Throughout my journey at Old Dominion University I have been able to gain skills and knowledge that would help succeed in my career and potentially open opportunities for me in the workplace. Below are different skills I believe have been beneficial to me throughout my journey here. Along with the skills , I will be incorporating three different artifacts to showcase how I was able to gain these skills and master them.

Technical Skills

Technical skills are essential in cybersecurity because they enable professionals to effectively identify, analyze, and respond to security threats. Understanding how systems, networks, and software work allows cybersecurity experts to spot vulnerabilities, configure security measures, and protect against attacks. These skills also help in incident response, forensic analysis, and troubleshooting, ensuring that breaches are addressed quickly and systems are secured. As cyber threats evolve, having technical expertise allows security teams to adapt, implement new defense strategies, and stay ahead of emerging risks. In short, technical skills are the foundation of a proactive and effective cybersecurity strategy

This lab demonstrates technical skills by using Ubuntu to perform ethical hacking.

This lab demonstrates the technical knowledge of using wireshark.

This lab demonstrates how I was able to gain knowledge on how to be able to create a Cisco Packet Tracer.

Communication Skills

Communication is essential in cybersecurity because it ensures that all teams and stakeholders are aligned and informed. Clear communication helps coordinate responses during incidents, making sure the right actions are taken quickly to mitigate threats. It also plays a vital role in educating employees about security best practices and raising awareness about potential risks. Effective communication allows cybersecurity professionals to explain complex technical issues to non-technical stakeholders, helping secure necessary resources and support. Ultimately, good communication fosters collaboration, improves response times, and strengthens the overall security posture of an organization.

This memorandum demonstrates how I am able to communicate correctly by ensuring that I properly am able to incorporate my ideas or thoughts on a specific concept and be able to effectively communicate in writing.

This memorandum demonstrates how I was able to effectively write to the U.S House of Representatives and communicate the importance of the Advancement of Cybersecurity Diagnostics and Mitigation Act.

This essay demonstrates how I can effectively communicate on the skills that I was able to learn when taking the cybersecurity philosophy course.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking skills are crucial in cybersecurity because they allow professionals to analyze complex situations, identify potential threats, and evaluate solutions effectively. Cybersecurity often involves unpredictable and evolving challenges, requiring quick decision-making and problem-solving. Critical thinking helps experts assess risks, spot vulnerabilities, and create effective defense strategies. It also enables them to detect unusual patterns or behaviors, which could indicate a cyberattack. By thinking logically and analytically, cybersecurity professionals can anticipate and respond to threats before they escalate, ensuring better protection for systems and data.

This essay demonstrates my critical thinking skills on writing about controversial difficult subjects to elaborate on such as the Iraqi women suffering cyberbullying.

This essay demonstrates critical thinking skills by analyzing human interaction in security information sharing.

This lab plan demonstrates my critical thinking skills to be able to create and run a brand-new digital forensics lab for a mid-sized police department.