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+---
+date: 2024-11-07T23:52:06-05:00
+title: "Switching to cyber"
+draft: false
+see_also: []
+---
+
+I don't think pivoting to another career path less than a month before maternity leave is a normal (and smart) thing to do, but here we are. 
+
+Finished:
+- [OverTheWire wargame: Bandit](https://overthewire.org/wargames/bandit/)
+- [TryHackMe: Cyber Security 101 learning path](https://tryhackme-certificates.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/THM-AKHBGNGXH6.png)
+
+In progress:
+- [OverTheWire wargame: Natas](https://overthewire.org/wargames/natas/)
+- TryHackMe: Jr Penetration Tester learning path
+- HackTheBox: Lab & Academy introductory stuff
+- [CTU MOOC Introduction to security](https://cybersecurity.bsy.fel.cvut.cz/docs/about/)
+
+... and joined [Hackfest](https://hackfest.ca/) discord (local community).
+
+Why? I was a tester once. Then, API developer/advocate/whatever. Shortly after my previous maternity leave, our company was acquired (again) and I had to do even more pure developer work. React, of all the things! Not a fan. So, that was the first time I had a thought about switching to something less developer-ish. 
+
+Second, since 2022 I've picked up a bunch of peculiar interests, like [Canadian defense procurement shenanigans](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27wWRszlZWU). Or knowing that CAF does cyber something under hunt-forward operations REASSURANCE (Latvia) and UNIFIER (Ukraine). Yeah, my LinkedIn sponsored job ads look weird now.
+
+Third, after our office was layed off, I took a look at the job market and it wasn't that inspiring. Meh. I should (and could) have started way earlier though, but it hit me only now. Specifically, I was hit by CTU MOOC in [the grugq's newsletter](https://buttondown.com/grugq/archive/). Learning that the local community isn't one and a half anonymous sad person but very very active and huge was an additional boost.
+
+At this moment I haven't even decided yet at what path to take: pentesting (nod to my testing time) or security engineer (nod to the developer time). For sure not SOC, even though it is probably an easier position to find. But I have time. Though, I recall being brain-dead for a year last time I had a baby, so, that's gonna be a really funny experience.