Rafal Los, James Jardine, and Michael Santarcangelo -- #DtSR and What Makes a Good Security Consultant?

What separates a useful security consultant from someone who merely arrives with answers? Rafal Los, James Jardine, and Michael Santarcangelo of the Down the Security Rabbit Hole podcast join Chris and Robert to examine consulting from external and internal perspectives. They compare technical ability with empathy, listening, confidence, communication, and the willingness to admit uncertainty. Each guest shares career lessons, including working yourself out of a role by making the client stronger, building durable relationships, and staying focused on the work you do best. The group also discusses specialization, referrals, and advice for people entering consulting. Their shared conclusion is that expertise matters, but a consultant creates value by understanding context, helping others succeed, and earning trust.The Application Security Podcast is brought to you by Security Journey.About Security JourneySecurity Journey provides application security education for developers and everyone in the software development lifecycle.→ Learn more about Security JourneyConnect with Rafal Los, James Jardine, and Michael Santarcangelo:→ Rafal Los on X→ James Jardine on X→ Michael Santarcangelo on XMentioned in this episode:→ Down the Security Rabbithole PodcastFollow the Application Security Podcast:➜ Home➜ X➜ LinkedIn➜ YouTube➜ Instagram➜ FacebookChapters:00:00 What makes a good security consultant02:20 Michael’s view of successful consulting03:45 Rafal’s external-consultant perspective05:22 James on consulting from inside organizations07:26 Empathy as a professional skill09:19 Technical skills versus soft skills13:34 Career origin stories and second chances16:00 Working yourself out of a job18:12 Lessons from James Jardine20:02 Listening, confidence, and handling uncertainty22:11 Consulting across different client contexts25:05 Focus, specialization, and referrals29:27 Advice for people entering consulting31:55 Creating opportunities for new talent33:43 Final recommendations36:25 Closing thoughts