Before we get into the deep stuff, let’s start with a simple question:

What is programming, and why does it even matter?

Here’s how I like to think about it. Imagine your computer is like a genie , yeah, like the one from Aladdin. But unlike the movie genie who gives you just three wishes, this one gives you unlimited wishes. Crazy, right?

But There’s a Catch...

You can only get your wishes if you speak the genie’s language. And let’s be honest , the genie’s language isn’t exactly easy to pick up.

That’s where software comes in. Software acts like a translator between you and the genie. It doesn’t give you everything you ask for, but it’s designed to do specific things. So when you’re using Windows, or Ubuntu, or even Microsoft Teams,  what you’re really doing is sending pre-set commands to the genie through software that knows just enough of its language.

But here's where things get interesting...

The Genie Doesn’t Care Who’s Talking

This is the scary part. The genie (your computer) doesn’t care who is speaking, it only cares that they’re speaking its language correctly.

This is how cybercriminals operate. They speak the genie’s language , programming , and they can make it do anything: steal credentials, leak data, plant malware. And the genie just follows instructions.

So, Where Do You Come In?

If you’re in cybersecurity whether you're a SOC analyst, pentester, malware analyst, or something else your job is to stop the wrong people from making the wrong wishes.

And if the bad guys can speak the genie’s language, shouldn’t you be able to speak it too?

Now, don’t get me wrong  there are tons of amazing tools out there. You can do a lot without knowing how to code. You can survive, troubleshoot, even catch a few threats.

But here’s the truth:

• If you want to be a great pentester, knowing tools will help.

• But if you want to be the best, you need to know how to code.

• You can be a solid SOC analyst without programming.

• But if you want to automate, dig deep, or write your own detections? You’ll need scripting.

Final Thoughts

Look , you don’t need to be a developer. You’re not building apps or launching startups. But knowing how to speak the genie’s language  even just a little  can make you way more effective.

So, if you’re aiming for “good,” tools are fine. But if you’re aiming for greatness in cybersecurity?

Learn the language.

What do you think? Does it make sense? Let me know in the comments.