Reflecting and Reframing
Yesterday’s reflections have been sitting with me, reshaping how I see my journey. DevSecOps has been the goal, and I’ve been gathering the skills to reach it. But here’s the thing: I keep moving the goalposts. It’s day 23, and I’m realizing that this endless pursuit of credentials and proof of capability has left me feeling scattered. I’m chasing too many things at once, and it’s time to pull back.
When I started the year, my mindset was all about going hard, stacking credentials, building both mental and physical proof that I’m ready for the role I’ve envisioned. But in this race, I’ve overlooked something crucial: I’ve already made it to a milestone I once dreamed of. Becoming an Incident Response Analyst was the dream at one point, and now that I’m here, I haven’t fully allowed myself to grow in this space. There’s a beauty in doing the work you love, but it’s also a burden when you’re always pushing for the next thing without appreciating the now.
The Urge to Excel
Working alongside such talented colleagues and consuming incredible content has been both inspiring and overwhelming. There’s a constant pressure to accelerate my growth, to fixate on what I don’t know instead of building on what I do. I need to lean into the skills I have and let the ones I desire develop naturally. This shift in mindset is overdue. I’ve been trying to find my place in AI/ML, assuming it makes the most sense to approach it as a DevSecOps engineer. But here’s the reality: I’m not a DevSecOps engineer. Trying to force that fit has left me divided. Instead, I’m going to embrace where I am now as a Security Analyst and integrate these new skills in ways that are practical and meaningful.
Redefining the Analyst Role
I was once, a huge fan of the title “Security Analyst,” but I started looking past it. I think there’s untapped potential in this role. For example, many analysts could benefit from incorporating more hacking into their work, bridging the gap between analysis and offensive techniques (B. Vijay Gupta’s article touches on this well). Similarly, learning from others’ journeys, like Mithun’s experience finding a critical HTML injection vulnerability (read it here), offers valuable perspective.
This isn’t about abandoning my projects or shifting my goals, it’s about reframing my mindset and taking advantage of the opportunities in front of me. A video I recently watched emphasized something I’ve always believed: find ways to make your current work overlap with your aspirations. But I’ve taken that too far, trying to force overlap where it doesn’t exist. A better approach is to seek natural intersections. For example, reaching out to your cyber team about the tools, emails, or vulnerabilities relevant to your current role can provide practical insight without forcing alignment.
Shifting My Focus
This shift in perspective feels freeing. I’m extending my timelines for certifications like AWS and platforms like Hack The Box, giving myself room to focus more on analysis and automation. My goal now is to ensure the work I’m doing, the projects, labs, and practical exercises, is directly applicable to real-world environments. Hands-on experience is key, and I need it to be relevant.
In the background, I’ve been enjoying hacking competition content like this. It’s exciting, inspiring, nerdy, and a reminder of why I love this field. This kind of content also reinforces the importance of staying grounded in what I’m doing now.
The Journey Ahead
It’s funny how these daily posts have become such a vital part of my reflection process. Without them, I’m not sure I would’ve recognized this need to recalibrate. The truth is, this is going to get a lot more fun. By focusing on where I am now and allowing my growth to happen naturally, I’m setting myself up for success, not just in my career, but in the way I approach challenges and opportunities moving forward.
For those exploring the path of a Security Analyst or looking to break into cybersecurity, I highly recommend checking out this article on what a cybersecurity analyst does. It’s a great primer and can help frame what’s possible in this space.
Let’s keep building, learning, and embracing the journey together.
