Mossé Cyber Security Institute - 2022-09/10 Progress Update + Reading Adventures
The plan for September was to work on the intermediate Mossé certifications. I completed a couple of lab setup exercises to install software and prepare my environment for threat hunting with Pandas (Python) and for threat hunting with YARA; a couple of Pandas (Python) exercises; and started learning about YARA.
After completing those exercises, I got swept away playing a game called Oxygen Not Included and listening to audiobooks! These Mossé Cyber Security exercises are great, but also very intense. Some months are just better spent playing games and listening to stories!
End of October Portfolio Summary
The numbers in parentheses are a comparison to the last update.
Current Level: 8 (+1)
Total Points: 61 (+8)
Total Exercises: 61 (+8)
Reading Adventures
I set a goal to read (/listen to) 25 books this year. I ended up reading 25 books in just the past two months alone, and 36 so far this year. There is a great app called “Libby, by OverDrive” where you can log in using your public library card and borrow e-books and audiobooks for free.
It’s worth taking some time to look into what your public library offers! Other useful perks from the Ottawa public library are that you can:
use their equipment (one of the libraries in Ottawa has a 3D printer and laser cutter which would be cool to check out!),
gain access to learning websites (for language learning or LinkedIn Learning [formly Lynda.com]),
suggest books for the library to purchase (I suggested ‘Fundamentals of Data Engineering’ by Joe Reis! It is still in review), and
attend events such as book clubs, board game nights, language learning classes, and more!
Below is a list of the books that I have read or listened to in the past 2 months (a full list of my reading is on the Reading page of my blog). I really enjoyed many of these books, but my top three notable mentions are:
‘How Dare the Sun Rise’ (1) is a heartbreaking memoir by a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and her tale of coming to America through a refugee program after surviving a massacre. Being born in Canada myself, it is impossible to understand these horrors and struggles, but I think it’s also important to listen and learn about other people’s experiences.
‘Lifelong Kindergarten’ (4) argues that the best way for kids to learn is through imagining, playing, and sharing. I worked at a daycare for a year and fell in love with learning how kids learn. If I didn’t have my current career, and I decided I didn’t want to work in InfoSec, then my next dream job would be to work with Mitchel Resnick’s (the author) group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where they created the computer programming language, Scratch, for kids.
Personally, I enjoy reading books that help with self-reflection. ‘Think Again’ (5) asks you to rethink your assumptions and surround yourself with people who challenge your thought process and help you rethink what you think you already know. The author, Adam Grant, also has a podcast called ‘WorkLife with Adam Grant’ that is worth checking out! The description on his website is “As an organizational psychologist, Adam is on a mission to figure out how to make work not suck.” - sounds like a great mission to me!
Read in October
How Dare the Sun Rise by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
How We Learn by Benedict Carey
Lifelong Kindergarten by Mitchel Resnick and Ken Robinson
Think Again by Adam M. Grant
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
“I Have Nothing to Hide” by Heidi Boghosian
The Code of Trust by Robin Dreeke, Cameron Stauth, and Joe Navarro
Some Assembly Required by Neil Shubin
Secrecy World by Jake Bernstein
Read in September
Subtle Acts of Exclusion by Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran
The Reckoning by Mary L. Trump
I’ll Take Your Questions Now by Stephanie Grisham
Counting by Deborah Stone
Automate This by Christopher Steiner
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Pérez
Remote Work Revolution by Tsedal Neeley
Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
In The Enemy’s House by Howard Blum
Saving Justice by James Comey
Code Girls by Liza Mundy
A Higher Loyalty by James Comey
The Threat by Andrew G. McCabe
Minding the Machines by Jeremy Adamson
The Assault on Intelligence by Michael V. Hayden