The thirst for knowledge is endless and for as long as I can remember I have loved learning. My friends have given me the nickname of a ‘serial learner’ because of my love for learning. I love picking up new skills or even going back to school to expand my knowledge.
I have worked with India’s top IT and software firms have garnered a decent amount of experience on topics as cloud security, DevOps, cryptography, and IT infrastructure.
I am currently working as a CIO for StopSpoof, a company that provides security against phishing emails, and I also serve on the Project Management Institute’s (PMI’s) board of directors. I’ve also held positions with three Indian state governments, work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (US), and even worked with the international consulting firm KPMG.
While I’m meeting my professional goals, there is still so much that I don’t know and have yet to learn. It is the key to staying relevant in the ever-changing world of technology, and the ongoing arms race of IT and computer security in particular. Simplilearn has definitely helped contribute to my growing love for learning.
The Challenge: Staying Ahead of the Curve
I did my undergrad degree in physics from the University of Mumbai, then pursued a degree in business management and IT from the Indian Institute of Business Management and Studies, I then completed my MBA in information technology. With my thirst for knowledge growing, I turned to getting post-graduate certifications and training sessions, spanning a wide range of technologies and project management methodologies.
My next goal was in the field of cybersecurity, where I was looking for a comprehensive program to help me not only get started but also provides a 360-degree view of security to understand the motivations and methods of hackers better and learn the best practices for protecting IT and computer assets.
My thought process for this was, if I am in cybersecurity, should I be more in the offensive red team, or should I be in the blue team which is defensive? If I know both, I am a grandmaster. This cemented my goal to becoming a grandmaster.
I knew that I needed a learning partner that would cater to my specific needs and I did extensive research before choosing Simplilearn because of their course offered better values than other providers. I quickly joined Simplilearn’s Cyber Security Expert Master’s Course.
The Simplilearn Solution: Closing Knowledge Gaps
The Cyber Security Expert Master’s Course covers a lot of ground, including Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) training and Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH) training. Since I wanted to become a grandmaster, I knew I would need to dive as deep as possible into cybersecurity, hoping to better understand the difference between preventive and reactive in the context of cybersecurity.
These courses helped me to understand why a certain model is reactive and why something else is preventive. My job requires me to stay updated with the latest technology, and with these courses, it eases decision-making and clarifies why we are choosing a particular option over another.
In fact, a lot of the material was a review of what I’d learned earlier; but I fell in love with the way the trainers at Simplilearn explained things. They were able to put all the pieces together in a way that created “aha” moments. I also appreciated how up-to-date the training was, and Simplilearn’s trainers did a great job explaining how these technologies have evolved over the years and months.
The Results: Better Equipped for a High-Profile Cyber Security Career
The training helped me in my leadership role, empowering me to make better decisions backed by data. In addition to CCSP and CEH certifications, the Simplilearn master’s course also prepared me for the Certification Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certifications.
I envision a future where many of these cybersecurity tasks are automated, where professionals will need to learn about big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. I believe that the next big challenge for cybersecurity is a focus on securing the various elements of the “internet of things” (IoT).
