Manny: A day in the life of a red team security engineer

1. Manny: A day in the life of a red team security engineer

Hi, I'm Manny. I’m a Security Engineer on Google's Red Team. My job is to simulate real-world attacks against Alphabet and keep our users safe. I make it harder to hack Google by hacking Google. I started out as a Civil Engineer, but I was always fascinated by the idea of protecting people's data and systems from attackers. I learned most of my hacking knowledge through free online resources like YouTube, books, and other helpful hands-on learning material. I also tinkered with virtual machines and looked at foundational security certificates, technical books, and programming to learn more about the field. I did extensive sandbox testing on different platforms. I was able to explore security topics in depth. I connected with friends already working in the field to get a better understanding while researching the various paths into cybersecurity. Additionally, Google's Cybersecurity Professional Certificate gave me a comprehensive foundation into cybersecurity and helped build my security mindset. I started my career as a parking garage attendant in college. I then worked in IT at a help desk, where I learned a lot of my initial computer skills. After graduating, I realized that I enjoyed troubleshooting and tearing computers apart. I pursued IT full time and, from there, I became eager to learn more about the various disciplines within cybersecurity and how to protect organizations from cyberattacks. I've gained a lot of transferable skills along the way, from communicating effectively with stakeholders to leading projects, to working with colleagues and friends. And involvement with community service has given me a variety of skills to work with when collaborating with Security Engineers and tackling some of the hardest challenges each day. I accepted an amazing opportunity with Google’s Information Technology Residency Program where I honed in on my computer, programming, and networking skills. I participated in a security rotation program and realized that I enjoyed the work, from defending devices and networks against malicious activity to analyzing logs and deep diving into issues. I realized that cybersecurity was a great career and so I followed my passion. I continued to learn independently so that I could transfer into the Security Org. Eventually, I made it, and I’m still here today.

2. Let's practice!

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