Think Positive Cyber

Today I applied for the Information Technology Specialist position with the Department of Justice in San Diego, CA, an opportunity I qualified for through my master’s-level education in a technology-related field. This application represents another step toward building a stable federal cybersecurity career, and I’m grateful that my academic background in areas like information science, engineering, and computer science makes me eligible for such roles. Moving forward with confidence, I’m aligning every part of my learning journey—from formal education to independent study—to strengthen my chances for advancement in public-sector IT and cybersecurity.

Alongside the application, I continued studying essential Security+ concepts, focusing on SCAP security tools, benchmarks, agents vs. agentless systems, SIEM event management, antivirus and antimalware protection, and DLP technologies. I also reviewed SNMP polling and traps, NetFlow traffic analysis methods, and the role of vulnerability scanners like Nessus in identifying system weaknesses without active exploitation. These tools form the foundation of modern cybersecurity operations and help IT professionals detect threats, analyze patterns, and proactively secure networks. I reinforced this knowledge through Professor Messer’s Security+ SY0-701 lesson on security tools, integrating each topic into my growing technical skill set as I prepare for my certification exam and future career steps.