Sunday, September 9, 2018

What I Hope to Get out of My Masters Degree in InfoSec Engineering

I have shared with some of you that I am continuing my graduate studies, which I began in the Graduate Certificate Program in Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking, in the Masters of Science in Information Security Engineering. This is a transition I have been planning for a couple years and I'm excited to get started.

For the time, money, and effort I invest in this degree program I expect to obtain expert deep technical knowledge in information security and critical leadership tools. I will apply these elements as I acquire them, both on the job and within the community. Through this process, I hope to make a positive impact on the security industry through sharing knowledge, experience, and information.

From the government sector to private industry, to managed services my experiences in information security have been broad. Recognition of this has led me to pursue deep technical knowledge of information security topics. I began this journey by pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking (GC-PT/EH) from the SANS Technology Institute and will continue that effort as a student of the Master's of Science in Information Security Engineering (MS-ISE) program. Finally, I am also very excited about preparing for and pursuing GIAC Security Expert (GSE) certification As a result of my desire for continual learning, I want deeper technical knowledge resulting in degree completion and GSE Certification.

I am excited that I will receive leadership development through the MS-ISE program. These skills are critical for influencing decision makers and colleagues in healthy and productive ways. I hope to gain greater planning, writing, and speaking skills. These will allow me to express the need for greater focus and support on security issues by making them continually more relevant to the business.

In conclusion, I expect to gain deep technical knowledge and leadership abilities through this program. I intend to apply these immediately as a practitioner in this industry. Finally, I intend to apply these by giving back to the community through mentoring and instructing.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, I want to do these things in order to give back to the community. There has never been a greater need for mentors and skilled instructors in this industry. Budding and neophyte professionals alike need more mature and experienced colleagues to step up and share their knowledge and lessons learned in order to be successful in continuing to shape the understanding of the risks and impacts related to security issues.