Professional Background

I spent my days running discovery workshops with the big bosses (C-level folks who ask the tough questions!), figuring out what was keeping them up at night, and documenting everything we learned. I also managed application support projects, which is basically like being an air traffic controller for technical issues and change requests.

Remember that feeling when you finally organize your messy drawer? That was me with documentation - creating project risk registers, issues logs, and mapping out processes so everyone knew exactly what to do when things went sideways.

One of my proudest moments? I developed an incident response plan for a UAE bank that cut down resolution time by 40% (yep, that's not a typo!). We also improved our SLA response from a "meh" 85% to an impressive 98%. Oh, and I trimmed the operational budget by 25% by getting smarter about how we used our resources.

Australia: A Fresh Start & New Aspirations

Let's talk about that gap in my career! I moved to Australia around mid- 2023 for family reasons (the weather's not bad either!). Had to leave my job behind and dealt with some temporary visa hurdles along the way.

But did I sit around binging Netflix? Nope! I used this time to level up my cybersecurity skills and learn all about Australian compliance frameworks. Picked up some certifications like Security+ and ISO 27001 Provisional Implementer (they sound fancy, but they're actually super practical).

Taking Two Paths: IT Leadership & Security

Remember that feeling when you discover something that just clicks? That's how I felt when I first studied cryptography in university. While I've been building my career in IT support leadership (and honestly, I've loved it!), I've always had this nagging passion for cybersecurity in the back of my mind. Back in my uni days, I even got to work with Dr. Amirtharajan Rengarajan on some pretty cool research in Information Security. Talk about a formative experience!

You know what really made me light up at work? Implementing AES-256 encryption for banking apps. Not the kind of thing that impresses people at dinner parties, but trust me-for a security geek like me, that was the good stuff!

It turns out all those years managing application support teams weren't just building my leadership skills-they were secretly preparing me for security work too! The problem-solving, the constant system monitoring, the process implementation... these aren't just support skills, they're security superpowers in disguise. And those workshops where I had to translate technical jargon into plain English for clients? That's exactly what's needed when you're trying to explain why a company needs to invest in cybersecurity!

Why I Care (And Why You Should Too)

As I've gotten older, I've realized something important-I want my work to matter. The cybersecurity stats in Australia honestly concerns me:

• A cyber-attack hits someone Down Under every 10 minutes! That's faster than I can make my morning coffee.
• Nearly half of these attacks (43%) target small and medium businesses-the backbone of the Australian economy.
• And the sectors that need protection most? Education, healthcare, and government-basically, the places we all depend on.

This hit home for me when my partner's ID was stolen in a major security breach. Nothing like personal experience to light a fire under you, right?

Being aware that India is among the top countries from which cyber-attacks originate, I feel a personal responsibility to be part of the solution. I believe that by building strong cybersecurity practices and raising awareness, I can help counter these threats and contribute positively to both my birth country's reputation and my adopted home's security.

My interests have now become my passion. I genuinely believe that with my background in IT support leadership, I can help organizations build security into their everyday operations without sacrificing efficiency. It's not about choosing between security and productivity-it's about finding that sweet spot where both work together. Kind of like balancing work and life, except with fewer weekend emails!

What's Next for Me

The good news? I recently got my permanent residency in Australia, after a lot of waiting and paperwork (so... much... paperwork). And all those certifications I've earned weren't just for the fancy certificates on my wall, I'm ready to jump into one of these roles:

• Leading IT Support Teams: But with a security-first mindset. Think of it as bringing the best of both worlds together!
• GRC Consulting: Leveraging my previous consulting experience and growing knowledge in cybersecurity frameworks and standards, I am eager to help organizations attain security maturity and meet their compliance obligations.
• Security Analyst: Where I can put my Security+, SC-200, and Splunk certifications to work defending against the bad guys.

The wonderful thing about cybersecurity? There's always something new to learn! I'm definitely not claiming to know it all (who could in this field?), but I'm genuinely excited about continuous learning and growing into advisory roles down the road.

While I'm job hunting, I'm also looking to pay it forward by volunteering with non-profits. After all, they need security help too, and I could use the real-world practice. Win-win, right?