It's time for our October Community Spotlight! This month, we are featuring Robert Parker, a Technical Solutions Consultant who is passionate about helping organizations build their security defenses.
A true believer in the power of community, Robert shares some great advice on staying up-to-date with industry trends, networking with local cybersecurity groups, and the best career advice he ever received—from a soda koozie! Check out his story in this month's spotlight.
Robert Parker
Technical Solutions Consultant
“Kindness and gratitude are free, so how about we sprinkle some of it everywhere we go?”
Q: What sparked your interest in Security Operations?
A: I first started in security during graduate school and while working at a Help Desk for a local healthcare provider. Knowing how sensitive our PII data was, and seeing the major breaches happening at the time, (think back to the LulzSec hacking days), I knew that security was an area I wanted to specifically pursue and specialize in within my technology career. Like many people first getting into the security field, I thought I wanted to do pen-testing, but quickly saw that the personality needed for that role was not something I possessed. Instead, after working in IT Auditing and then a SOC environment for a few years, I realized I wanted to help organizations build their internal security processes, teams, and defenses in order to help them stop evil.
Q: What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received??
A: One of the most impactful pieces of advice I’ve received was from someone’s retirement party… admittedly, from one of the soda koozies that was being handed out as a gift. It contained wisdom from Shari (the person who was retiring) which read:
“Great things never came from a comfort zone.”
Now while that may be a generic phrase, it's really stuck with me as I think about how quickly technology moves, the pace of innovations in AI, and how we must learn new technologies to stay relevant in this industry. Technology moves quickly, if you stay in a comfort zone, you may find yourself getting left behind. It reminds me of another good quote from a recent edition of the 2600 Hacker Quarterly magazine: “Those who don't change with the times will get swept to the side. Unfortunately, neither you nor I make these rules.”
Q: How do you stay up-to-date with industry trends and developments?
A: Right now I’m working on playing around with Agentic AI to create a series of prompts which I can use to help curate a daily summary of security topics and news articles to check out. While in its early stages, I’m trying to build something that is not just a curated RSS feed, but more of a daily intelligence briefing, tailored to topics I’m most concerned with, presented in a consistent format each day.
If you are a Mandiant Advantage or Google Threat Intelligence Customer, I also recommend checking out our News Analysis and Vulnerability Analysis emailed reporting. They’re great ways to help stay up to date with various news stories, and vulnerabilities.
Additionally, I follow various subreddits, cybersecurity blogs, a curated RSS feed and a small niche of security practitioners on Twitter/X.
Q: What’s your favorite networking tip or strategy?
A: Get involved with your local community and cyber security efforts in your own cities. I neglected to do this for the longest time during my early career and it took me a while to recognize the power of helping organizations and groups in your own local community. There’s lots to learn from others and you never know when lending a helping hand is going to come back and benefit you, perhaps a new connection you meet, or other opportunities that arrive from putting yourself out there. I suggest checking out local BSides conferences or any other cyber security events where people are gathering to share ideas or present interesting research. You never know who you might meet, or what you might learn at events like that.
Q: What’s one book, podcast, or resource you’d recommend to others in your field?
A: One of my favorite books from recent years has been Warren Berger’s “A More Beautiful Question” because it helped me to understand the power of using questioning in a way which is not akin to a two year old child always asking “But Why?” and instead using an inquisitive nature as a way to ensure communications were clearly understood, as well as to help the other party see where they may be falling short on their reasonings or explanations. The book illustrates several examples where questioning is used to improve a product, simplify a process, questions to connect with others, questions for stronger leadership, or to help others see more and get to the true root of an issue.
Fun Fact: I collect enamel pins around the world on my travels. I have a cork board at home where I pin them all up, each with a story of where in the world it came from or who gave it to me. I like how each little piece of flair tells a story or represents a stop in my journey in life and across the world. I also give out a lot of pins that I buy online in bulk to various people I meet out in the world. These little gifts help to bring a smile to a stranger’s face and bring a moment of positivity that people really do need these days.