How do you describe your job to average people?
I'm a quality auditor at Nuspire Networks, a managed security service provider. In my role, I'm responsible for reviewing the performance of our security engineers to ensure network security events are being diagnosed and acted upon in a timely manner that supports best practice and adheres to established guidelines.
What was one of your biggest challenges?
Overcoming the general lack of education and concern regarding the need for network security. The aftermath of a security breach isn't pretty and it's paramount for organizations to not only understand network and security vulnerabilities, but also implement the necessary safeguards to mitigate such risks.
What keeps you up at night?
Knowing the threat landscape is radically progressing and attacks are becoming increasingly difficult to predict and anticipate.
Why did you get into IT security?
It's a space where you must stay one step ahead of offenders who are constantly employing more sophisticated threats – meaning there's always a new problem to solve. While challenging, I immensely enjoy developing solutions to address evolving threats. Not to mention, it's very rewarding to be involved in the creation of an effective security solution.
What makes you most proud?
I'm most proud to work in a field that enables others to securely utilize the many advantages offered by technology.
How would you use a magic IT security wand?
I'd use it to enlighten others of the need for implementation of effective network security safeguards. Specifically, pairing security information and event management (SIEM) with an effective security operations center (SOC) can be the most effective line of defense for network security.
