Over the past few years, my experience working with NACCFI on the creation and monitoring of their website has played a huge role in shaping my understanding of cybersecurity beyond the classroom. While I’ve learned a lot from my coursework in areas like digital forensics, network security, and cybersecurity strategy, being able to apply those concepts in a real-world environment gave me a whole new level of insight.

Through this hands-on experience, I developed skills in web development and software configuration, which really strengthened my understanding of how front-end and back-end systems operate together. It also gave me a deeper appreciation for secure coding practices and taught me how even small vulnerabilities in design or configuration can have serious security implications. I started learning not just how to build software, but how to build it with security in mind.

One of the most valuable parts of the experience was the monitoring aspect. I was responsible for keeping an eye on website activity and flagging anything suspicious, which helped me develop a better sense for what normal user behavior looks like versus potential threats. It pushed me to become more familiar with tools used in cyber monitoring and taught me how to identify and respond to irregularities, whether they came from misconfigurations or unusual access attempts. This experience helped bridge the gap between textbook knowledge and real-time security practice.

In addition, working consistently in a Windows-based environment helped improve my overall system administration skills. I became comfortable with routine tasks like managing user permissions, working with file systems, and navigating system settings—things that don’t always come up in detail in class, but are crucial to know in the field.

This experience outside of school has not only reinforced my passion for cybersecurity but also helped me build a practical foundation that complements my academic work. It’s shown me the importance of continuous learning and adaptability, and it’s made me more confident in my ability to contribute to a team in a real-world cybersecurity role.