Why am I interested in cybersecurity technology?

In 2016 I started my first year of community college as an applied heath major, which is the path to becoming a registered nurse. I was halfway through the program about to start clinicals, and realized I am not interested in this at all. I had to sit with myself and think about what I really wanted out of a career. I wanted a career that would challenge me. I wanted to enter a field that did not have a singular linear path. It was also particularly important to me that I chose a path that I could continue with or without college. The answer was Cyber Security, so I changed my path from nursing to Information Technology.

Once I decided on Information Technology, I needed to specify what I wanted to do within such a large and growing field. After researching, I found Cyber Security personally interesting due to the many job opportunities within the auto insurance company I work for currently. Out of all the titles, positions, and job descriptions I searched through, the blue and red team positions were the most interesting. I liked the idea that Cyber Security is divided into offense and defense. Even though it is a serious job to safeguard and protect information and privacy, I personally enjoy the idea of pushing something to edge and exploiting its weaknesses and strengths to make it better, it is sort of like a puzzle.

Naturally I found the red team more in line with my interest, I like being on the offensive a bit more than defensive. Even though most roles will have aspects of both. A couple of roles I am interested in are App Penetration Tester and Vulnerability Analyst. Due to insurance migrating from the classic snail mail policy to mobile policies that contain your most confidential information, these roles are in high demand in my field. These two roles spiked my interest because I have the mindset to think constructively on how to improve or strengthen, but on the other side I do have the capability to think backwards and identify red flags.

 In closing I am more than pleased with my choice to change to my path to Cyber Security. Cyber Security had everything I was looking for in a career path and more. It piqued my interest due to multiple pathways available within Information technology, and the field allows room for plenty of growth and opportunity.

Citations

CoreSentinel. (2017, May 17). Characteristics Of A Good Penetration Tester. CoreSentinel. Retrieved August 31, 2022, from https://www.coresentinel.com/penetration-testers/

YouTube. (2021). YouTube. Retrieved August 31, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGoanVsn0OQ.