BT Security: A place for all talents in our global team

If you’re thinking about a career in cybersecurity at BT there’s something important to remember. We don’t have a ‘type’; we’re a diverse team of people all doing a lot of different kinds of roles. For our more technical roles, we like to see evidence of a technical mindset, preferably with a formal qualification, but we know we can only be a strong, high performing team if we have a wide range of backgrounds, skills and experiences in the mix. That’s why there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to our recruitment activities. We welcome applications from all walks of life and we take the time to learn more about each applicant and where their skills lie.

Kevin Brown, Managing Director, BT Security, puts it this way, ‘I think the one thing that still needs to be perhaps demystified is when sometimes people think of cybersecurity, they think it means a heavily technical career. In fact, it's not,  it's a career that comes in many different forms. I need strategists, I need strong operational people, and yes, I need the technical people, but it's a curiosity that I'm looking for. It's hunger. It's that willingness to learn. Because as technology changes, as threats change day in, day out, our skillset has to evolve. So that willingness to learn is absolutely critical. And I always say that if people have got the attitude to take on this role, then that's the main behaviour that I'm looking for.’

Adeel Ali studies geopolitics and nation state sponsored cyber attacks in his role as a Cyber Threat Intelligence Specialist, and has been at BT Security for five years. Adeel feels that his role might be surprising to some. ‘Because my role is mainly research, it means I spend a lot of my time learning. There’s very little coding or sitting in front of screens with numbers on them, it’s mostly trying to understand the behaviours of nation state-sponsored attackers. It’s satisfying to see a trend I have forecasted or predicted be passed to customers, or to my BT colleagues, so that we’re ready for it when an attack comes.

Adeel is keen to emphasise the variety of roles at BT Security and the opportunities to develop new skills. ‘The range of work we do is far more varied than almost any other business. Due to the very few things we outsource there is a job for almost any skill set in Security, with a clear path to grow.’

Mick Thornton has been with BT for 40 years, starting as an engineering apprentice, and it’s fair to say that things have changed a lot in the time he’s been with us.

Now a Cyber Security Specialist, with all his experience Mick agrees with Kevin Brown that a technology background isn’t a prerequisite for finding a satisfying role at BT Security. ‘If you’re looking for a career in something that is ‘in the now’, then you won’t find anything more ‘now’ than cybersecurity. There’s a wide variety of roles too, from the buzz of an incident to the more analytical atmosphere of developing threat detections. Having a deep technical knowledge isn’t necessarily the most important skill. I would say an open and inquisitive mind is far more important, and being able to empathise with the customer and the problem they're facing.

‘The technical part of any investigations can be fascinating but the human side  - people’s motivations  - such as trying to figure out why someone responds to a phishing email, really interests me. It doesn’t matter how good our defences and detections are if someone leaves the door open. And at a time when more people than ever are working from home, BT’s role in supporting the core network, keeping up with the bad guys and the ever more ingenious ways they come up with to achieve their ends is more important than ever.

Even after such a long career with us, Mick relishes the challenges that cybersecurity brings. ‘The constant change keeps things fresh. Across the Security team, we have a very good history of everyone’s opinion counting and being listened to. Everyone, including apprentices and graduates, is encouraged to question everything and challenge perceived wisdom. The threat horizon is constantly changing and we have to change with it. The collaboration and support across the wider business is also better than anywhere else I’ve experienced in my 40 years in BT. Collaboration is an everyday part of life here. We identify issues or respond to problems and work with the customers - both internal and external - to put things right.’