Episode 228 Deep Dive: Rob Rashotte | Diversifying the Cybersecurity Talent Pool: A Discussion on Making Cybersecurity Roles Inclusive and Accessible to All

In this episode, we are joined by Rob Rashotte as we dive deep into workforce culture and the skills gap. Rob talks about the need for organisations to prioritize upskilling programs and foster a new workforce culture to address skills gaps in cybersecurity. Rob highlights the importance of considering underrepresented groups and economically disadvantaged individuals, as viable candidates for cybersecurity roles.

One crucial theme that we also talk about is the misconception that a university degree is necessary for all cybersecurity jobs. Rob challenges this notion, emphasising that there are many skilled individuals without degrees who can effectively contribute to the field. However, the lack of standardised job roles and descriptions in cybersecurity makes recruiting difficult, leading to the use of a degree as a filtering criteria. To tackle this issue, Rob also emphasises the need for a structured framework for cybersecurity roles. By developing such a framework, the recruiting process can be made easier, and educational pathways can be established that may or may not require a degree. Throughout the episode, we touch upon the role of HR, the use of AI in creating inclusive job descriptions, and the importance of promoting cybersecurity careers to younger candidates.

Rob Rashotte is the Vice President of the Fortinet Training Institute and the Fortinet Technical Field Enablement Program. Rob has more than 20 years of experience developing training and education strategies for startups as well as complex global organisations. He also has more than 15 years of experience working with some of the most innovative, fast-paced companies in the cybersecurity field. Rob has an Executive MBA from the University of Ottawa and is a regular speaker at a number of business schools on the topic of cyber risk and corporate impact.