Law Enforcement to Cybersecurity and OSINT

I was recently asked to be a guest on the AspireByte podcast with Mike Fierros. It was a great interview, Mike is a really great guy, and I was thankful for the opportunity. Some of the questions he asked me were related to my past career in Law Enforcement. He had asked me what skills from my Law Enforcement career could be carried over to my cybersecurity and OSINT work. At the time, I had only mentioned a few, report writing and evidence handling. After the podcast recording ended, I began to think of several other transferrable skills. If you have ever been interviewed on a podcast, this happens a lot, at least for me. The recording stops, and you begin thinking of all the things you forgot to say, or reflect on how you could have said them better.

Transferrable Skills

• Report Writing: Being able to write an accurate and detailed report of the events that took place and how you conducted your research is essential. Your reports may very well need to stand up in a court proceeding. In Law Enforcement, we are taught to write every detail, or it didn't happen.

• Situational Awareness: Being aware of your surroundings is extremely important, not just in Law Enforcement, but in everyday life. You need to be aware of potential dangers that may impact you or your family. As it relates to cybersecurity and OSINT, you need to be aware of people who may be watching over your shoulder while you work. You also need to be aware of your overall Operational Security (OPSEC).

• Evidence Handling: Properly handling evidence could mean the difference between a bad guy serving time, or going free to harm other victims. Understanding the proper proceedures for collecting, handling and documenting evidence is crucial.

• Sensitive Material Handling: In Law Enforcement, you are often times required to be made aware of, or handle sensitive information. This is a great responsibility that requires much discretion. If you are a person who unethically shares sensitive info, you will not only lose the trust of others, you may jeopordize your career in the process. In cybersecurity and OSINT work, you may at times be required to have knowledge of sensitive info. This could be regarding a data breach, a potential crime involving a public figure, or CSAM investigations. Earning the reputation of being a person who can be trusted with critical information will help you advance in your career.

If you are currently in Law Enforcement, and seeking a career in cybersecurity, or as an OSINT Analyst, here are a few suggestions.

• Always be open to constructive criticism. This can sting at times, but it will allow you to grow and excel in your career. Find someone, or a small group who you can trust to give you honest feedback.

• Stay curious. Alway be learning new things. Listen to podcasts, read books, watch YouTube videos and then practice what you have learned. Even if you try something and it breaks, document the process and learn from it.

• Don't be afraid to ask for help. The only dumb question, is the one you don't ask. Yes, you may be very uncomfortable asking for help, you may even feel embarassed, because it is something you feel you should already know. I would encourage you to push past the discomfort, because on the other side lies the knowledge you need to excel in your career.

• Document what you learn. If you don't have a website or blog, start one. Document everything you are learning and don't be afraid to share your mistakes. People like to know that you too are human and make mistakes. Explain how you correcteed course after a mistake, a prospective employer may be reading your blog and be interested in your answer.

• Step out of your comfort zone. Push past your fear to try new things. If you are asked to be a guest on a podcast, do it. Yes, you may be terrified being in front of a camera, but you will be glad you did it. I was, and still am uncomfortable being interviewed on camera, but I am thankful for every opportunity to do so. If you have the opportunity to teach, or speak at a BSides conference, do it. I haven't done this yet, but I will one day. I need to take some Toastmasters classes to help me in this area.

I hope that this information is useful to someone. Even if you aren't transitioning from Law Enforcement, I think you can takeaway something useful here. The "transferrable skills" mentioned, are areas you should get better at to help your career.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, I would love to hear from you.