Hey, I'm Tate.
I'm a senior at BYU studying Cybersecurity and getting ready to start a full-time career.
My path into tech didn't start with by discovering a 0-day, or breaking into a computer. It started small: figuring out how to code simple programs on a TI-84 calculator back in junior high. I was hooked and kept learning about computers until I landed in the world of cybersecurity and IT.
Seeing Security from Both Sides
I’ve had a couple of internships that gave me a look at security from two totally different angles.
At FJ Management, I was thrown right into the deep end as an ITGC auditor. I got to help with the security audit for Maverik's acquisition of Kum & Go and took a close look at their software development pipelines. I learned to think about security from 10,000 feet up — strategy, risk, and compliance.
But I knew I also wanted to see what day to day life in security looked like.
That's why I spent the following months at Big West Oil, living on the front lines of security ops. I was the one triaging threats in our XDR, watching the network for trouble in Darktrace, and managing the vulnerabilities we found from our own pen tests.
Having both perspectives taught me one thing: you can't write good policy if you don't know the tech, and you can't protect the tech if you don't know the business risk.
Why This Blog?
So, why this site? On one hand, it's my professional launchpad. I'm using it to share what I've learned while I hunt for my first full-time role.
On the other hand, I want to become a better writer. After spending most of my life avoiding oportunities to write my thoughs, I figured I would just dive right in.
Beyond the Keyboard
When I'm not staring at a screen, I'm usually outside. I spent most of this past summer hiking Utah's incredible trails. Otherwise, you can find me unwinding on the piano or guitar.
Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or check out what I'm writing about.