📋 About

I have been interested in computers for as long as I can remember. Even as a little kid I enjoyed playing with them and taking apart whatever electronics I could get my hands on just to see how they worked. It helps that I was always surrounded by technology in one way or anohter as my Dad owns a business working with industrial automation control systems and my grandfather was an Electrical Engineer. In fact, one of my earliest memories with my grandfather is him teaching me how to read schematics and use an oscilloscope.

I knew that I would have a career in computers, but I wasn’t quite sure what path I would take until college. When I applied to the Pennsylvania College of Technology I was excited to see more than just a generic Computer Science program, and instead several specific majors like Network Engineering and Information Assurance/Security. Reading up on the curriculum and a visit to the college made the decision easy, security was definitely the path I wanted to take.

College was an awesome experience and I was fortunate to be surrounded by great professors and classmates. One of the clubs I was in introduced me to security conferences like Shmoocon and ultimately my first internship at Altamira (formerly Invertix). My first internship really exposed me to some cool technologies and ideas. As a defense contractor, I learned about clearances and supporting the Government (and all of the red tape that comes with it). Our internship project, which was to design and host a SCADA themed Capture the Flag event, got me involved in software development, red/blue team security, and more advanced infrastructure designs using virtualization and software defined networking.

That internship gave me the opportunity to explore various facets of security, laying a strong foundation for my future success. After my stint at Altamira, I continued in the defense sector, gaining valuable experience across diverse contracts, fostering continuous learning and growth. My breadth of experience has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the technical landscape which helps me anticipate and mitigate security threats effectively. This diverse skill set allows me to approach cybersecurity with a holistic perspective, ensuring robust and resilient solutions.

Outside of work I have a few hobbies that are still pretty technical like home automation, home theater (big A/V nerd), and tinkering with electronics. I’ll use the Projects and Blog sections of my site to write up things I have done or am currently working on so be sure to check in on that from time to time!

While I love technology, I try to balance work and hobbies with non-technical activities to avoid burning out. When the weather is right I love to golf, fish, and go camping with my wife and two dogs. During COVID I got a smoker and went all in on smoking meat (and just about everything else) which has become a hobby that everyone benefits from. We are huge Penn State fans and serious Eagles fans (Go Birds!), so football season is something we very much look forward to in our house.

I think that covers the basics, thanks for checking the site out! Be sure to check in once in a while for blog/project updates!

Cheers!