I thought I'd go ahead and share what I've been up to recently. I currently work in project management & corporate compliance, and was in healthcare for 10 years before that.
About a month ago, I discovered an interest in personal cyber-security & data privacy: for example, how can I shield my personal information from metadata tracking by ad & tech companies to use for targeted ads, or sell & trade it under their extensive privacy policy that no one ever reads? How can I ensure that my passwords are secure, and that my accounts use MFA/2FA whenever possible? Sadly, even if I take every precaution, my info could also be exposed because I'd given it to an organization who's had their data breached.
Cybersecurity is a part of everyone's lives - personally and at work, whether we like it or not. Unless of course, you live in a cabin in the woods with no internet or phone.
I soon realized that not only myself, but no one is able to protect themselves and their organizations from all the cyber threats out there, and I believe I have what it takes to help, professionally, with this worldwide problem. I thought immediately of the hospitals and nursing homes who have been taken hostage by ransomware attacks, and patients who have died as a result. Lives are irrevocably changed every day by malicious bits of code that, with better security and preparation, could be prevented. How could I NOT go for a career where I'd be protecting against those threats? Especially, those made against our most vulnerable citizens who are unable to do so themselves?
So with that inspiration, my focus is now on professional development… into cybersecurity!
I'm very early in this journey still, but I've been spending most of my precious & scarce free time (outside of work and parenting) digging into the wealth of articles, podcasts, and training out there. In fact, and this is not a promo I swear -- for me, it started with #LinkedInLearning courses that are made accessible through my company, Wolters Kluwer. I started with "Land your First Cybersecurity Job" by the amazing cyber-ninja Mari Galloway, and have been fully inspired to learn more, and build a roadmap to #PIVOT into the field ever since.
After that course and trawling the internet, it turns out there has been a huge national initiative to build a stronger cybersecurity workforce, simply because of the growing supply gap: the threats are getting more sophisticated & evolving quicker than they have been, even in recent years, yet there aren't nearly enough trained professionals to handle it.
I've just been accepted to the One Million Certified in #Cybersecurity certification course at #ISC2: https://www.isc2.org/landing/1mcc. Wish me luck!
Do you, or a friend, happen to work in cyber? If yes, PLEASE say hi so I can fire questions at you 😁
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