Ingalls Spring 2023 Intern Review: Selaelo Makhura

In this Intern Review, we hear from Selaelo Makhura about what it's like working at Ingalls and what's next in his cybersecurity career journey. We’re celebrating his second internship with us here, and have loved seeing his continued growth and success from past to present! 

Our Spring 2023 intern cohort has four cyber-hungry interns who’ve joined us from LSUA to learn what it’s like working in a Security Operations Center (SOC). Now that they’ve had a moment to breathe, we thought it was time to conduct an interview to learn about them and their experience inside the SOC at Ingalls! Read on to hear from our amazing intern Selaelo Makhura.

What have you learned about working within a SOC during this internship?

I have learned to be a student and a teacher at the same time. All analysts have different information to offer each other and it is awesome to be able to offer and receive knowledge on a daily basis.

What has been the most interesting technique you've seen a threat actor attempt?

A phishing attempt that involved creating usernames for a company department and requesting a password change. I thought this was quite comical.

How has this internship influenced your outlook and career path in cybersecurity?

This internship has further cemented my ambitions to go into cybersecurity. I believe this field is so rich in knowledge and I am hungry for more. This experience with Ingalls has been a blast and I can not wait to see what more is out there.

What are your favorite resources for what's happening in cybersecurity?

TryHackMe and Cyber Security News on Linkedin are great. Troyhunt.com also has some insightful content.

What are your upcoming activities/educational goals for the next year?

I am graduating in a couple of weeks which is exciting. I plan on acquiring a couple of certifications in the near future. That is my focus right now.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time to reach a work-school-life balance?

I enjoy playing and watching soccer. Being a former student-athlete I think my love to get out and move will always be with me.

Are you interested in becoming one of our awesome interns? Check out our SOC Intern Yearbook and reach out to our team directly for more details.