Lessons from the Frontlines

CHAPTER 1Curiosity

The choice that launched my security career happened in the most unremarkable way possible. I was sitting across the desk from my commanding officer, still recovering from leaving the infantry due to health issues, when he casually mentioned they had an opening for intelligence OR information security NCO training.

“Are you interested?” he asked.

The question hung in the air for maybe three seconds, but in those seconds, my entire future shifted.

I didn’t know what intelligence meant in practical terms. I had no clear picture of what information security involved. I couldn’t have explained the difference between the two paths he was offering. But something in me responded immediately:

I chose information security.

Looking back, I think I had always been drawn to that kind of work—the analytical thinking, the puzzle-solving, the technical challenges—but I’d never known it was an option or had a clear path to get there.

It was pure curiosity about something I didn’t understand but found intriguing. That moment of curiosity—being willing to step into the unknown—set the trajectory for the next 25 years of my career.

And that willingness to say yes to the unknown has become the thread running through every major career decision I’ve made since.

This randomness taught me something crucial about opportunities in cybersecurity: they often come disguised as throwaway comments, casual invitations, or side conversations. The person making the offer might not even realize ...