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Jessica Owens
In this Intern Midterm Review, we hear from Rylan Burlison about what it's like working at Ingalls and what's next in his cybersecurity career journey.
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 Rylan Burlison.
What have you learned about working within a SOC during this internship?
II found it interesting that a lot of the cases or alerts that we work on the threat actors seem a lot more lazy than I thought they would be. That is not to say that you shouldn’t worry about threat actors even if you are doing everything right, but the average hacker doesn’t seem to want to put in a lot of effort.
What's the most interesting threat actor attempt you've seen?
Since I started working at Ingalls I have seen more spear phishing attacks targeting me personally. I just think it’s funny that someone would attempt to fool people who have experience in spotting threats.
How has this internship influenced your outlook and career path in cybersecurity?
This internship at Ingalls is my first foray into the world of cybersecurity. I have to admit that I was nervous coming into it but I feel more excited than nervous now. So my time at Ingalls has made me more confident that I made the right choice to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
What are your favorite resources for what's happening in cybersecurity?
I currently will read the publication Wired and sometimes Vice for cybersecurity news. Also, studying for certifications like Security + and CEH helps as most certifications try to stay as up to date as possible on exploits.
What are your activities/educational goals for the next year?
I want to get my security + certification by the end of this year. I also am making a goal to go somewhere out of the country by the end of 2023. Not sure exactly where yet, but my friend has family in Vietnam and I would like to go there so that is near the top of my list.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time to reach work-life balance?
I often play video games online to keep up with old friends. It is nice to be able to feel like I am hanging out with my friends who live far from me when we are not able to physically. We will meet up at music festivals or live shows at least once a year as well. I love music. When at home I like to kayak and ride my bike. I have a small dog I love to play with and take on walks. I am lucky to still be living near my family so I can spend time with them as well.
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.
