nCircle VERT Blog

As part of my pursuit of a diploma in Computer Systems Technology, I am required to carry out several internships in between semesters of Classroom study. I have been lucky enough to secure an internship with nCircle's Vulnerability and Exposure Research Team (VERT), which is based in Toronto, Canada.

Lucky because doing an internship at nCircle brings my understanding of the computer world in general to an entirely new level, let alone the security aspect of it. Although the majority of in-class lessons that I have sat through mainly focused on networking protocols and Cisco hardware, it is really just a basic foundation on which to build an understanding of the things that really matter in the InfoSec world. Having the base knowledge of these protocols only gives me a glimpse into how everything works together. Different Operating Systems and Applications utilize these protocols in their own ways to communicate with each other in the modern network. This is where my experience at nCircle comes into play.

In no way do I want to discredit the education that I am currently receiving from my post-secondary institution, however there are definitely things that could be added to the curriculum. As an example, I will note some of the different Operating Systems in use today. There are variations of Unix based systems, Apple's systems, and of course the different products offered by Microsoft to mention a few. Most of these Operating Systems won't be touched in the majority (if not all) of computer courses being offered by post-secondary institutions.

I fully credit nCircle as the reason that my eyes are beginning to open to the world of InfoSec and the many different things it has to offer. It's like being in a never ending chase... you may edge closer and fall further behind, but you will never catch up. The wonderful part of working at nCircle is the continuous learning experience as one task might include Oracle databases on Solaris machines, followed by one which involves MAC OS X with some random applications thrown in between the major tasks. Network security isn't specific to one brand or product line. It involves everything and anything, not to mention the constant influx of new technology that guarantees the need for regular improvement of one's knowledge and skill set.

Although my experience thus far with VERT is relatively short, it is long enough to understand that Network Security goes beyond a 9 to 5 job and becomes a way of life.