Forbes: A Millennial’s Guide From Shark Tank & Herjavec Group’s Robert Herjavec (Part 2)

March 1, 2018

Part 2 of the two-part interview with cyber-security expert, Robert Herjavec, dives into what industry leaders like the execs at Herjavec Group suggest for millennials looking to step into the industry.

Rossow: Do you have a data policy in place as you bring in new executives and millennials?

Herjavec: Absolutely. We have to practice what we preach. We offer cybersecurity awareness training to all employees, but we also test ourselves—we run phishing tests, pen tests, [and whatever else is necessary] to ensure we have the right balance of technology and process in place.

Smart Technology

Rossow: How do you feel concerning the use of “smart technology” in the workplace?

Herjavec: I’m obsessed with the latest tech as a consumer, but as a CEO I understand the risks these consumer devices pose in my environment. Smart tech is a huge risk as it’s tough to manage all the endpoints that may connect to a corporate network.

As cybercriminals attack mobile or IoT devices they get access to personal data stored on the device and potential access to a corporate environment. There isn’t enough control at the device level in terms of how they’re manufactured and secured and, of course, there isn’t enough knowledge at the consumer level about the potential security risk of connecting that device. The onus is on the organization to prevent or control connection – but that comes at the detriment to convenience in most cases.

Entering the Cybersecurity Industry

Rossow: I’m a millennial whose interested in cybersecurity, what advice do you have for me?

Herjavec: This is the best time in the world to be part of the cybersecurity space. There will be over 3 million job openings worldwide in our field in the next 3-4 years. I highly recommend pursuing an education in computer science because it will open so many doors in terms of development, business operation and of course cybersecurity.

Rossow: I’m a millennial who is interested in joining your company, what do you look for in potential candidates?

Herjavec: I hire for purpose – Do we need a developer? Do we have a service area that needs resources? However, I encourage anyone pursuing a technical certification to really consider their end user. How do you speak to a customer, identify someone’s goals, present etc. if you can balance your computer science background with a customer-centric approach, you’ll do very well in our industry.

Investing In Cryptocurrency

Rossow: You’ve briefly spoken about the stability of cryptocurrency, do you feel that there are security flaws in this area that people may not be aware of, but should?

Herjavec: It’s a matter of control and I don’t think we’ve seen the end of the volatility in this space. You shouldn’t invest unless you are comfortable with other high-risk assets. If you’re a blue chip investor of sorts, I wouldn’t recommend it. Don’t let “fear of missing out” drive you into investments you can’t control or fully understand. Be aware that it is not as liquid an investment as you might expect. Exchanges can have long wait times to clear transactions which can make cashing out difficult pending the volume of activity.

Rossow: If you had to leave one quote or statement for millennials to remember in this digital age, what would that be?

Herjavec: Dream bigger because you can do more.  I didn’t understand what I was capable of as a 20 something and with the power of technology today, millennials have the world at their fingertips. It’s absolutely more competitive but they are capable of learning and developing at a far greater pace. They just need to believe it and go after it.

Shark Tank

Rossow: How has your time on Shark Tank influenced cyber-related decisions/policies implemented with The Herjavec Group?

Herjavec: I’m always looking for an innovative tech product on Shark Tank and we’ve seen a few. Nothing really cybersecurity-related – yet! Maybe in Season 10!

To read Part 1 of my interview with Robert on his advice to businesses in maintaining ‘cyber-hygiene’, you can view it here.

Originally posted on forbes.com