Describe five businesses or non-profits that have been created in my field.

The cybersecurity field is growing at a very rapid rate and it is only going to keep increasing. Every year, many promising cybersecurity startup companies appear, providing solutions to private and government entities alike—it is a very high demand field. For instance, Indusface was founded in 2012 as a security-as-a-service (SaaS) company that provides solutions for securing critical web applications. They have combined a web application scanner, web application firewall, CDN, and threat information engine into one interface. This service can be subscribed to for $99-$399 per month, depending on the plan. Intruder is another cybersecurity company that operates around the globe, helping organizations reduce their attack exposure by providing an efficient cybersecurity solution. This solution is a vulnerability scanner based in the cloud, and it is used to find security weaknesses across the whole digital infrastructure. This scanner provides robust security checks, continuous monitoring of systems, and an intuitive, easy to use platform that keeps all kinds of businesses safe from cyber attacks. The third cybersecurity business I would like to talk about is StrongDM. They were founded in 2015, and their goal is to give technical staff a direct route to the critical infrastructure they need to maximize their productivity. These administrators have access to precise controls, thus effectively mitigating unauthorized and excessive access permissions. Thanks to this factor of non-repudiation, the IT, Security, DevOps, and Compliance teams can use StrongDM’s comprehensive audit logs to determine who did what, where, and when. Cisco is another company that provides solutions for IT, networking, and cybersecurity. It is a considerably large company, with a long history in the industry, dating back to 1984. They offer a multitude of hardware and software solutions for cybersecurity professionals. These include physical systems such as firewalls, and also SaaS products, such as their Email Security service. Lastly, ScienceSoft is a company that has provided professional cybersecurity services since 2003. They have completed over 150 security testing and consulting projects related to banking, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, public sector, telecoms, and many more industries. This just goes to show how important cybersecurity is for all different kinds of industries, and also demonstrates the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset. Moreover, ScienceSoft has a team of certified ethical hackers that conduct vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, security code review, infrastructure security audit, and compliance testing. All of these companies are very good examples of how to be successful in the cybersecurity field.

What is your overall perspective on the entrepreneurship experience?

I see this entrepreneurship experience as eye-opening, because I had to tap into different skills and talents to think, plan, and create my deliverables. I also liked that this was a very self-taught, self-driven experience. I feel like this is the type of project that is best worked by oneself, with minimal group work, because that way the person can more effectively develop their entrepreneurial mindset. I feel like this experience will be of great use to me in the future, when I need to present myself to employers as a candidate for a vacant position. I learned plenty about the cybersecurity career field, and it gave me a better idea as to what I want as I enter the field in an entry-level position. I enjoyed researching the technologies related to my product, and I learned much about IoT. For example, after reading about all the parking problems and solutions that exist today, I can now see how this industry will continue to grow in the interest of time. I can now anticipate what is to come and prepare accordingly. I value this experience because now I can transfer this learning mentality to other areas as well.

How did the entrepreneurship prepare or not prepare you to be a competitive candidate for vacant positions?

The entrepreneurship experience had me develop a product that is immediately related to my career field, and then some. This project is a representation of all the ideas I have learned from the Cybersecurity program, and also my inherent skills and traits. Even some of the skills and traits that may not have anything to do with cybersecurity will show employers that I can approach problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. This is an important aspect of the entrepreneurial mindset, and I know that it is highly valued by employers because it indicates my willingness to think outside the box and seek insights from alternative sources. Also, showing that I am able to work on a long term project that serves as a solution to a complex problem would show my employers the discipline, attention to detail, and patience that I have to complete tasks and get them done in the best way possible.

What suggestions do you have to improve the experience?

Since I am overall satisfied with the entrepreneurship experience, I do not have much to say in terms of what I would want to improve. However, for others that were not satisfied, I would suggest changing their attitude to a more entrepreneurial one. This involves trying your best and being more open to learning. I find that the willingness to learn is a determining factor for success in this experience, and especially for real-life entrepreneurs. If you do not try, then the likelihood that you will enjoy and have success in the experience is greatly diminished. Mindset is everything when it comes to entrepreneurship. Lastly, if someone is still not enjoying the experience, then I would suggest putting effort into finding a problem that is related to something that they are more passionate about, and start thinking of solutions from there. This can also spark that entrepreneurial mindset that is paramount to success.

What’s next for you?

After graduating, I expect to continue to learn about the cybersecurity career field through studying certifications and staying up to date with the latest news and employment opportunities in cybersecurity. Entrepreneurs must always be curious, always learning about the world around them and, in my case, how things relate to cybersecurity. When I am confronted with a problem, I will utilize the entrepreneurial mindset to explore different solutions to the problem. I will now be more easily able to create a plan of action to deal with a project that requires multiple disciplinary perspectives and skills. I will use all that I have learned to the best of my abilities in whatever position I join as a new hire. I can also see if I can come up with ways to see if I can benefit from combining my creative side with cybersecurity to a great benefit, because I feel like I particularly excelled at creating media related to the project, combined with cybersecurity information. For example, this can be useful in an educational setting, a marketing setting, etc. With an entrepreneurial mindset, anything is possible.