An Answer?
As a professional or aspiring professional, you will always be in a situation where you do not know or not sure of the answer.
I think it is easier for aspiring professionals because people know you are just starting and you are still learning a lot. For people who have been in the industry for a while, there is an “unspoken” assumption that they have answers to all questions. This is worse if you have an online presence/“brand”.
From my experience, a lot of people in the industry understands that cybersecurity is broad and you really cannot know it all but there are some people who expect you or assume you should know it all.
I have said so many “I don’t know” in the last couple of weeks/month and I always try to follow up with “but I will read about it and get back… bla bla bla” but I am always stopped at “I don’t know” because someone keeps saying to me “I don’t know is an answer.“
Here is the thing, I used to feel awkward saying “I don’t know” until I realized there is so much I do not know, and it is fine to say you don’t know.
I used to tell myself “You should know this”? but I ask myself “how?”.
A lot of times, the reason you do not know something is because you have had no need for it yet. When you get to the point where you need the knowledge, you will find a way to learn and then apply the knowledge.
So, why the pressure?
We will take this thing One cybersecurity step at a time. Yes?
So, lets keep learning as much as we can and not shy away from saying "I don’t know”
PS: There are some fundamentals everyone should know.
By the way , our “Global CISO” - Confidence Staveley wrote this Insightful article for Forbes on “The Power Of Emotions: How Cybercriminals Are Taking Advantage Of Psychology” - You can read here.
Remember, You need to know what you know and also know what you don’t know.
Until next time 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗