Coaching for Security Professionals

Career advice from someone doing this work right now.

A lot of career advice for security people comes from consultants who left the field a while ago, or from coaches with a general background rather than a security one. I'm still doing the work myself, and I talk with people at every stage, from a first SOC analyst role to CISO negotiations.

CISSP

Certified Information Systems Security Professional. A broad, widely recognized credential covering security leadership and management.

CISM

Certified Information Security Manager. Focused on governance and running a security program, rather than hands-on technical work.

CRISC

Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control. Focused on identifying and managing IT risk.

CISA

Certified Information Systems Auditor. A standard credential for IT auditing and controls.

AAISM

Advanced in AI Security Management, a new ISACA certification for governing AI risk. I'm among the first people certified worldwide.

A bit about me, and what this isn't

I'm the only person doing security and privacy at a US AI company, reporting straight to the CFO. SOC 2 and ISO 27001 audits, board reporting, AI security architecture, customer contract reviews, it all lands on me. That's the day-to-day for a lot of security leaders outside the big tech companies, small team, broad scope, and it's probably closer to your situation than most of the advice out there.

I hold CISSP, CISM, CRISC and CISA, and picked up AAISM this year (details on each are in the badges above). None of that makes me a therapist, and I won't pretend it does. If you're dealing with burnout or need clinical support, a professional is the better call. Where I can actually help is more practical: whether a negotiation ask is reasonable, why a board might not trust your reporting, or what a certification like AAISM actually signals to an employer.

Who this is for

Roughly four different points, though the lines blur.

Starting out

Figuring out where to specialize

Which direction tends to pay off, which certifications are worth the money, and how to ask for more before you've built a track record.

Making the jump

From doing the work to owning it

Moving from senior engineer to team lead or manager changes what your job is made of. Most people find that out as they go.

Already leading

Staying sharp once you're it

Board positioning, governance calls nobody else wants to make, what your title and pay should probably be, and keeping this sustainable over time.

Looking ahead

Getting ahead of the AI transition

AI is changing this field faster than most things before it. I can help you think through, concretely, where you want to stand in that.

How this works in practice

We start with a free 30-minute call, mostly to figure out together whether I can actually help with what you're dealing with. If it's a fit, we do either one-off sessions or a short run of them built around something specific: an upcoming interview, a negotiation, a move into management, a first board presentation. I don't do open-ended monthly retainers.

Most people leave a session with a clearer next step, a stronger sense of their negotiating position, or an honest answer to a question they'd been sitting on for a while.