As we return to in-person events, more of us are getting the opportunity to interact with our heroes in the InfoSec community. When you get a chance to interact with these folks remember:

What you think you know about them is based on the tiny slice of themselves they choose to share on social media. This gets mixed together with a lot of other speculation that people choose to project into the mix.

The result is a persona that in no way reflects who your hero truly is. If you expect the persona to be the person, you’ll likely be disappointed. It’s also incredibly isolating for the person who is being asked to play the role others have made for them.

The golden rule applies here. How would you like somebody to approach you? Would you like them to get to know something authentic about you? Would you like them to express interest in what’s important to you?