In this Intern Midterm Review, we talk to Armando Bazan to learn what it’s like working in a SOC and how that’s influenced his outlook and career path in cybersecurity.
Our Summer 2022 intern cohort has four cyber-hungry interns who’ve eagerly jumped into learning what it’s like working in a Security Operations Center (SOC). Now that we’ve reached the internship halfway point, we thought it was time to conduct a midterm interview to learn what life’s really like inside the SOC at Ingalls! Read on to hear from our amazing intern Armando Bazan.
What have you learned about working within a SOC during this internship?
I have learned about the intricacies and care needed when approaching a determination of a phishing email. Not all cases are the same, and it takes a keen eye and approach to properly address the potential hazards of attachments and embedded links. Occasionally, though, it is just plain old spam. More often than not, a logical and measured approach that takes into consideration the validity of the sender and their relationship with the intended recipient is a good first step in seeing how “far the rabbit hole” can and will go.
What's the most interesting threat actor attempt you've seen?
The various obfuscation techniques used in malicious commands or payloads. The idea that human-readable is really just for a human's benefit and that commands that are encoded can and will run was something that I was aware of in principle, but to see it used in “real time” was something that was as impressive as it was chilling.
How has this internship influenced your outlook and career path in cybersecurity?
It has fortified my resolve and love for all things cyber. To be so eager to learn something and to be surrounded by such a supportive environment has really shown me that I made the right choice in changing careers.
What are your favorite resources for what's happening in cybersecurity?
OOH. This is so hard to answer. I love @darknetdiaries for their podcasts. They have amazing production and stories. As far as reading goes, I really enjoy @darkreading and @thehackernews. I can’t choose between those two. I try to read them both every day.
What are your activities/educational goals for the next year?
In the next year, I will most definitely renew my certification hunting. I will try to get my Security+, CYSA+ (if possible), and I and PNPT by TCM Security or the eJPT have been eyeing each other for a while.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time to reach work-life balance?
I have 3 golden doodles that require lots of [exercise]. I like to spend time with them and my wife in the backyard either reading, or gardening. As well, I instruct my wife and some of her friends in defensive Thai martial arts when weather permits, instead of just weight lifting at the gym. Most of all, I would say reading and spending time outdoors are what most allow me to disconnect. I am a bit of an “eager beaver,” so I have to remind myself that practicing labs on @Tryhackme or downloading vulnerable boxes for tinkering in my VM are not really ideal for proper work-life balance.