From Zero To Analyst

08/12/2018

You worked in education before? How did you end up in cyber security?"

This is a statement I've heard frequently since entering the cyber security field. People that don't know me personally are typically surprised or intrigued to know why I made the career change. My career change was not a sudden occurrence. I didn't suddenly have this 'ah-ha' moment of 'that's what I want to do'. Although in some ways I use to think that's how it happened but after a lot of reflection, I realized that I was always a hacker. I wasn't always a hacker behind a computer but its no surprise that cyber security is where I've landed. Dictionary.com defines "hack" as:

Hack, verb (used without object)

  1. to modify a computer program or electronic device in a skillful or clever way: to hack around with HTML.
  2. to break into a network, computer, file, etc., usually with malicious intent.Computers.

Hacking is about finding creative ways to cut corners or cracking something open out of curiosity such as an old computer or even finding something that no one was aware of such as a zero day. Its about taking your curiosities and using it as a hammer or wrench to learn how something ticks/operates inside and then manipulate it into behaving in a manner it may not have been intended to behave.

When I was a child, we didn't have much financially. So if there was a toy I really wanted, I would wish and wish for it. At some point, I decided I was going to try and take pieces of other toys I didn't play with much anymore and use those pieces to build a toy that I wanted. I didn't have any manuals or any clue as to how I was going to build them but I had my imagination. In the 3rd grade, I really wanted a light up yo-yo. It was all I could think about for a while haha I remember standing at the dresser in my room with the lamp on and the ninja turtles movie in the background. I stood there with a paddle ball, betty spaghetti, and some other pieces of something that I can't remember. I knew I couldn't make my yo-yo look like the one I wanted but I knew how a yo-yo worked and so I detached the string from the paddle, wrapped it around the ball, attached some other pieces to the ball and BAM! I had makeshift yo-yo! It didn't work very well or last very long but I learned in that moment and others like it, how to get around not having access to something. If I couldn't have a yo-yo, I was going to build it based on my knowledge of how it operates. This is what it's like with hacking computer systems. By the time I was in high school, I was able to find my way around a computer with ease and along with my little brother, we became the go to people in our family for fixing something that didn't work right. We were technical support (but that's not how we saw it). We were both just really into computers and still are. Below is a non-exhaustive timeline of how things sort of took off from there:

2009-2010:

  • Started a Youtube channel where I reviewed cell phones and applications
  • Started jailbreaking ipod touch 2G's

2011-2013:

  • Started buying all the coolest gadgets at the time (ipod touch, HP laptop, digital cameras, more phones and cases)

2013-2015:

  • Graduated college, then worked in education while taking apart and rebuilding an old computer as a hobby.
  • I started becoming more curious about the code behind software, public policy, and entertained the idea of going to grad school.

2016:

  • Signed up for FCC (Free Code Camp) and learned how to write html/css, and javascript.
  • I started taking free online courses related to anything computer science or coding related (including Harvard's computer science course on edX).
  • Programming was something that became all I did during my downtime.
  • I started attending weekly tech meetups and tech conferences, I was immersed in everything tech.
  • Person of Interest, interestingly enough, became my favorite show! This is relevant because it was the catalyst that steered me to learn MORE. My curiosity became insatiable. This is when I started to truly learn what the art of ethical-hacking is.

2017:

  • Continued to work in education and even taught a class on how to make video games.
  • Continued my learning journey with coding and ethical-hacking. I looked for any free or cheap courses to take on the subjects; mostly through udemy (they always have sales that let you purchase courses for $10 or free99).
  • Because of how immersed I was in the tech world and how much passion I had behind it, I decided I wanted to do it full-time while getting paid.
  • I applied for Evolve Security Academy (#1 Cyber Security Boot Camp) and got accepted in!
  • Put my notice in at the school and stopped working in education.

2018:

  • Began attending the academy and was catapulted even more into the information security world. This was one of my most memorable experiences. There's too much to put here in regards to what I've learned. Check their website for the curriculum to get a better snapshot.
  • Studied my axx off everyday during the academy and got my Security+ certification.
  • Interviewed like craaaazy and received multiple offers before the academy ended.
  • Was the most challenged and stressed I had ever been, academically.
  • Accepted a position as a Jr Information Security Analyst

I realize that my path is not one that everyone can take. Alongside my passion and hard work, I had and continue to have a support system of people that have encouraged me, loved me, and invested in my education. I was fully prepared to do a lot on my own as I have with so many other things in my life, but this experience has taught me that its okay to ask for help, its okay to allow others to support you, and its okay to thrive! I am forever grateful for my circle and feel extremely lucky that I get to do what I love everyday. With that being said, my learning has not stopped by any means and I'm currently preparing to sit for my Network+, CEH (Certified Ethical-Hacker), and OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional). This may seem like a lot but when you love what your learning, you feel like you have all the time in the world. I'm also planning to teach other women/non-binary people of color how to be hackers (white-hat of course). I want to see more people that look like me in the field and that starts with education and mentorship.

Signed,

Ro0t $>