Getting into the field of cyber security for most people is quite complicated because resources that map out a very clear path into the feld are very scarce. With that said, there is no shortage of information about this subject but if care is not taken in leveraging a lot of the available resources, one is very likely to get more confused than enlightened. This is the challenge that this course aims to solve through the DRAPE methodology, which is a blueprint for getting into cyber security. DRAPE is an acronym for Discover, Relate, Acquire, Plan and Execute.
While developing this course, the author figured that having a blueprint like this should make things easier for individuals who are trying to break into the field of cyber security. This thought was fueled by his experience as a cyber talent developer who has been privileged to help many individuals break into the field.

In cracking the cyber security career code, the first thing you want to do is DISCOVER the field. In this course, you did that by understanding fundamental cyber security attributes and the motivations of enterprise defenders and cyber adversaries in relation to cyber defense and cyber attack, respectively. You also learned about what it takes to break into cyber security, as well as overview of cyber threats, common types of threat actors, and overview of vulnerabilities.

Then you need to RELATE your discoveries about the field of cyber security to how they might apply in enterprise environments. In this section of the course, you learned about what keeps cyber security professionals up at night, the cyber kill chain framework, taking a lifecycle approach to vulnerability management, common avenues of cyber attacks, threat hunting, and the relationship between cyber security and IT. Knowledge gained in the “relate” phase of the course sheds light on the intersection of theory and practice. Consider the discover phase as theory of cyber security and the relate phase as its practice.

The ACQUIRE phase is relatively straightforward; what you want to do here is ensure that you’ve acquired the fundamental knowledge and skills required to break into cyber security, as well as the attributes needed to thrive as a professional. The previous two phases (Discover and Relate) are about what you need to know as you try to break into the field while this phase is about the skills and attributes that you need to acquire to give yourself a decent chance.

Once you’ve mastered every aspect of the previous three phases, you need to develop a PLAN of attack and pick your battle as the situation demands. In this section of the course, you learned about how to stay abreast of evolution in the cyber threat and technology landscape, your professional certification choices, and the cyber security career decision tree. All you now need to do is plan your next move based on what you now know.

EXECUTION comes after the plan phase. As Morris Chang said, without strategy, execution is aimless. Without execution, strategy is useless. Your ultimate goal is to break into cyber security and be successful there, and everything you learned up to this point in this course can be considered the strategic aspect of plan towards actualizing that goal. Now, it’s time to execute by taking steps that move you closer to your goal. In this section of the course, you learned that attending conferences and meet ups can be quite beneficial. You also learned about how to search for jobs in the true sense of the word “search”, how to create an impressive resume, a good cover letter, and how to approach your job interview whether it’s a telephone interview or a face-to-face interview.