BSides London: Discover ways to speak to management so your skills are understood

IT executives and code-writers ought to know the way to talk to the business about their projects and achievements.

Speaking on the BSides London conference, RandomStorm senior security engineer Robin Wood claimed that there's a need for software developers and security professionals to understand the way to consult management and the IT team.

Wood said: “People have to have people-skills to speak to management and clients, think ofyou've got to understand the right way to do it. If you can't talk on the management level, then you definitely need to discuss with them in a technique that they understand.

“One comment I got to my survey was that 'business skills are more important than technical skills'. If you can't write a report then all testing is worthless.”

In Wood's survey of 305 online respondents, 59 per cent identified themselves as a penetration tester, 49 per cent as a vulnerability auditor and 45 per cent as a 'sys admin'; 43 per cent had seven years (or more) experience. One question was "Do you want so that you can program to be a penetration tester?" Around two-thirds (67 per cent) said "No but it surely helps". Wood said that lots of people may be able to program but wish they may do better.

In terms of program knowledge, 81 per cent knew Python, 79 per cent Bash, 43 per cent Ruby and 41 per cent C.