Starting My Cybersecurity Journey: Why I’m Here and What I’m Building

When I first got into cybersecurity, I didn’t realize how big a topic it was. I realized how big of an umbrella term Cybersecurity is. It isn’t just about hacking or defense; it is about understanding how systems work, how people think, and how small missteps can lead to massive vulnerabilities. Over time, what started as curiosity turned into a passion and a career path.

This blog is my way of tracking my journey; what I learn, what I build, and what challenges I run into along the way. It’s not just a portfolio. It’s a living journal that reflects how I grow in this field.

I’m currently active duty in the Air Force working in cybersecurity, and while I’m gaining valuable experience, I also want to begin laying the groundwork for what comes next. I want to pursue more in-depth knowledge in topics that I am interested in, mainly ethical hacking and reverse engineering. I don’t get to deal with these topics at work, so I decided to take things into my own hands. My goal is to break into a federal role or the private sector after my service, ideally with a mission-driven agency like CISA or a Cybersecurity firm, where I can make a real and lasting impact in Cybersecurity. I am also a big advocate for K-12 Cybersecurity education and will get more into that in future articles.

Future posts will cover things like:

• Concepts I’m learning in my cybersecurity degree

• Interesting problems I encounter at work

• Personal projects and home lab experiments

• Thoughts on the evolving cyber threat landscape and current events

• Thoughts on Cybersecurity education and awareness, mainly in K-12 schools

Whether you’re someone just starting out, already deep in the industry, or a potential employer looking to see how I think, I hope this blog gives you something worth reading.

Thanks for stopping by. Let’s see where this goes.