Meet Lochie Wilson, Business Information Security Officer at Pax8

Lochie was kind enough to sit down with us for a (virtual) interview to help Coder Academy students on their own journeys into tech and cyber security. Lochie is deeply committed to contributing to the information security community and strives to provide the guidance he wished he had received early in his career. 

“My primary objective is to empower the next generation of cyber security professionals by helping them develop their skills and knowledge, ensuring they have long and successful careers in the industry.”  

What’s it Really Like to Work in Cyber Security?

Cyber security experts are essential to the businesses they work for, and Lochie’s role at Pax8 is no different.

“I’m responsible for managing our company’s security program in the APAC region. I work with both regional and corporate stakeholders to ensure that the program is enabling the business to achieve its goals in the region, while also reducing risk.” 

And of course, as with any role in tech, the pace of change means that things never get boring.

“Not one day is the same, I might be providing input to our overall security strategy in the morning, then assisting our security operations team with an incident in the afternoon. The variety of the role always keeps things exciting.” 

Not only do individual business needs change day to day, but the entire industry continues to evolve. On top of that, if you’re working in cyber security, then you’re sure to see the attitudes of your co-workers in non-tech roles change as more people come to see the value of the work you do. 

“When I first started in the industry, security was treated as an IT issue. From my experience, important information regarding an organisation’s security program wasn’t being reported to leadership in a direct manner. Because of this, no one in leadership was directly accountable for ensuring that security was satisfying the needs and requirements of the organisation. This has changed over time, and I’m seeing more and more organisations treat security as an important pillar of the business.” 

These changing attitudes are great news for anyone starting out in the industry. Cyber security roles have always been vitally important, but it’s nice to see them finally receiving the recognition they deserve.

Advice for Starting Out in Cyber Security

On that note, we decided to ask Lochie if he had any advice for newbies interested in the field.

“You need to understand what you’re securing to protect it. Every business is different in how they deploy and manage technology. Ensure that you’ve got a basic understanding of cloud computing, networking, identity and access management, device management, and other core IT domains.” 

When we asked Lochie what some of the biggest threats in cyber security are, the answer was a little surprising. 

“Burnout – sometimes security can be a thankless job. The very nature of the industry itself is extremely high stakes, you never know if the next security alert you respond to could be the one that makes the news. We’re seeing more and more folks in security leadership positions step down due to stress and burnout.” 

This very human side of the job means that sometimes there will be very low-tech solutions to ensure systems remain secure. 

“It’s important to remember that at the end of the day, we’re all human, and sometimes you need to step away to gain a new perspective on things and re-ignite your passion.” 

Roles in cyber security require just as much creativity and passion as those in more traditionally “creative” industries. Soft skills, interpersonal skills and communication skills are also highly prized, so if you’ve ever wondered if you might be cut out for a career in cyber security, then now is a great time to explore your options in this exciting and expanding field.