2020 Hindsight | First 30, part-3: Make The Job You Want

TWO WEEKS INTO OUR SOCIAL DISTANCING

Update: The death toll for COVID-19 in New York City has increased exponentially. As of today - March 28 - the count is at +500. Our dearest President has yet to make an executive decision on whether or not to enforce MANDATORY QUARANTINE in the Tri-State area.
The situation is bleak. The prognosis so far is that we have yet to hit the peak. Social distancing is the prescription to keep the virus from spreading worse than it already has. Sadly, there are those who refuse to obey.

In my last post, I gave a quick synopsis on where I was in first 3 months at the work. Not gonna lie, it's been the best and most challenging of times. If there has been any bad, its been mostly self-induced. But a tremendous opportunity has showed its face and I am all-the-more motivated.

When you see a way, you make a way.

I will dedicate this space to discussing the job I want .. and the job I'm "making"

INTRODUCTIONS

Allow me to start with the following introduction. When I was hired, part of our onboarding/orientation included fundamental user information security education; the basics on what to do and what to avoid as it related to sensitive information and the like. For the first time that I can remember, I was face to face with Security people. I had to make my acquaintances.

THE TEAM

Having made the rounds, I became more acquainted with the rest of the team members. My eagerness felt like an explosion of immense joy. I knew I had always been passionate about getting into the field, but being face to face with persons in the field (not just acquaintances in social media) made the exuberance of wanting to become a team member more than I could bear.

THE WORK

So joining the Security team was not going to be easy. First there's my current role (which I'm enjoying) and the responsibilities that come along with it. Too many times I have stepped outside myself to get the information I need. By this I mean, I know whom to ask for questions, but in my self-reliance, I have taken the onus to circumvent that and go to the source, sometimes with a bit of friction as a result. Then end result was never to become a problem, but to solve them. Which brings me to the Security team.

Having met with one key member virtually, there was so much excitement and kismet that came out of that meeting that I could barely contain it. We spoke about the deficiencies of the department and where I could be an asset. We spoke about the skills and experience I would need to qualify for the role. We spoke about the needs of the department and where I could fill a spot sorely lacking by way of process. To conclude: THIS IS THE JOB I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR !! We bonded and I got the approval. I know what I want to do.

THE ROLE

For the moment, I envision a Security Analyst role where I can apply my former QA testing acumen towards security-based testing. The intent is to incorporate both a manual and automated approach to web application security testing. I would leverage existing tools, tests, and methods to ensure the security of our applications, as well as the quality thereof. I don't want to "hack" our apps, but if the need to do so warrants it, I want to be that guy. Ultimately, it would be to build up the resume worthy of a RED TEAM.

I have never been more enthused to go to work as I have been this week. I aim to be the best I can be for my team and continue to flourish in my role. But my is on the prize hard-core. I'm close to the dream job.

So yeah ... when you don't have the job you want - Make the job you want. Be your best self and make it known that you have the passion and persistence to persevere !!

2020 Hindsight | First 30, part-2: New Decade, New Job

GOALS CHECK-IN

It has been 90 days since my first "new decade" post and a lot has happened so far. But I will first start with my goals check-in and see where I'm at.

Top-5 Goals & Status

• Get Certified

  • Target date: June
  • Status: Not started
  • Reason: NYC shutdown and busy at work

• Practice Security: Tooling and Methodology

  • Target date: 12/1
  • Status: In Progress
  • Reason: Employing lessons learned at work with Security dept.

• Learning "Threat Detection"

  • Target date: 12/1
  • Status: In Progress
  • Reason: On chapter 5 of 12

• Be Better today

  • Target date: 12/1
  • Status: In Progress
  • Reason: Continued learning. I think I strive for a "father-figure" which is why I fail to integrate with management.
    

    Learning a new skill has been the most fun at work, but the documentation and information exchange have placed me in a reactive rather than proactive state. Working on fixing this.

    In losing my Elephant "family", integrating with new co-workers remains elusive. Even now, the concept of "fitting in" is a bit of a challenge.

• Travel more

  • Target date: June
  • Status: Cancelled
  • Reason: NYC shutdown has forced us to rethink any travel plans for the foreseeable future

• New Career Opportunity

  • Target date:January
  • Status: Done
  • Reason: Currently employed at Unqork. Don't f** it up!

• WFH Fitness

  • Target date:12 weeks from start date
  • Status: Not Started
  • Reason: Need to find research on best program to use

There you have it! A quick check-in of my goals, and the promises I intend keep (I like this word as "goals" is flaky). Still holding myself accountable for the positives and negatives. Unwritten expectations become hidden resentments. But at the moment, I have to focus on my own personal expectations. I know my strengths and weaknesses. Mostly its about the attitude of moving past my own stubbornness. I'm good at getting in my own way.

2020 Hindsight | First 30, part-1: New Decade, New Pandemic

The road so far ...

3 months into the new year, new decade and there is a lot to cover, so I will keep it brief. A lot has happened with regards to my new employment, new moments, and other news I will cover more diligently in the months to come .. promise!

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

I would be remiss if I didn't start off with what is quite literally the most life-changing event of the new decade: COVID-19 aka "Corona Virus" that began showing up the first few weeks of 2020 (the exact date remains a hot topic).

How it started

The origins of the pandemic are murky at best, with opposing countries US and CHINA blaming each other. The truth is the virus was not an engineered bio-weapon:

".. the virus evolved to its current pathogenic state through natural selection in a non-human host and then jumped to humans. This is how previous coronavirus outbreaks have emerged, with humans contracting the virus after direct exposure to civets (SARS) and camels (MERS)"

source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200317175442.htm

How its spread

What is fact so far is the outbreak started in China and quickly made its way across Asia and Europe, with Italy one of the first countries hardest hit.

Spanning several weeks in February, the rate of spread grew exponentially, eventually reaching the US. By the first week in March, the spread reached all of Europe and nearly every state in the union, with infections being reported moment-by-moment, in all walks of life (including celebrities), with some cases of fatalities being reported.

What we know

• The virus is an evolved version of earlier pathogens like SARS and MERS
• The virus is spread by contact, person-to-person, or from surfaces
• The virus is deadliest amongst people past the age of 70, or with a pre-existing condition
• The virus lives airborne for days, and on surfaces for up to a few hours

What we don't know

• To date, there's no known cure

How we are fighting it

• As of March 16th, NYers (among many other states) have been ordered to maintain 6ft of "social distancing" with each other
• Most offices - including my new job - have been ordered to enact a "Work-from-home" policy
• Non-essential personnel have been asked to stay home
• Schools, Churches, and other public venues are closed. Restaurants are opened for take-out services only
• Gatherings of people have been restricted to 50 or so
• A possible shut-down of NY State is eminent

The fallout so far

Leadership during hardship

It is during the most difficult times that we see the character of a person. We judge if they put WE before ME. We see leadership and grace under fire. We get a feeling of hope and comfort, not angst and fear. We get facts, not conjecture and innuendo. We get decisive action, not temerity.

Our Governor Andrew Cuomo has demonstrated such leadership and bold action. Our President and City Mayor have failed in their duties to allay fears and provide the necessary information and decisive action that defines separates a great leader from the rest.

Coping and conforming

Many celebrities have taken up the challenge of employing social media to reach out to fans and provide some form of entertainment

Fitness types have also employed YouTube and Instagram to publish home-based workouts. Something I fully plan to take advantage of!!

Working from home .. and schooling from home .. are our new norms. Like many, I am practicing social distancing and WFH policy. I will go into this next post.
The most disappointing thing is the behavior of some. There are still crimes happening. There are still people who wish to troll others. And even from our national leaders, there is a consistent back-and-forth of blame and misinformation rather than facts and hope.

Celebrating our Doctors, Nurses, and others in healthcare

In closing, we celebrate the men and women in the health and medical profession tasked with working extreme hours under the most dire of condition with limited supplies and ever increasing demand. Prayers to the lord above that we may persevere in these trying times.