Let’s get to know you! Who are you and what do you like to spend your time on?

I am Najla L. I spend my time learning about ICS security, volunteering with the DEF CON Biohacking Village, sharing resources whether security or personal development related, tweeting and enjoying a glass of wine.

What was your path to your current role in security and/or privacy, or other role? What made your path unique?

Although I do not have an official role in the industry, I am always integrating myself into the community to increase my knowledge and hone my skills. My path is unique because I am a career transitioner and do not have an IT background as the starting point. Plus I started my journey at 29.

What are some challenges you’ve encountered in your life or career? How did you overcome them?

I have faced burnout, several times. It is not just burnout of learning new information but a mental burnout. Furthermore, for the amount of time that I have been learning, I have been unsuccessful in achieving an actual role. I have had interviews with various companies and even gone through several rounds, only to be told that they want someone more senior for the role. To overcome this, I consistently take breaks to refocus and to allow myself to rest, as I cannot learn and retain if I am mentally burned out.

How did the ShareTheMicInCyber scholarship impact your life? Which certs, exams, or classes did you take? What are your achievements you would like us to highlight? How did they go! Feel free to include any future plans here, too.

ShareTheMicInCyber was one of the best campaigns I have ever been a part of and I was a part of the first round. Aside from having Rachel Tobac as my partner, I got to tell my story to a wider community along with building a personal relationship with Rachel AND learning of other black practitioners in the industry as well. This allowed me to learn and increase my network. I also was awarded a SANS Scholarship for a course of my choice, a $2,000 WISP scholarship to cover the preparation for the OSCP, PMP and CISSP. I took the GCFE and PMP exam and have successfully passed both. The CISSP and OSCP are still on my list to achieve and I WILL achieve them. I have also been fortunate enough to take another SANS course, ICS Active Defense and Incident Response and will be taking the companion exam, GIAC GRID. My goal for 2021 is to officially obtain an information security role and to successfully obtain clients for my business.

What are your goals and aspirations? What are you working towards? If there is a way others can support you in those goals, feel free to include that here!

My goal is to become extremely knowledgeable about networking and critical infrastructure environments, domestic and internationally. I like to work with my hands and directly with people so I aspire to be in a consulting role that allows me to do both. I will continue to volunteer with the Biohacking Village and I will be doing some drone photography & videography on the side. If you are interested in talking with me about a role or about hiring my Documentation & Technical Writing services, please email me at [email protected].

Anything else you would like us to highlight about you in this blog post?

I recently was a speaker for the Women In ICS Security panel on the Unsolicited Response Show on YouTube. I can be reached via Twitter @ForSci_Q or Najla L on LinkedIn. You can check out my blog at forensicsandinfosec.tech.