Must Watch! Simply Cyber GRC Career Video

Hey there,

Sending along an excellent new GRC career video from Dr. Gerald Auger providing:

• A realistic job preview that includes the elephant in the room

• Some encouraging predictions for job growth in this area as the cost and frequency of cybersecurity incidents drives a need to trust, assurance and regulation

• Communities, resources and tools to help you succeed

Highlight Roundup

As the cyber risk landscape continues to rapidly evolve, GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) needs are growing. But before you dive headfirst into a GRC career, it's important to understand what the role entails and whether it's a good fit for you. Here are a few key things to consider:

1. You need to be comfortable with documentation and writing. GRC Analysts spend a significant amount of their time creating policies, procedures, and reports. If you hate writing, this may not be the role for you.

2. You need to be comfortable with ambiguity, and being a compass to help the decision making management team navigate through it. Unlike more technical roles like penetration testing, GRC often deals with gray areas. You'll be balancing business needs with security requirements, and there's rarely a perfect solution.

3. You need to love learning and staying current with industry guidance and regulations. The compliance landscape is constantly evolving, and you'll need to keep up with new regulations and standards to be effective in your role.

If those challenges sound exciting rather than daunting, then a GRC career might be a great fit for you. Here are the key areas you'll need to master to become a successful GRC Analyst:

1. IT Fundamentals. While you don't need to be a technical expert, you do need to understand basic IT concepts to effectively apply GRC principles in the world of cybersecurity.

2. Information Security Integration. You need to understand how GRC fits into the larger information security office and interfaces with the business.

3. Compliance and Audit Skills. You need to understand why compliance exists, how it benefits the business, and how to conduct effective audits.

4. Security Awareness Content Creation. Creating engaging security awareness content that actually reduces cyber risk is a critical skill for GRC Analysts.

5. Risk Assessment Skills. This is the bread and butter of GRC. You need to understand what risk is, how to calculate it, and how to communicate it effectively to stakeholders.

6. Governance Development. You need to know how to create, implement, and communicate policies, procedures, and standards that drive business buy-in and adoption.

So where can you learn all of these skills? There are a variety of resources available, both free and paid. Some great free resources include:

• NIST Cybersecurity Framework documentation and training materials

• Official CMMC-AB website and resources

• Local community InfoSec meetups

• NIST Special Publication 800 series

If you're looking for a more comprehensive and structured learning experience, there are also paid courses available, like the GRC Analyst Masterclass at Simply Cyber Academy. Use my enrolment link and get my study notes.

Beyond just learning the skills, it's also important to get connected with the GRC community. Some great creators and communities mentioned by Dr. Auger (in addition to CPA to Cybersecurity) include:

• Chris Whitlock and the Study GRC 

• Professor Black Ops on YouTube

• Jax Scott on LinkedIn

• Space Tacos' GRC Audit Treasure Trove Discord community

• Simply Cyber Discord

Dr. Auger emphasized that the key to success in GRC is staying connected and continuously learning from others. Don't be shy - say hi and get involved in the community!

He then had a call to action. Whether you choose to learn through free resources, certifications, or a comprehensive course, the most important thing is to start today.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help as you take first steps and I’ll see you in the community.

Sincerely,

Steve