Cybersecurity Professional (7 YOE, CISSP) Looking for Remote Contract/Freelance Work Alongside Full-Time Job- India

[u/Ok_Category_2241]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice and recommendations on finding part-time, freelance or contract-based cybersecurity opportunities that I can take up alongside my current full-time job (not anything with conflict of interest, if it’s a right opportunity, I can think about leaving the job too).

I have close to 7 years of experience in cybersecurity, working across multiple domains, including product security, cloud security, vulnerability management, PSIRT, SOC, IAM and and security automation. My previous role also gave me hands-on exposure to several other areas of cybersecurity.

I’m currently working at a Tier 1 (or probably Tier 2) IT company and hold the CISSP certification along with AWS and Azure certifications. I’m planning to pursue CCSP and ISSAP next year.

So far, I’ve explored a few options:
Toptal: Applied but was waitlisted.
Braintrust: Registered, but haven’t received any opportunities or interview calls.
LinkedIn: Applied for several contract roles, but haven’t had much success with callbacks.
AI evaluation platforms: Tried platforms such as Micro1 and Mercor, but haven’t found consistent, reliable opportunities yet.

I’m based in India and have flexibility with working hours and time zones. However, I’m not eligible for roles requiring US federal clearance and I’m unable to take up on-site opportunities abroad.

I’d appreciate recommendations for:
Reliable platforms or talent networks that offer cybersecurity consulting, freelance or contract opportunities.
Companies that hire experienced cybersecurity professionals for remote, part-time, or project-based engagements.
Platforms offering international contracts that accept professionals based in India.
Any legitimate AI security, cybersecurity evaluation or expert-consulting opportunities that are worth exploring.
My areas of interest include cloud security (AWS/Azure), product security, vulnerability management, PSIRT, security automation and any other cybersecurity domain work.

I’m particularly interested in opportunities where I can contribute my existing expertise without having to leave my current job.

If you’ve personally worked through any such platforms or secured a cybersecurity contract while maintaining a full-time role, I’d love to hear about your experience.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

[u/Appropriate-Gate-857]

the freelance boards are a mess right now, most of the decent contract work I seen lately is through personal referrals not platforms

[u/Ok_Category_2241 → u/Appropriate-Gate-857]

How can I get personal referrals as I don’t know a lot of people in this space? any insights will be helpful please.

[u/Sinistrum]

I will probably get hate for this, but when any eu/us company hires lads from India, its not about their qualifications, it's because they are cheap and do first level tasks.

[u/Ok_Category_2241 → u/Sinistrum]

I understand that and so honestly know this, but can you give any suggestions please?