The Complete Guide To Becoming A Cyber Security Writer (Updated for 2024)
Follow these steps to become a writer on cybersecurity!
Last year, I wrote a guide on how to become a tech writer in 2023
I have been writing for the past 15 years or so on Cybersecurity and just wanted to share a little bit of my knowledge
That article resonated with many people who want to improve their brand by writing and publishing on platforms.
I am a big proponent of Cybersecurity professionals being able to monetize their knowledge via writing, courses, consulting, etc.
Writing is one of the easiest ways to start a side hustle honestly
The layoffs in the industry have also woken people up to the fact that relying solely on a 9–5 might not be the best idea in the world.
So, without further delay .. let us take a look at how to get started writing!
What exactly is a Cybersecurity Writer?
A Cybersecurity writer can professionally write about cyber-related topics for companies in the form of blog posts, manuals, product documentation, etc.
You should be able to write about cyber topics or products in a fun and easy-to-understand way without drowning the reader in technical jargon.
Ask yourself this
Are you a cybersecurity professional with subject matter expertise?
Can you write 800 to 1000 words about a technical matter without putting people to sleep?
If you answered YES, then this side hustle is for you!
To be a successful cybersecurity writer, you need to know cybersecurity, and you need to know writing. Most people know one but not the other, which is why this is a unique skill set to have
Why be a Cybersecurity writer
Here are a couple of good reasons
It is quite possibly the easiest side hustle to start. Unlike YouTube or Udemy, which require speaking, video creation, editing, etc., all writing requires is sitting in front of a computer and starting to write!
Writing establishes your brand in the industry as an expert. Take my example; I am not even remotely an expert on Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning, yet I have had people from all across the world contact me for my help on this topic. Why? Because I write about this topic a lot.
It opens you up to job opportunities in a way your average profile will never do. Instead of waiting for someone to contact you on LinkedIn .. your writing on a platform like LinkedIn or Medium goes all over the Internet, and one of them could be your future manager.
You can make money! This should not be your starting goal, as it takes time to build up a portfolio, but yes, once you have an established portfolio and a steady stream of clients, you can see the returns coming in.
These are common excuses people make.
Despite all these advantages, I have seen many people make excuses for not becoming a writer despite having all the skills.
Some of the common reasons I have seen are:
“Tools like ChatGPT have made online writing obsolete.”
Huh? No. In fact, GenAI tools have increased the demand for good writing, and it does not seem like it was dumped out of ChatGPT. There will ALWAYS be a demand for good human writers.
“I am not a writer!”
Yes, and neither was I. The only thing that makes you a writer is writing, so start!
“It’s hard” ( Spoiler alert: yes, it is )
Yes, writing on Cybersecurity is hard any writing is hard at the beginning.
Stop wasting time watching Netflix or playing the new PS5 game, and block a few hours on your calendar where you can invest in your future and write.
The more you work your writing muscle, the stronger it will get and the easier it will become
“My English is not good enough.”
I could have bought this excuse a few years back, but nowadays, with tools like Grammarly present, there is no excuse.
No one expects you to be the William Shakespeare of technical writing, but as long as you can put together a few sentences properly .. tools like Grammarly can carry you the rest of the way.
“People will make fun of me!”
Yes, there will always be people who are insecure about anyone else trying new things and will try to drag you down .. so do not let them.
In my experience, people will continue making fun of you until they see you making money, and then they will be falling over themselves, asking you for advice.
How to become a Tech Writer
I hope I have convinced you now about how excellent this side hustle can be .. How do I go about it?
Below is my simple three-step process, which you can follow.
This is the most straightforward way I learned after making many mistakes and stumbling in my tech writing career.
Step 1 — Start on Medium or LinkedIn
Your first step should be to start writing and honing your skills.
Medium or LinkedIn (or both) are excellent for writing content and getting feedback about it.
Both platforms have many Tech Professionals present, and you can start writing on them immediately.
Choose a topic you are good at. It can be cloud computing, cybersecurity, networking, etc., and start writing on it.
Make a calendar commitment to yourself.
Start with once a week and then become more consistent as you go on.
In this stage, your goal is to become comfortable with writing, find the niche you are good at, and build a basic portfolio of writing samples.
Writing Medium Articles or LinkedIn Posts about Cybersecurity
You can even start a LinkedIn Newsletter with minimum fuss!
Step 2 — Professional websites
Ok, now that you are comfortable on Medium and writing on a consistent basis, it is time to step it up.
To take your writing portfolio to the next level, contact professional IT publications and get your work published.
There are great tech journals and publications that are happy to publish your work on sites like Medium, such as Geek Culture, Towards AI, Data Science, etc.
Others, like the ISACA journal, are well-known and respected in the industry.
Study their requirements, follow them, and submit an article.
Try to get your work published in two to three of these publications, which will significantly enhance your portfolio.
Step 3 — Ghostwriting / Freelancing
By this point, you will have a nice number of articles under your belt both on Medium and with professional publications.
This is the time to start getting monetized and make some serious money from your skills.
Start creating gigs on websites like Fiverr and Upwork and highlight your portfolio there.
It will take some time to find customers, but keep your profile updated and your prices low to get those initial customers.
Once you have established your profile there you can think about raising prices
In parallel, LinkedIn is a goldmine for technical writers, and you will find no end of jobs with remote + freelancing options available, which you can apply to
Key things to remember.
I hope this was useful to you and motivated you to try your hand at Cybersecurity writing in 2024.
The demand for technical writers is not going to go down as there are simply not enough people with technical expertise and good writing skills.
This is a great field to get into, and the rewards are huge for patient people who play the long game.
I leave you with a few tips to keep in mind.
Technical Writing is not passive income. Do not expect to be sleeping and making money ( although that is possible on platforms like Medium if your articles take off ! ). However, once your portfolio has been established, you will see customers reaching out to you for writing jobs and a steady income stream.
You need a portfolio. If you expect people to take you seriously, put in those early days and create a portfolio. No major company will give you a writing gig if you have nothing published to prove your writing chops.
It takes time! Play the long game, and you will see tremendous benefits moving forward. Your work will compound over time, and you will see your writing opening up avenues for you that you could never have imagined.
I am a writer interested in cybersecurity and one thing I can vouch for this industry is it embraces everyone who wishes to dive deep into it.