Introducing "The Cybersecurity Professor" GPT 🪄🐐✨
Now available on the OpenAI's GPT Store!
It’s no secret that ChatGPT has been an amazing tool for learning new topics and having the superpower of having an advisor/tutor at your fingertips 24/7. As someone who is mostly self-taught in cybersecurity and has taught others, it’s clear that Generative AI (GenAI) has changed the education landscape forever. It might even be what’s needed to help bridge the talent shortage plaguing our industry. The recent 2023 ISC2 Global Workforce Study found that there are nearly 4 million open security roles across the globe. This number seems to only be increasing. We simply are not producing enough defenders at the necessary rate. Lack of access to proper security education and career guidance are major reasons why.
However as new technologies like GenAI emerge, I think we have a strong opportunity to close this gap. Just imagine being able to ask ChatGPT to explain how firewalls work, ask it to explain using analogies, and if there is anything you don’t understand, you can just continue to ask it “Why?” or “How?” until you fully comprehend the topic at hand. You can also ask it for a hands-on project using open-source solutions and it’ll generate one for you with instructions and then guide you through how to perform certain actions on your project or lab environment!
It’s insane how under-leveraged GenAI is as an educational tool and this is why I’m excited to introduce “The Cybersecurity Professor🪄🐐✨” GPT.
What is “The Cybersecurity Professor” GPT?
The Cybersecurity Professor (TCP) GPT, is a GPT agent that I rigorously tested, fine-tuned, and designed to make learning cybersecurity concepts accessible, relatable, and practical for aspiring professionals. It’s been configured to take on the role of a Stanford-level educator with 25+ years of cybersecurity experience in big tech and the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). The agent is also fine-tuned to provide career advice including detailing the different types of security roles, certification study plans, and how to prepare for interviews.
Below are some of the additional features of the TCP GPT:
Learning Made Simple: Complex concepts are broken down using analogies and relatable language, making them easy to grasp.
Interactive and Friendly: TCP GPT encourages users to ask questions, seek clarifications, and engage in meaningful learning.
Up-to-date Information: With access to the internet, the TCP GPT stays updated with the latest trends and information, ensuring you're learning the most current content.
Historical Context: Learn from the past to understand the present. TCP GPT provides historical context on major cyber attacks, enriching your understanding of the cybersecurity landscape.
What Can You Do With The TCP GPT?
There are very few limits to what you can learn or do with the TCP GPT. You can leverage it to generate hands-on labs for cloud security; you can use it to dissect a novel attack; or you can use it to help you bolster your LinkedIn profile to help you land your dream role in cybersecurity. While the possibilities are seemingly endless, it’s sometimes tough to land exactly on what you’d like to ask or learn so here are some ideas to get you started:
“I’m a construction worker with no IT experience. How should I approach getting into cybersecurity? What are the core skills I should develop and what core concepts should I understand?”
“I’m intrigued by nation-state threat actor activity and dissecting the latest cyberattacks. What role(s) fit best with my interests and what should I learn in order to land that role. How should I go about learning these things?”
“Explain the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption. Please use a relatable analogy.”
“What are some key Linux commands that I should know for cybersecurity purposes?”
“Can you give me a couple of project ideas to get my hands dirty with Python and network security?”
TIP: As you go through these projects, use TCP GPT as a guide whenever you get stuck. Create a GitHub account and host the code to the tool and/or project(s) that you’ve worked on.
“Provide me with a high-level explanation of how Stuxnet attack was carried out.”
“What are the most important principles in identity security?”
“What are 5 interview questions I should be prepared for for a Junior SOC Analyst role? How would you answer them if it were you being interviewed?”
“Provide me with a study plan for the CompTIA Security+ certification.”
“How can I bolster the security of my home network?”
How to Access the TCP GPT
ChatGPT Plus required ($20/month). Worth the investment due to early access to new features, GPT Marketplace, and more.
Once you’ve got ChatGPT Plus, you can access it by clicking this link.
You can also find it on the OpenAI marketplace by clicking “Explore GPTs” on the left-hand panel and type in “The Cybersecurity Professor” and the GPT will pop up as shown below:
What Makes TCP GPT Better than ChatGPT?
Fine-tuned GPT agents are often better than general-purpose ChatGPT because they focus on specific topics, avoid irrelevant details, and are less prone to errors like hallucination, ensuring more accurate and relevant responses. For the TCP GPT, I rigorously tested and fine-tuned it to have he following characteristics:
Specialized Training: Fine-tuned with an extensive collection of cybersecurity-related data, covering historical incidents, technical methodologies, and industry trends.
Expertise Emphasis: Strong focus on real-world scenarios and specific roles within cybersecurity, such as SOC and GRC Analysts, to offer relevant and practical advice.
Interactive Learning Design: TCP is configured to foster interaction and encourage questions, enhancing the engagement and effectiveness of the learning experience.
Accessibility Focus: Tuned to place special emphasis on the ability to demystify complex topics, utilizing analogies and relatable language to make cybersecurity concepts accessible to learners at all levels.
Blooper🫠
While I would’ve LOVED to add diagraming and visual capabilities to the TCP GPT, the DALL-E integration is simply not mature enough as you can tell from the example above. Funny enough, this was after I tried tuning the agent to provide simpler and more accurate visuals.
However, I have no doubt that the DALL-E integration will eventually be advanced enough to generate accurate visuals and when it does, you can count on me to add it to the TCP GPT. This feature will be helpful for generating architecture diagrams, infographics, walking users through attack flows and more.
That’s All… For Now!
If you know someone that is interested in starting their career in cybersecurity or is at the beginning stages of their security career, please share this post with them! It has the promise to help streamline and demystify their process. Even if you’re a veteran in cybersecurity, but are considering a role change or would like to brush up on your fundamentals, TCP GPT is here for you! Lastly, if you have any feedback that can make the GPT better, please do share!
Good luck. I am in the final steps of making my own GPT on AI security and this really motivated me !