Cybersecurity professionals today are not lacking in community forums, including the Cyber Professionals Community of the Federal Cyber Workforce Management and Coordination Task Force, communities, forums, information security, and more. These forums provide information sharing on the latest threats and attack trends, professional development, networking opportunities, and additional resources when they are most needed.

Two-thirds of cybersecurity professionals say their organizations face a shortage of personnel, % face a skills gap. Only % believe they have the tools and personnel needed to respond to incidents at their company. Due to budget constraints, % have experienced delays in purchasing and implementing technology tools; % report their teams have been restructured or reassigned; % have had their training programs cut; % say their certification/education reimbursement has decreased. This elevates the value of forums for cybersecurity professionals as they attempt to fill these gaps. Lacking optimal organizational budgets and resources, they often turn to the community for answers to their questions—and solutions to their problems.

How do these professionals maximize their benefits from the forum? By seeking out leaders, moderators, and members to create a positive and productive interactive experience in the forum through the following efforts:

使其具有教育意义
如上所述，网络安全专家首先寻找的是有价值的信息。无论他们是试图缓解恶意软件事件还是获取有关新威胁的最新更新，他们都会寻找比他们拥有更多相关经验和见解的人。或者他们可能只是在寻找有关如何使用特定工具的指导。无论动机如何，论坛必须能够快速接触到能够提供这些专业知识的专业人士。论坛的内容和总体文化应主要利用成员的知识基础，以扩大参与者对关键问题、趋势和情况的认识和理解，以便他们能够将“经验教训”应用于日常角色、任务和挑战。

使其透明
参与者应该坦率地说明他们在安全方面面临的问题。“真实”的披露能提供真实的知识。需要明确的是，参与者并不希望听到“恐怖故事”来激起恐惧、不确定和怀疑。但他们确实需要清晰、真实的故事，以便更好地保护自己的组织。此外，任何说明性示例或分析都应揭示其背后的工作——贡献者是如何得出结论的？这些细节提供了关于成功流程的有用“揭开帷幕”的视角，以及对网络活动和数据的准确解释。

让一切变得简单
请记住，社区参与者并非都是网络安全专业人士。论坛也会吸引首席信息官 (CIO) 以及 IT 部门以外的高管、经理和团队成员。毕竟，安全现在被视为组织业务模式的关键组成部分。这意味着，与安全团队成员不同，大家对这些主题的兴趣程度很高。鉴于此，主持人和参与者应保持材料和见解的易于理解。他们不应该以居高临下的态度对待非网络安全专业人士。对于基本的实用性，他们需要提供材料（例如日志条目、屏幕截图和图表），以便成员只需几个快速的“复制/粘贴”命令即可轻松捕获它们。

With numerous forums available, cybersecurity professionals have ample opportunities to absorb the rich expertise of our industry. However, members are busier than ever as they face new and/or powerful attacks daily—thus requiring them to quickly find useful information to better address the threat landscape. When moderators and discussion participants first educate in a transparent and easily understandable manner, they ensure that every participant maximizes their community experience.