The InfoSecMentors Project Essay Contest

The InfoSecMentors Project is giving away one ticket to Notacon 8 by having an essay contest. Each entrant should write an essay of less than 400 words about the following topic:

"Pretending I am your supervisor, write me an email requesting leave to attend a conference. Include reasons why attending conferences are valuable to the organization, and what you hope to learn from this hypothetical conference."

Submissions will be judged by an independent professional manager who makes decisions like this one. The submission that is most convincing and appropriate for a professional situation wins!

Email submissions to marisa@infosecmentors.com. Anyone can enter. The ticket will be available at will call. Contest ends April 8th 2:00pm ET. Winner announced April 9th.

Notacon is April 14-17 in Cleveland, OH. http://www.notacon.org

Guest Interview: Hadi El-Khoury and Jimmy Vo "Mentor & Mentee Q&A"

Today, our guest bloggers are Hadi El-Khoury and Jimmy Vo. Hadi and Jimmy are participants in the InfoSecMentors Project as mentor and mentee, respectively. This pair has been kind enough to keep us posted on their progress in the mentorship via updates on Twitter, and they have sent us the interview below where they both weigh in on several questions relating to mentoring in Information Security.

1. How long have you been in the program? Jimmy: Hadi had indicated that we’ve been in the InfoSec mentor program for about 6 months. Time flies when you’re having fun. Hadi: Indeed, mentoring Jimmy has been so enjoyable since he's keen on pushing forward in real life the new ideas and concepts we've been discussing. 2. What are your backgrounds? Jimmy: I am a recent college graduate from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey with my B.S in Computer Science/Information Systems, specializing in an Information Systems concentration. The Information systems concentration was more business orientated, which I found helpful already. I’ve worked part time help desk positions during my undergrad studies. I’ve started my first full time position as an IT Systems Analyst for a small business. I’ve always gravitated towards information security and had an interest in hacking. Most of my undergrad research was centered on information security. I’m currently attending Boston University for my M.S in Computer Information Systems – Security Concentration. Hadi: I hold a post-graduate degree in Network and Information Systems Security from the French Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications. Prior to that, I graduated from the Beirut School of Engineering ESIB with a specialization in telecommunications. I am currently a Security Consulting Manager. For the last ten years, I've been dealing with information security and business continuity subjects on technical, organizational and business levels in line with ISMS (Information Security Management System) implementation while taking advantage of quality and business process management aspects for large financial institutions and critical private operators across Europe and the MENA region. 3. What were the main logistical challenges? Jimmy: Hadi resides in Paris, France so there is a six hour time difference. Despite the time difference we meet weekly via Skype. We usually chat for about an hour to an hour and a half about various topics which I’ll go into detail later. Hadi: Indeed, since it's often past midnight Paris time when Jimmy and I meet through Skype, I have to keep a Coke can by my side to regain some energy after a long day at work. 4. What were the covered topics? (Hard Skills) Jimmy: One of my main focuses is business continuity planning. We developed a plan to create a business continuity plan which involved business process modeling, dealing with vendors in regards to SLA, coming up with metrics, determining risks, and various other BCP related topics. We also discussed ways to improve an IT infrastructure, such as concepts like ITIL and other ISO standards. We also discussed various information security topics which deal with metrics, creating security awareness, OS hardening, integrating security into BCP, web application firewalls and securing the SDLC. Hadi: I am always stressing the importance of bridging the gap between the various disciplines governing IT, HR, business process modeling, information security, business continuity, risk analysis, to name of few.... Information security and business continuity are transversal by essence and should be dealt with as such. 5. What skills categories were covered? (Soft Skills) Jimmy: A great amount of emphasis is focused on developing soft skills that are essential to my success. We discussed effective communication with other business units. Hadi discussed the importance of working across different “silos” in order to assist in my organization’s success. There was discussion on persuasion and negotiation techniques. We talked of project management techniques to prevent project failures. Our mentorship was more than being technically able; it was about being approachable and tightly integrating technical initiatives within an organization. Hadi: The best "geek" in the world will remain unnoticed if he doesn't possess a minimum of soft skills, namely the ones just mentioned by Jimmy. When it comes to information security and business continuity, organizations are so reluctant to change their approach that the battle won't be won unless a significant load of soft skills is invested. To support this, I share the following quote from Wall Street Journal Deputy Managing Editor Alan Murray as he was discussing some of the lessons new managers can learn from his new book, "The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Management." It reads: "Even best-managed companies aren't protected from this destructive clash between whirlwind change & corporate inertia". IMHO, corporate inertia will exclusively be defeated by soft skills. 6. What was the used approach? (use cases, transversality, feedback, ...) Jimmy: From my perspective, Hadi has coached me rather than taught me. We didn’t spend our Skype sessions on going over step by step of configuring an intrusion detection system. Our discussions are at a higher level, which worked very effectively for me. I can just read a manual or Google a tutorial on deploying an IDS. In the contrary, I can’t read a manual on convincing management on the requirement of an IDS. Sometimes Hadi will assign me “assignments” which we go over during the following meeting. We also discuss interesting InfoSec related articles and try to apply them. Hadi: In addition, I'll just mention the mindset changing "Security by Analogy" approach. Readers can find an excellent example at the ISECOM website here: http://isecom.securenetltd.com/jack.1.0.en.pdf. I personally love the Electrician example, since it constitutes IMHO the very basic foundation of Information Security and Business Continuity. 7. What were the quick wins? (ROI, ...) Jimmy: One of the quickest wins was learning how to deal with salary negotiations. This was a skill that wasn’t taught in college. In the end, I was able to negotiate for more benefits. I was able to implement some initiatives for my organization with the help of Hadi. I see the wins every day at my workplace because of the knowledge and coaching I’m receiving. Hadi: Every Skype session with Jimmy is a quick win by itself since his motivation remains constant and his open mindset is ready to bust a new corporate silo. Jimmy is trying hard to tackle things properly each day despite corporate inertia. These are valuable assets for any wannabe Infosec practitioner. 8. What are the induced projects? Jimmy: My experiences beginning my professional career and discussions Hadi had motivated me to start a blog called Above Technical (.com). There are many technical blogs that focus on the mechanics of technology and/or information security. These skills are very important but the soft skills to communicate with others in an organization are even more important. The blog is focused on what I learn and the tips I’ve gathered in hopes to post some useful content for others. Hadi: Besides naturally contributing to Jimmy's new blog, I'm evaluating the feasibility of a larger scale mentoring program that takes advantage of the InfoSecMentors experience along with online news aggregators like the http://coaching.sekimia.com one. 9. What's new on your bookshelves? Jimmy: The newest book I’m reading is Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven ways to Be Persuasive by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini. It’s a book Hadi had recommended for me. Hadi: Jimmy introduced me to the Toastmasters International website. I'm looking forward to delving into their leadership concepts.

You can find Hadi El-Khoury on LinkedIn and Twitter.

You can find Jimmy Vo on Twitter and at his blog, AboveTechnical.com.

Guest Post: Michelle Klinger "Interview with a Mentee...Mentee T"

This is the continuation in a series of interviews with both mentees and mentors on their experience with InfoSec Mentors to date. Individuals have had to have been paired up for at least two months and I also chose to keep the participants anonymous as I thought I’d receive more honest answers, both praise and critique of the program. And with that I introduce an interview with a mentee.....Mentee T:

Q: What was your reasoning for engaging an infosec mentor that you were not able to do on your own?

A: To be honest, it was the experience really. I was looking for a way to broaden my horizons, and talk to all the people I could. I'm relatively new to the community, and one of the most important things that I've found, as well as the most rewarding, is just to talk to people. When I heard about the starting of the project, I was one of the first to pitch it to others.

Q: Prior to being matched, had you known of your mentor either personally or through social media forums? Were you hoping for someone “well known” in the social infosec social circle?

A: I was definitely aware of my mentor, and I think my mentor and I had mentioned each other on twitter once or twice, but had never actually conversed. Was I hoping for someone well known? I had no preference, really. One of the most important things about a project like this is coming into it with an open mind. Particularly as a mentee, you're really after someone who is well, smarter than you. So you have to throw out a lot of your preconceived notions and just go with the flow. (Also, wow, that was incredibly hippie-ish.)

Q: Was gender a concern when envisioning who you’d be paired with?

A: Not in the slightest. There are a lot of infosec chicks who are significantly smarter than me, and a lot of dudes who are as well. Like I said above, it was really about making the connections and conversations.

Q: Has your mentor suggested or encouraged you to engage in social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn)?

A: I'm actually more active on social media than my mentor. Mentor did make a point to remind me to be careful what I say out there, but that wasn't much of a stretch more than what I already do. It's an often forgotten art, the act of not spewing every little thought on to the interwebs. Actually, if you watch my stream really closely, you'll see me tweet something, then within a minute or two, delete it after some thought.

Q: Was your pairing public via social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) either by you or your mentor? What was the reasoning behind the decision?

A: It was actually kind of a game to see if people could figure it out. Even about 6 months or so later, once we had pretty well, if not officially ended the mentor/mentee relationship, that some folks were still trying to catch hints. But we never officially made it public. Just never felt the need, I suppose. Now, though, I wonder if that might have put some necessary pressure on the relationship.

Q: Did the initial meeting/conversation meet expectations? What did that initial communication entail?

A: The initial conversation actually threw up some red flags for me. Our initial introduction was through email (we didn't meet in person until BH/DC), and I went ahead and took the lead, since every conversation should be a two way street, by sending a few questions in my mentor’s direction. Just a few things like how mentor got 1st infosec start, what some of my mentor’s day to day duties and such are, and a few other questions just to get to know my mentor better. And while my mentor acknowledged that emails were received, I didn't receive a full response to those questions for about 2 weeks.

Understandably, that's a little rough on the start of what's supposed to be a back and forth relationship, just by definition of a mentor/mentee relationship. I understand being busy, I was in the process of writing and preparing a talk myself, but this definitely started us off on a rocky footing.

Q: Have you made any major changes or decisions based on advice or direction from your mentor?

A: Well, I'd like to say I have, since I received such advice as "Stay in school." "Don't let your ego get ahead of you." But I don't know that those are really personally specific, so I guess the answer is no.

Q: Were you given any “homework” or assignments to complete and did you actually do them? Did you see value in the tasks assigned?

A: In an odd turning of the tables, I was actually the one issuing homework. I was looking for feedback on my talks, and my topics, so I assigned my mentor to watch the recordings. However, I don't think that was ever done, so I suppose there wasn't much value from the assignment if it never got done.

Q: Do you feel the mentor you were paired up with was an accurate match?

A: That's a hard, hard question to answer. I think we had some similarities to be sure, and since I still don't have much of a direction in mind, just getting to know someone new was kind of rewarding. However, I am still definitely disappointed, thinking about what could have come out of it. Even meeting in person never lit much of a fire. This is an organic thing, it has to be nurtured and grown, which requires effort on both sides of the table. If that never happened, nothing ever grew, and then I don't know that we could call the match accurate. The important thing, though, is that I learned something from this, even if I'm not totally sure what I'm it is quite yet.

Q: If you could re-do any aspect of your interaction with your mentor to date, what would it be and why?

A: That's a loaded question, particularly after my comments above. Is there stuff that I would change? Hell yes. I'd love to have gotten to know my mentor a little better. I wish we could have shared a bit more than the IM conversations and a few hours of surface chat at BH/DC. I was in an area where I was trying to make some decisions and more than a line or two would have been greatly appreciated.

However, I don't want my story to be a discouragement. More a...disclaimer, I think. As you go into your mentorship/menteeship, be aware this is definitely a relationship. It has to be a two way street, or this isn't going to work. Take a look at your time commitments before joining the program. This whole post could have been avoided early on, if my mentor had waited until a period where mentor had a little more time on his hands. And not even a whole lot, but enough to answer an email every few days. Just something to think about…..

Looking for other mentors/mentees...If you'd like to be interviewed, please contact me at securityindepth at gmail dot com

Guest Post: Michelle Klinger "Interview with a Mentee...Mentee Y"

As previously mentioned, this is the continuation in a series of interviews with both mentees and mentors on their experience with InfoSec Mentors to date. Individuals have had to have been paired up for at least two months and I also chose to keep the participants anonymous as I thought I’d receive more honest answers, both praise and critique of the program. And with that I introduce an interview with a mentee.....Mentee Y:

Q: What was your reasoning for engaging an infosec mentor that you were not able to do on your own?

A: I'd been working to transition into the pen-testing field but without direct experience it was difficult to get past initial interviews. I sought a mentor to help me identify the areas I was lacking and suggest how I could fill the gaps in my experience.

Q: Have you’ve ever had a mentor before? Was it organically developed or had you been a part of other mentor programs?

A: I've had mentors off and on throughout my life. In every case they were organically developed and made a huge contribution to my success at the time.

Q: Prior to being matched, had you known of your mentor either personally or through social media forums? Where you hoping for someone “well known” in the social infosec social circle? Why or why not?

A: Yes, I'd seen my mentor present at Shmoo earlier this year so I knew of them already. The fact that he is well known only helped me to more quickly understand how he could contribute and help me towards my goals. The "well known" factor wasn't a requirement for me though. As long as the mentor had the experience to understand what I was looking for and help me down that path, that's all that mattered to me.

Q: Was gender a concern when envisioning who you’d be paired with? Why or why not?

A: No, gender was of no concern to me. I've met plenty of highly experienced people in this field and their gender had little or nothing to do with that success. As long as we could communicate and work together that's all I cared about.

Q: Has your mentor suggested or encouraged you to engage in social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn)? Have you? Why or why not? If you have, has aided in your original goals?

A: I was already engaged in most of the social media options when I was matched so no, he didn't suggest any of those. Of all the social media I use, Twitter has been the most valuable for keeping pace with what's happening as it's communicated by the infosec industry.

Q: Was your pairing public via social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) either by you or your mentor? What was the reasoning behind the decision?

A: Yes, I know I tweeted about it immediately although I waited to say who my mentor was until after we'd exchanged an email or two.

Q: Did the initial meeting/conversation meet expectations? What did that initial communication entail?

A: It wasn't what I expected but that wasn't a bad thing either. I learned that my mentor and I shared many similar experiences which helped me to understand that my goals were reasonable. Basically, "If he could do it, then I had a shot too".

Q: Have you made any major changes or decisions based on advice or direction from your mentor?

A: Absolutely. His experience gave me an alternative path to consider for my job search. Ultimately this is what led me to my current new job that I've had for about a month now. It's not a pen-testing role like I'd been targeting but it turns out I'm probably 10x better at being an analyst than I would have been a pen tester. Plus, the company I'm with now has lots of opportunities internally when I'm ready to move into other areas, including pen testing.

Q: Were you given any “homework” or assignments to complete and did you actually do them? What are a few examples of assignments given? Did you see value in the tasks assigned?

A: He definitely gave me recommendations for web app lab configurations. It wasn't homework though and unfortunately I've never taken the time to set up the suggested lab systems. I do see value in this and when I do reach this point I know my mentor will still be there to help with any questions that may come up.

Q: Do you feel the mentor you were paired up with was an accurate match? Why or why not?

A: Yes, my mentor was an accurate match based on the information I provided in my questionnaire. The end result was a path I hadn't considered taking and was different from what I thought I was looking for but a win is a win.

In the end, the InfoSec Mentor experience was less what I was looking for, and more of what I needed. If you're open minded enough to see this and respect it for what it is, then it's a priceless lesson and an invaluable experience.

If you’d like to be interviewed, please contact me at securityindepth at gmail dot com

Unexpected difficulties from life on the road

As far as career highlights go, this past month has been one of the best. I'll never forget my trip to Source Barcelona where I hobnobbed with Really Smart Dudes™, had conversations that may well have changed the course of my business model, and convinced Wim Remes to be EU Director of the InfoSecMentors Project.

But the name of this post is about unexpected difficulties in traveling, not in its virtues.

Nobody will be surprised to hear it when I say that I made a rookie mistake. The conference was actually only two days, but I've been to Europe before, and I knew that if I was going to be human I would need two days beforehand to get over jetlag. Then, as long as I was in Europe, I decided I would stay through till my cousin's wedding. And I'd always wanted to see Italy. And I was set to coordinate Security B-Sides Atlanta in October. Before I knew it I had racked up 26 days away from home.

Now, you industry veterans know before I even say it what my unexpected mistake was. In my excitement to experience the whirlwind jetset of a lifetime, I had completely abandoned my loving, dutiful significant other. By the time I realized what my trip was really costing me, the damage was pretty severe. I'm grateful to say that all is well now, but it left me thinking "I wish someone had talked to me about stuff like this." The InfoSecMentors Project blog is about advice for careers, but it's also about the ephemeral stuff that you may never realize, but really need to survive in the bigger game. So, thanks to some of the awesome supporters of the project, below are some thoughts from people I respect in the industry on the subject of traveling for work, and keeping that perspective on *what's really important.*

Does traveling for work put a strain on your relationship/family life?

Chris Hoff, someone who regularly crosses continents, said,

"Definitely. There are two aspects that are most difficult; logistics and emotional connectedness. I have 3 kids (6, 9, 14) and another on the way. My wife and I really do work like a transportation team when I'm home and I do most of the cooking so it's very difficult for her to maintain all of it by herself. She does a fantastic job but it's a nightmare trying to plan around three different schedules given the kids' activities.

Then, of course, there is the issue of not being there; not having a spouse, a friend, a dad. That's a terrible price to pay, but given how big of a part of my job this is and has been for some time, we learn to cope and try to quickly settle back into a routine when I get home."

How likely are you to forgo work travel for family reasons?

Following up on a topic he actually covered at HacKid Con in Boston, Josh Corman said,

"I travel BECAUSE of family, because I am the provider. I hate getting on a plane for work (although many friends/colleagues don't even have income right now.) I travel BECAUSE I love my family. The trade-offs between the Provider, Parent, and Spouse roles are very difficult."

Martin Fisher adds,

"I may not forgo the travel but I work hard to minimize impact. I plan for day-trips instead of 2 day events...2 day events versus a week away...and so forth. Sometimes long trips can't be helped but working hard to minimize the impact pays huge dividends."

How often do you "call home" while on a work trip? Which technologies do you use?

Ryan Russell said,

"At least daily, usually several times per day. At least one voice phone call, frequent texting, sometimes an email. My wife isn't into any social networking, but I see many other couples use that. I will sometimes interact with my older kids on Facebook. When I went to Germany a couple years back, I found my cell not working, and hotel phone ridiculously expensive. I was happy to find that Skype worked really well. (On the really expensive Hotel Internet, but that's not optional. ;) ) We have toyed with gmail video chat, and found it workable. We would probably use that in the future."

So, what's the secret, really?!?!

In classic Nickerson style, Chris weighs in on this one, touching on points I hadn't even considered.

"HAHAH... I really wish there was one. More than anything, it has to do with the level of understanding of your family. If they have always known you to fly 150k miles a year and only be home on the weekends.... they have their expectations set ( hell, i think Jes gets sick of me being home for more than a few weeks in a row) =)

If you are new to the JetSetting... communication is the key! Bust your butt on the job... so you can catch that early flight, plan your trips wisely, check in often, speak your mind... (this one is huge) Let them know what you are doing and why. They love ya and will understand. Sometimes there are compromises that can be made (a day here n there) that help them feel like they are part of the process ... not just collateral damage.

The gifts.... well.. thats lame. No need to try to buy it back. Instead... buy 'em gifts at random. It's more fun, and will always be unexpected. This way you are not trying to make an excuse for why you got them some crappy Barcelona t-shirt and a package of gummy bears from Berlin.

But in all seriousness, I have had many first timers work for me in the past and I always tell them that they need to make family first, and take care of them at all costs. (PS. for all you managers out there.... It's on you as well... don't be slave drive'n your employees just because "you can" and "they don't mind." You have to have some respect for their family life. If you are not sure if you are doing it... read their schedule to your spouse. See if they say "If you had to be gone that much I'd..." or something like it. Employees and partners alike, all need the checks n balances. Spouses, Bosses, and all you Jet Setters... you all have a responsibility to be vocal and make it work together. NO ONE can do it alone."

Hopefully this was helpful, or at least sits in the back of your mind. One of the topics I hear people worry about in this industry is "burn out." I've learned first hand that it's a real concern, and unless you keep your home life happy you'll never survive it.

Suggestions for getting started

One part of participating in the InfoSecMentors project is the support resources found on this blog and over emails. One email in particular goes out to potential mentors and mentees before they meet their match, giving them suggestions for how to start the process. The first step is to bridge the familiarity gap and get to know each other. I've posted this email below, in case you were one of those volunteers who received it many months ago and were looking for a reference.

Hello participants,

If you're receiving this email, it means we have received all of your application information, and we are busy making a match for you! We've had an overwhelmingly successful number of participants, and we've begun making some great introductions. In the mean time, I thought I would create a small list of activities you should expect to do during the beginning phase of your mentoring relationship.

MENTORS
-Email your mentee with an introduction to yourself. Consider including the answers to questions like "What is your favorite duty on your job?" "When are you available and where are you located?" "What was your experience being a mentee in the past?" and "What do you expect from your mentee in this relationship?"
-Decide with your mentee on a single task that you can help them with, and execute.
-Promote your relationship. With their permission, talk about your mentee on Twitter or other forums. This is to increase the mentee's personal brand, and to make it easier for them to seek help or engage the community.
-Introduce them to other people that can help with another specific issue.
-Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

MENTEES
-Create a list of questions for your mentor.
-Email your mentor with an introduction to yourself. Include information about your experiences up to this point, and what goals you have.
-After getting to know your mentor's skill set, decide on a single task that they can help you with. The more specific, the better. (Not knowing what you want to be in 5 years is fine. Start with a goal of learning about your mentor's daily job. Ask questions about their background and style of living. Then ask them to guide you through introductions to other people in different jobs. It is important to be specific and have your questions ready.)
-Keep in touch! While it usually falls on the mentor to make the connection, it is very important for the mentee to *maintain* that connection. Plan on emailing your mentor every few months after your task is completed with updates to your professional life. This will definitely pay off down the road, I promise!

MANATEES
-Continue being adorable.

When you receive your introductions tomorrow, hopefully you will be pleased, but if there is a problem, just email us and we'll make a change. Problems that may arise include schedule conflicts, ethical/NDA conflicts, or you're already best friends and don't want to "go there." No problem. Give us another chance, and please be *specific* about your goals.

And keep an eye on our blog, http://infosecmentors.blogspot.com/. We have some helpful tips, and future blog posts planned interviewing some of you on your progress!

Best of luck,

Marisa
Founder, InfoSec Mentors
www.infosecmentors.com
====================

Mentor vs. Mentee

Hiya ! We've been matching mentors and mentees at lightning speed in the past days and as one would come to expect, we have much more mentees than we have mentors.

At first glance this would seem natural, the infosec people I've met all had one thing in common : their thirst for knowledge. If we pick up a subject, we want to know it all. When it seems we master a subject, a whole new aspect of that same subject jumps from the woodwork. It's an eternal process. We (need to) keep learning.

When I look at the list of people who have subscribed to infosecmentors as a mentee, I sit back and wonder. Among them are people I would love to have as a mentor because I know they possess a wealth of knowledge and more importantly, knowledge that some of the other mentees crave.

Whatever your reason is for not subscribing as a mentor, I ask you to think again. And this is why :

Several years ago I picked up a book at a local second hand book market and I decided to take it with me. That book was "The Cycle of Leadership" by Noel M. Tichy and it describes how top-performing companies stand out because of their ability to develop leaders at every level of their organisation. These companies develop virtuous teaching cycles in order to keep a steady flow of leaders within the company. Most importantly, Mr. Tichy stresses the importance of the teaching and learning being reciprocal. The best teachers are those who are willing to learn from their students.

After I read the book, I started paying attention to this concept. I try to grasp every opportunity to learn from anybody. Sure I can learn a lot from another person, much smarter than me, in my own trade but I learn from the C-level executive, the helpdesk guy, the cleaning lady and my mom too. Sometimes I teach. Not in the classroom sense of the world but I share knowledge. And even then, I'm learning too. By getting feedback, people proving me wrong or people providing completely new insights that challenge me to learn even more. And it's fun !

Let's bring that spirit to infosecmentors! I promise you that being a mentor will not be a boring task and even as a mentor, you'll learn a lot !

We need you !