Confident Cyber Security: How to Get Started in Cyber Security and Futureproof Your Career

If there’s one book I’ve consistently recommended to those peering into the cybersecurity industry from the outside, it’s Jessica Barker’s “Confident Cyber Security.” I do so not just because it simplifies the complex but because it respects the reader’s intelligence while dismantling the harmful myths that gatekeep our field.

Barker makes it clear from the outset: Cybersecurity is not just about the ones and zeros. It’s about people. That may sound cliché, but she builds a compelling case. By the time she walks the reader through how human factors, behavioral economics and culture shape cyber risk, it’s obvious why this perspective is needed now more than ever.

A Map for Newcomers and Explorers

This book is ideal for those contemplating a career in cybersecurity, students, career changers and the curious alike. It explains the industry’s breadth, dispelling the notion that only offensive security roles (which dominate pop culture portrayals on TV and in movies) matter. Most young people I mentor start off wanting to be pen testers, but this book expands their horizons. It makes clear that cybersecurity isn’t just for coders or engineers. Whether your background is in business, law, education, project management or the social sciences, there is a meaningful role for you. More importantly, it helps people see where they might fit and how they can contribute to the industry.

Barker’s real strength lies in the way she communicates complex ideas simply. Take her discussion of risk, threats and vulnerabilities, explained not with dry diagrams but with the metaphor of mosquito bites. Or her use of well-crafted case studies, such as the story of Bob, who is tricked into transferring money. These stories hit home because they’re relatable, human and true.

Not Just for Beginners

Though pitched as an introductory book, “Confident Cyber Security” has value for seasoned professionals too, especially those in leadership. Boards, C-suites and policymakers could all benefit from the clarity of explanation and reframing of risk that Barker provides. For example, her discussion of how Taylor Swift’s team approaches digital hygiene is both engaging and enlightening. It’s a clever way to make security relatable outside of technical circles.

Culture, Empathy and Inclusion

Where this book excels is its deep focus on culture and empathy. Barker tackles the toxicity of the “users are the weakest link” mindset head-on. She reframes it by showing how design, training and empathy can create environments where people thrive rather than fear making mistakes. Her reflections on imposter phenomenon, psychological safety and burnout are not side notes; they’re central to the book’s thesis.

These elements are often ignored in traditional security workplaces as well as literature, but they are absolutely essential topics that need to be front and center. If we truly want a diverse and resilient workforce, we need to stop burning out those we protect and our own teams and start listening to them. Barker makes that argument powerfully, and with compassion.

Practical, Yet Philosophical

The book also succeeds because it’s incredibly actionable. Exercises scattered throughout the chapters make the material stick. By encouraging readers to reflect on their skills, their confidence and their goals, Barker turns passive readers into active participants. I’ve used this book as a tool not just to educate, but to recruit more effectively, giving it to hiring managers and recruiters to help them understand what to look for in talent and how to support underrepresented candidates.

The concluding chapter, featuring real profiles of people in the industry, drives the point home: This is not a monoculture industry. It is a vibrant, growing field shaped by people from all walks of life. The stories shared are more than inspiring; they are practical proof that there is no single blueprint for success in cybersecurity. Readers meet professionals with backgrounds in journalism, military service, psychology, the arts and more. Some arrived through formal education, others through unexpected pivots. Collectively, they challenge the narrow stereotype of what a cybersecurity expert looks like and highlight the wide variety of paths, roles and motivations that define our community. This closing section is one of the book’s most powerful elements, helping readers not only understand the diversity of the field, but also see themselves reflected in it.

My Conclusion

Cybersecurity is in a moment of transition. We are shifting from a field defined by technical mastery and gatekeeping, to one defined by interdisciplinary collaboration and human understanding. “Confident Cyber Security” doesn’t just reflect that shift; it helps drive it.

Barker has given us more than a book. She’s provided a vision for a more inclusive, empathetic and effective cybersecurity culture. This book belongs in the Cybersecurity Canon Hall of Fame not because it’s comprehensive in technical content, but because it fundamentally reorients how we think about the field.

If you care about shaping the future of our industry, not just defending systems but empowering people, this is essential reading.