Riley McFadden
CYSE 200T
Nov 14, 2024
Greg Tomchick’s Speech
BLUF: During Greg’s speech, there were three items that resonated with me, were his
Establish, Preform, and Optimize principles, the importance of psychology in cyber security, and
his method for obtaining internships.
Establish, Perform, and Optimize.
One piece of dialogue that stood out to me during Greg Tomchick’s speech was his idea
of, Establish, Preform, and Optomize. Greg mentions that if I decide to pursue a career in cyber,
I will find myself at one of these steps. I may have to establish tools, policies, or procedures. I
may have to perform such as a penetration tester, testing what people have put in place. I may
have to optimize, by making security systems faster or reducing vulnerabilities.
Psychology in Cyber
Greg mentions how psychology plays a very large and important role in cyber security.
When Greg goes about establishing a company cyber security program, he uses a tool called prep
modeling which relies largely on psychology. The process involves outlining different threat
areas and determining why a hacker would choose to hack the company as well as how they get
others to follow along with the hacking process. This section stuck out to me because I am
considering getting a minor in Psychology.
Method for Internships
Greg states that going after companies and simply asking for an internship will not cut it
most of the time, instead, he recommends that I ask the company if they have a security standard
and how I can help to advance or establish it. A good question to include would be to ask why
the company values security as a whole and ask if they know what cyber security is. I think this
way of seeking internships will open many opportunities for me and prove to organizations that I
can create value for the company.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, Greg Tomchick’s talk really gave me a new perspective on cybersecurity. His tips
on the Establish, Perform, and Optimize steps helped me see how different roles in cybersecurity
work. Learning how psychology plays into security was also eye-opening, and I like that it could
tie into my interest in psychology. Finally, his advice on internships focusing on how I can add
value instead of just asking for a spot makes a lot of sense. Overall, his insights gave me a
clearer picture of what to expect and how to stand out in the cybersecurity field.