Journal Entries
- Journal Entry 1
I have been at my internship with 360IT for just over 100 hours. I go to my internship every Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. I spend each day in various settings and learning from different technicians and employees of 360IT. There are days when I will work directly in the office assisting the bench technician with issues that are brought directly into the office. Other days I will travel with the onsite technician who visits companies that have employed 360IT to assist them with various issues.
After shadowing the bench technician for the first few weeks, I was given the opportunity to work independently on different projects. I was able to take apart multiple desk top computers and replace SSD cards, add additional RAM, and clean the interior of the computer. I was also tasked with doing wipes and reloads. Traveling with the field technician involved more shadowing than hands on.
I have learned a multitude of tasks related to IT and cyber issues. I was taught how to install security parameters on clients’ computers via the command prompt. We also had to access a computer that was locked due to foreign intruders taking over the computer. In this scenario we had to reset the computer and while resetting hold the shift button and spam the F8 key until it brought up the bios screen. This allowed us to access the command prompt and use a string of commands to unlock the computer.
In another instance while working at 360IT, we acquired a new client whose previous IT worker was essentially holding the company hostage. This employee did not tell people their passwords and would lock them out of the files so he could control the access to all the data in the network. This employee was fired after the company had the evidence to prove he was black mailing the company. Our task was to remote in via VPN and lock him out of their network so he could no longer access any data within this network.
I went to onsite jobs with another employee from my internship and we went to a company called Marathon Event Planning and had to clone their M2 drive and paste the cloned drive onto a new computer so we could upgrade their system. After finishing this job we went to another business and helped configure their network and strengthen their WiFi by testing each server and adding additional WiFi boosters in strategic areas of the business.
- Journal Entry 2
I have been at my internship with 360IT for just over 100 hours. I go to my internship every Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. I spend each day in various settings and learning from different technicians and employees of 360IT. There are days when I will work directly in the office assisting the bench technician with issues that are brought directly into the office. Other days I will travel with the onsite technician who visits companies that have employed 360IT to assist them with various issues.
After shadowing the bench technician for the first few weeks, I was given the opportunity to work independently on different projects. I was able to take apart multiple desk top computers and replace SSD cards, add additional RAM, and clean the interior of the computer. I was also tasked with doing wipes and reloads. Traveling with the field technician involved more shadowing than hands on.
I have learned a multitude of tasks related to IT and cyber issues. I was taught how to install security parameters on clients’ computers via the command prompt. We also had to access a computer that was locked due to foreign intruders taking over the computer. In this scenario we had to reset the computer and while resetting hold the shift button and spam the F8 key until it brought up the bios screen. This allowed us to access the command prompt and use a string of commands to unlock the computer.
In another instance while working at 360IT, we acquired a new client whose previous IT worker was essentially holding the company hostage. This employee did not tell people their passwords and would lock them out of the files so he could control the access to all the data in the network. This employee was fired after the company had the evidence to prove he was black mailing the company. Our task was to remote in via VPN and lock him out of their network so he could no longer access any data within this network.
I went to onsite jobs with another employee from my internship and we went to a company called Marathon Event Planning and had to clone their M2 drive and paste the cloned drive onto a new computer so we could upgrade their system. After finishing this job we went to another business and helped configure their network and strengthen their WiFi by testing each server and adding additional WiFi boosters in strategic areas of the business.
- Journal Entry 3
The final 50 hours of my internship were similar to the first 100 hours. I reported to work every Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. Normally, when working in the office, I would work with the bench technician fixing issues that were brought into the company from various vendors. When I was out in the field with the field technician, we would travel to various companies that hired us to come into their organization and repair or mitigate issues in their network.
Working with the bench technician, I was assigned to wipe 18 / 2 in 1 monitor computers. I was given a Kingston boot manager. Once I received the computer’s serial number and TPC name, I then reset the computer and spammed the escape button until it let me into the bios manager window. I rearranged the bios load up order and put the Kingston boot manager as the first thing to load into. Once that was complete, I went in and deleted everything that was on the computer which basically made it a brand-new computer. After completing this job the computers were ready to be sent back to the company.
We were hired by a company that had an employee who felt he knew more about IT than we did and he ended up messing up the network by not requiring a password to sign in. The network ended up being compromised and we were employed to come in and delete all the corrupt programs that could cause a security breach within the company’s network. We ran a full scan of the network and were able to isolate the malware that had infected the system. Once this was isolated and removed, we were able to salvage the majority of the company’s files. The computer was scrapped, and a new system was installed with protective security measures.
This internship has taught me a lot about both IT and cybersecurity. Being able to work hands on and trouble shoot various scenarios has been incredibly helpful and instructional. The employer and employees at 360IT were helpful and allowed me to learn from them as well as use my own knowledge to work. I am appreciate to them for the opportunity to learn about this field of work in a great environment and with knowledgeable people.
Applying Course Knowledge
- I was able to utilize much of my course work knowledge during my internship. I applied my technology skills, cybersecurity skills, and application skills during my time with 360IT Partners, LLC.
- What I found most releveant during my internship is the need for educating the public about cyber intrusion, malware, and phishing scams that corrupt a system. Many of the clients we serviced we not fully aware of the threats facing them on a daily basis.
- My career in cybersecurity will involve multiple levels of knowledge related to the technology field. Along with basic information tehcnology skills, I will be able to implement my knowledge of security and cyber crime.
Skill Development
- I was able to learn new skills while working in my internship. The team of experts at 360IT Partners were extremely knowledgable and gave me a much deeper understanding of technology.
- I learned how to wipe and reload computers, install malware detection software, and how to clone a hard drive.
- I was able to work in tandem with technicians as they traveled to on site locations and mitigated customer issues such as WIFI efficiency, cloud storage, and other system maintenance issues.
Personal Development
- Personally, I learned the importance of being professional and knowledgable in my career.
- I was able to be apart of a highly respected team of professionals who value their work performance. They demonstrated to me a wonderful work ethic and how to achieve long lasting clients.
- I learned the importance of a highly effective management team. The managers and team leaders at 360IT Partners led by example. They created a inspiring work environment that allowed the employees to work independently with success.