Cybersecurity offers more ways to Get Rich Quick than ever – but not all of them involve money

Hackathons. Bug bounties. Recruitment. The Great Resignation. And, if you’re less morally inclined, COVID scams. Hacking. Ransomware.

What do all these things have in common? They are all ways to Get Rich Quick in cybersecurity.

Or are they?

I have never believed, nor will I, that there are any ways to Get Rich Quick. When I was working in sales, I used to get told that if you sell more, you will earn more. But they never mentioned that you would also get taxed more, which makes working harder a double edged sword.

‘Buy property’, others said – but then the market crashed.

Now, it seems the only surefire way for many people to Get Rich Quick is by becoming a scammer – but to be honest, is there really any Get Rich Quick scheme that doesn’t include some kind of scam? There certainly have been a lot of people taking this approach throughout the pandemic – exploiting the upheaval to make a quick buck any way they can.

Thankfully, you don’t have to bend your morals or risk a SWAT team breaking down your door to make more money: thanks to the Great Resignation, there are more ways to Get Rich Quick out there than ever before.

Never before, I would suggest, has it been easier for skilled cybersecurity specialists to all but name their price. Cybersecurity was in growing demand before the Medibank and Optus hacks, but in their wake companies are absolutely desperate to avoid becoming the next casualty.

Companies are more desperate to fill skills gaps – and to improve their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) credentials – than ever before. That means high six figures, perks, bonuses – even for those who are fresh out of uni and might have been looked over in the past because they lacked the right skills. 

What money cannot do, however, is to compensate for experience. No matter how much you’re paid, you also need to ensure that you’re giving value to your employer – so make sure you put in the hours, attend the seminars, and keep pushing yourself with online courses and certifications.

Getting rich quick, and staying that way, are two different things – so here are my six biggest tips about how you can get rich in cybersecurity, and ensure that you can build a career that has real longevity.

1. If I was in cybersecurity and had amazing insights and knowledge, and had a lot of industry experience or a good story to tell, I would become a cybersecurity event speaker. Not only can you make a lot of money once people start paying you, but it’s a great way to get noticed. Especially given the explosion of webinars and the return to in-person events, the event market is screaming out for great security speakers – especially women, as the organisers try to meet their commitments under the Champions of Change Panel Pledge. Once you get over your stage fright, the exposure itself will be extremely valuable – and it will come with the chance to make a lot of money, whether through subsequent opportunities or by networking with people who can take your career to the next step. 
2. Upskill. There are many roles to be filled within a cybersecurity team, so why limit your growth potential? Cybersecurity is basically a blue-sky field at the moment, so you can take your career in whatever direction you want with the confidence that there will be demand for your skills. So, why not diversify your skillset – which will in turn put you in a position to make more money and excel in your career for the long term.
3. If you’re someone that knows how to hack computers and do vulnerability assessments, you may want to consider doing freelance work. Platforms like BugCrowd and HackerOne make this pretty easy, and with new companies signing up every day you will never be bored. Additionally, you can look for individual bug bounty programs, run by big companies such as PayPal, Sony, Apple, and Facebook. Bug bounties are a fun way to test your skills, while learning and earning at the same time. The best part is that, in most cases, the harder the bounty, the more you’re paid. Not to mention, some of the biggest companies are paying bug hunters to help them locate flaws in their software. Just be sure you track the time you spend, and do regular head checks against the hourly rate you might otherwise be earning.
4. Become a freelance security specialist. Smaller organizations may not have the budget to build-out an entire in-house security team. That’s where you come in as a contracted specialist. In the vast majority of cases, you’ll work remotely and, as the expert, will be in the driver’s seat. This will give you a chance to learn a lot, put your skills to the test, and negotiate your pay.
5. Create an online course. Websites like Udemy and SkillShare make it very easy to create and sell online courses. There are loads of cyber-security topics available, and you can easily choose one that has a high demand and create a course around it. The quickest way to earn money, though, is to look for the topics that the students are looking for that have a low number of courses – then tap into that niche if you have knowledge on that topic.
6. Create a course for identity theft. No, not how to do it – but how to deal with it. There has never been more awareness of the risks of identity theft, or concern that a lack of knowledge about how to deal with it has left us all exposed. A lot of companies and individuals would truly value this course – and it would genuinely help people to prepare for an eventuality that could affect any of us at any time.

My personal Get Rich Quick story for 2022 has not been about money, but more about momentum, knowledge, leadership, and true value delivered from an amazing community.

I’ve put ticks next to key missions I’m truly passionate about, while helping others along the way. And the more individuals I can help just by picking up the phone and talking with them, and steering them in the right direction – the better it gets.

Helping promote mentoring, address online bullying, and getting students in front of potential employers – providing help and insight to others is a core mission for me, and it is the way that I gauge the success of my Get Rich Quick agenda.

I truly value this community – especially those standout individuals who are really trying to help, with no ulterior motive than to make the world a better place. To those people, I thank you: @Bonnie Butlin, @Matt Tett, @Craig Ford, @Mandy Turner, @Laura Lees, @Sai Honig, @Tash Bettridge, @Jacqui Loustau, @Kate Monckton, @Elaine Muir, @Nicole Stephensen, @Yasmin London – you, and the many people like you, are where the real true value lies. And whether it happens quickly or takes time, this kind of work is making us all richer for the long term.