Last April, Symantec launched a publication #iamtech that explores the diverse faces of Symantec’s employees and partners, where we are creating a community of writers and readers sharing their challenges and accomplishments as underrepresented individuals in the tech industry.
In honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), this month we are featuring a series of articles connecting #iamtech’s voices to the discussion of cybersecurity and online safety.
Our first story centers on Patrick Roserie, who has transitioned from securing our world physically – as a guard – to protecting our world online as a cybersecurity professional. Roserie shares his inspiring story of following his interests and passions to become a participant and now graduate of Symantec’s Cyber Career Connection (SC3) training program, and then to his current role as a security analyst at the most storied news publication in the U.S., The New York Times.
Launched two years ago, SC3 addresses the global cybersecurity workforce gap by training and certifying young adults and veterans in cybersecurity and assisting them in landing meaningful internships and jobs. To date[1] SC3 has achieved an 82% graduation rate and 63% of graduates have been placed in full-time positions or accepted into a four-year college program. 72% of graduates are people of color and 24% of graduates are female.
In Roserie’s article “STOP. THINK. CONNECT.: The Basic Steps to Online Safety and Security” he discusses his journey to where he is now, the role that cybersecurity plays in his professional and personal life, and critical tips for staying safe online.
“Even though I spend a lot of time looking at tiny pieces of code, I feel like I’m part of a bigger picture.
At the bank, it was helping to keep people’s money safe.
At the Times, I feel like I’m supporting the mission of the newspaper and its reporters. It’s like they’re in the Wild West as they travel around the world. It’s a fun challenge, keeping them cyber secure as they report their stories. In my own way, I’m helping get the paper out every day.”
We hope you will join us for this month’s NCSAM series on #iamtech, as a reader, encouraging others in your network to follow us, sharing our stories, and by joining the discussion through comments on our articles.
#iamtech is a publication for YOU and we want you all to be a part of our conversation!
The full #iamtech publication can be accessed at https://medium.com/iamtech-series/. If you are interested in submitting a story, please email global_diversity@symantec.com to contribute.
[1] Stats as of April 2016