So here’s the deal. I’m currently working in IT. Solo. For a water district. I manage the entire infrastructure while answering questions like “Why is Outlook slow?” and “Is this phishing?” (Yes, it always is.) And in between moving servers and mentally moving to a beach somewhere, I started thinking: What’s next? I already have degrees. I’ve done the certs.
Category: Learning
Let me start with the truth: I didn’t choose the self-study path because I thought I was some kind of untapped genius. I chose it because I checked the price of a cybersecurity bootcamp and nearly choked on my instant noodles. I want to become a network and cybersecurity engineer. Not because it sounds cool (okay, maybe a little), but
So you’ve decided to dive into the glorious chaos that is network and cybersecurity engineering. And now you’re asking yourself: “Should I get a new laptop?”“Do I need triple monitors?”“Would an RGB keyboard help me hack faster?” Let’s clear that up real quick. A New Computer Just Looks Cool — That’s It Listen, a shiny new computer, ultrawide monitors, and
Because I Hack Smarter, Not Edgier. Let me just come out and say it: I use Ubuntu, not Kali Linux. Yeah, I know—shocking. What kind of hacker doesn’t use Kali? Where’s my black terminal wallpaper with the flaming dragon logo? Where’s the edgy vibe that says “I definitely don’t just Google the syntax for nmap every time I use it”?
So here I am—on a noble quest to become a network and cybersecurity engineer. A digital knight, if you will, except instead of a sword, I wield Wireshark and Python scripts, and instead of dragons, I fight NAT issues and firewall configs that mysteriously delete themselves. And you know what makes this whole journey survivable (and kinda fun)? Two unlikely
Because textbooks speak fluent Martian and I prefer human. Here’s the deal: every time I take on a new topic—networking, cybersecurity, Python, how to survive a data analysis without summoning demons—I do something that feels almost rebellious. I buy a For Dummies book.Yes, on purpose. Not because I think I’m dumb. Not because I collect yellow covers like Pokémon cards.
Becoming a network and cybersecurity engineer sounds cool until you realize it mostly involves staring at broken things, talking to your devices like they’re sentient, and Googling the same command over and over because somehow, it still isn’t working. So why do I post about those failures? Because let’s face it—success is boring. “Look at me, I configured a switch