Role – Cyber Testing Director

Work Location - Bangalore/Hyderabad

Job Mode – Hybrid

Experience Required – 16 to 20 yrs

Job Type - Permanent

Notice Period - Immediate to 30 days

Discussion Points & Key Takeaways:

1. Role & Feedback on Hiring:

   • The client has been receiving a high volume of SOC Analyst profiles, but they are not looking for SOC candidates.

   • The requirement is for Cybersecurity Consultants who have strong technical expertise and work on a project-based approach, not just ticket resolution.

   • The ideal candidate should be highly technical with consulting experience, not just SOC monitoring experience.

2. Key Candidate Requirements:

   • Certifications: OSCP, OSWE, CWEE, and Burp Suite Certified Professional (BSCP) are preferred. CEH is not a differentiator as it is considered easy to obtain.

   • GitHub Presence: Candidates with an active GitHub showcasing their tools and contributions are preferred.

   • CVE Publications: While not mandatory, candidates who have identified and reported vulnerabilities (CVE numbers) will have an advantage.

   • Conference Participation: Candidates who have presented at cybersecurity conferences (e.g., Nullcon) are preferred, as this demonstrates their passion and expertise.

   • Recent Experience: Candidates should have recent and relevant hands-on experience in Penetration Testing (Pen Testing) - not just experience from years ago.

   • Cloud Expertise: AWS and Azure cloud security experience is highly desirable.

   • Job Stability: Frequent job hoppers (changing jobs every year) will not be considered.

3. Preferred Candidate Profile:

   • Strong technical hands-on expertise rather than managerial experience.

   • Team leads with technical experience are preferred over managers handling large teams.

   • Not limited to Big 4 candidates—talented candidates from other backgrounds will also be considered.

4. Next Steps & Sourcing Strategy:

   • The recruiting team should focus on consultants rather than SOC Analysts.

   • Utilize GitHub, CVE databases, and cybersecurity conferences to source top-tier talent.

   • Reference security conferences like Nullcon for potential candidates: Top Cybersecurity Conferences in India 2025

   • Ensure candidates align with technical skill expectations and recent offensive security experience before submission.

Action Items:

The recruiting team to focus sourcing efforts on highly technical candidates with relevant certifications and hands-on experience.

Avoid SOC Analyst profiles unless they have consulting experience and strong pen-testing expertise.

Prioritize candidates with GitHub activity, CVE publications, and conference participation.

Ensure candidates have relevant and recent experience in offensive security/penetration testing.

Identify potential candidates from cybersecurity conferences and GitHub repositories.

This structured approach will help identify highly skilled cybersecurity professionals aligned with the client’s expectations.