Diary of a Security Analyst: An Introduction
I know, from the title alone, I'm kind of toeing a line. But I promise, I'll only share what is necessary to prove my point(s). I am under NDA, after all.
Before we get into what this is, let's clear something up about the title of this series. "Security Analyst" will serve as a catch-all job title to keep this series accessible and to keep me grounded when I am writing new content. If you want a deeper dive into who I am and what I’ve done, feel free to head over to the About Me page. But I think the things I share here will resonate with everyone, especially if you're on the Blue team or working in corporate security.
Diary of a Security Analyst is a series rooted in self-expression, truth-telling, knowledge sharing, and problem-solving. It’s not really a "how-to" guide. It’s definitely not a thought leadership thread. It’s a space to document what it’s actually like to be in this field... from my perspective. Don't get me wrong, you may still learn something. I just want to set the expectation that this won't be formal.
You might find stories about:
- Industry-wide issues that keep me up at night
- Mistakes that teach me more than any cert ever could
- Small (but mighty) wins
- Burnout, brain fog, and bouncing back
- The moments that make me want to stay
Beyond the whisper networks, I don’t see enough public commentary on the state of things. Not from people like me, and definitely not without all the industry-speak. This is my small addition to the conversation, in a language I like to call Stephanese.
Spoiler: There’s no one way to be a security analyst. I’m not here to be the model of that, and I’m also not here to complain without making an effort to find resolutions. This is just how I have navigated it so far. And I’m hoping to learn through this written, documentary-style journey.
I hope you're ready for the ride. Welcome to the diary.
