Cybersecurity, like any security, is an arms-race of constant improvement and evolution. Every day, malicious entities and bad actors find new and more inventive ways to infiltrate private networks and steal precious information; and every day, cybersecurity specialists have to improve their systems and techniques for preventing, shutting down, and revealing such intrusions. A vital part of this (and any security endeavor) is for the “defense team” to assess their own weaknesses, strengths, and resources, so as to get the job done, efficiently.
Security Analysts (SA) are the chosen specialists for the task of assessing the digital defenses of a given network. They do this by running Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessments, which help to simulate various methods of infiltration, safely and productively. Like running dyed water through a system of pipes to determine where a leak is coming from, and then finding ways to “plug the holes”. The tools that they use to do this job are varied, and often are unique to a given team of Analysts. Such as the Leahy Center’s own Security Analysis team. Let’s hear from one of them, now…
Testimony
From Robert Segee:
I am a Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst for the Leahy Center of Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity. My job handles a wide variety of tasks but generally center around investigation and monitoring a client’s hardware and software to make sure no dangerous activity is going on. One part of this involves monitoring for when alerts come in on our Elastic Stack, which is a collection of different security tools that serve to monitor and detect when potentially dangerous events occur (like a security camera). Once we get an alert, we do a deep-dive investigation to find out why the alert was triggered and whether the cause was malicious or not.
I entered the field of cybersecurity because I have always somewhat enjoyed working with computers, whether that be small stuff like video games, or writing simple programs. What guided me in the direction of this line of work was my research into job-security, and some of my friends who were also into cybersecurity showed me very compelling information. The reason I chose to become a Security Analyst is thanks to my experience as an intern at the Leahy Center. During my internship, I got to participate in both Engineer and Analyst-based work. I found that I excel in my skills when doing investigations and I found it a lot more interesting and attention-grabbing than being a Security Engineer.
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The job of a Security Analyst (and any cybersecurity specialist) is never done and never in low demand. As with all times and places: when an object is possessed by someone, there’s always someone else aiming to take it from them. In this modern age, the only novelty is that the “object” is information, that the vaults and safes are found on digital networks, and that the consequences of a security-breach are more dire than ever. So, take care to invest in a good Security Analysis team, if you need one, or better yet: hire ours. We’re always ready to help.
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Written by James Kallenbrum ‘23 // Professional Writing
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