Hello World!

All programmers, when learning a new language, usually start with a "Hello World" program. It's a good way to actually use the new code to do something useful with the code while learning. So, I'm using this post as a "Hello World" program to introduce my blog. There are many who have come before me, and I've learned a ton from those people. Hopefully, as I immerse myself into the field, I'll be able to aid those who are starting after me; or I hope to give back to the community in some small way.

I started out with computers in grammar school, on a TRS-80. In college, I majored in business; though the concentration was in Management [of] Information Systems. I would have received a minor in Comp. Sci., though I got mono in my senior year of college, and had to withdraw from a class. However, it was in college that I took a class where I read The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll. I knew at that time that I wanted to "catch bad guys using computers." After graduating college, I started programming for a large brokerage house; where I programmed mainframe computers. I mostly worked with much older co-workers, and was the resident "pc-guy." When the company moved offices they moved from dumb terminals to desktop pcs. At this time, outside of work, I actually attempted to start an ISP. I've looked for my old Slackware cds, I can't find them, but I know they had a low version number. Ultimately, I was unsuccessful starting the business. And it was a probably a pretty good thing. The market exploded for internet access and margins became razor thin. But it was great experience.

Since then, I've mostly worked for large companies as a developer. It wasn't until I got laid off that I returned to thinking about getting back into the security business. I was looking for jobs and I saw a job posting with the FBI in their Forensics unit. It was close to home, it was security related, and I would be able to "catch bad guys" and use computers. I looked into what it would take, and I realized I was not qualified. Even with some security qualifications. So, I didn't apply.

Now, I'm thinking of leaving the company I work for. I've just recently earned my A+, and I'm working on Security+. After that, I'm thinking of going after my SANS GCFA, then after that CCE.

So, in a nutshell, that's where I'm coming from, and where I hope to go. I'm always looking for insight, comments, and thoughts from the people who have been there before me.


"Hey, gunner man, that's quicksand, that's quicksand that ain't mud
Have you thrown your senses to the war or did you lose them in the flood?"

Here's to hoping I don't get lost.