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Head in the Cloud

Posted on by admin in Cybersecurity

One of my professional goals for this year is to learn more cloud technology. It is one area where my skills are somewhat lacking. Sure, I can toss around buzzwords like everybody else, but I want to go deeper than that. I want to build things, break things, and utilize things in the cloud. So I started taking some trainings in AWS Skillbuilder. I chose AWS as the cloud technology to learn because of it’s popularity and great training resources. So far, I have completed the AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials training and the associated Cloud Quest Labs! I really enjoyed the Cloud Quest labs; it was a great way to practice what I had learned. Now I am taking some trainings that correspond to the AWS Solutions Architect – Associate certification. My goal is to get this certification and possible the AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification. I believe in doing real world experience in conjunction with coursework, so I am also currently on the hunt for some home lab project ideas. So far, my only thoughts are to maybe host my website on AWS, but I’m hoping to get some more ideas shortly.

Learning From Not Learning

Posted on by admin in Uncategorized

A couple weeks ago, I snagged a discount code for 50% off the learning academy at TCM security. For awhile, I’ve had my eye on two courses: the Practical API hacking course and the Practical Bug Bounty Course. I took both courses and the content was excellent; I highly recommend both of them for people just starting out. After completing the courses, I realized that I didn’t learn anything new or earth-shattering. Sure, there were some areas where my knowledge was a little fuzzy and I learned some new approaches to applying a concept, but there weren’t any areas where I felt lost or confused. My knowledge level of application security is now at a point where most of my learning has to come from doing. I’ve suspected this for the last couple of months, but taking these courses was my epiphany moment. My takeaway from these courses is not the information, but that I need to continue with more hands-on project stuff. That’s why I’ve been doing bug bounty hunting and coding a project in Python.

So yeah, the courses are amazing and I’m glad I took them. I just need more hands-on activities at this point in my journey.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Posted on by admin in Uncategorized

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” is a great little book by Dr. Seuss. This book is about potential; the potential of success in the face of inevitable failure. I like reading this book at the end of the year because it fits nicely with my “end of the year” reflections. No matter the ups and downs of the previous year, your potential is directly dependent on the belief of being your best. Happy New Year!!!

Check-In 10/22/23

Posted on by admin in Uncategorized

It has been almost an entire year since my last post and I think I’m overdue for another one. 2023 has been a busy year and it’s not over yet! Here is a short list of things I am doing/have done over the last month or so.

  • Got my CISSP certification! This was rough but I’m glad I did it. Now, I just need to finish the approval process.
  • Rode a bike from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. This was a 334 mile bike ride on the Greater Alleghany Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath. More information about this is on the way once I finish gathering all the information and photos.
  • Read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This was one of the best book I have read in a long time. The entire idea of a “Personal Legend” really resonated with me. I’ve read so many good books this year. Unfortunately, I don’t think I am going to make my goal of reading 20 books this year.
  • A lot of cybersecurity self-studying. I’ve been really active in Portswigger’s Web Academy, Hack the Box, and a couple of other courses.

That’s all I got for now…until next time!

Benefits of Cooking

Posted on by admin in Cooking
  • Good for your health – Your health is heavily influenced by what you put in your body. It is an investment in your future. Cook now so you can have better health in your 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
  • Good for your wallet – Cooking all of your meals at home won’t make you a millionaire by itself, but long-term, it does help the expenses. By cooking most meals at home, I currently pay about $3 a meal. I think that is a pretty good deal for good food. Plus, I don’t have to tip.
  • Helps develop soft skills – Cooking has made me wickedly good at time management and juggling multiple things at the same time. I haven’t figured out how to put this on my work resume yet, but I’m going to figure it out.
  • A great way of impressing the ladies/gents.