We’ve got a brand-new instalment for our ‘meet the team’ series, this time we’re talking to SOC Team Leader Des’rejea Robinson!
Des’rejea has been with us for nearly three years now, starting as a Level 1 SOC Analyst and working her way up to Team Leader, so we wanted to sit down with her and see what she thought of Cybanetix and her career here so far.
🤝 What first got you interested in the cybersecurity industry?
During my third year of my physics degree at Swansea University, we looked into quantum encryption. After studying that, I began to look into more cybersecurity linked topics.
🧑💻 Can you tell me about your journey leading to Cybanetix? Why this company?
After I completed a government provided 12-week cyber security course, I started looking for apprenticeships and entry level jobs. Cybanetix was the first company that took notice of my ability and I’m happy they did.
💫 What are the important factors to be aware of when working within SOC?
Having a strong attention to detail and research skills is important.
In the SOC you deal with a lot of alerts and the smallest things you notice can make a difference between catching a threat and missing it. Having the skill to be able to research the unknown is also really valuable to your investigations.
I would say communication is also important, being able to relay what you have seen to the team and flag things quickly matters when everything is time sensitive.
Finally, being comfortable with the tools you use also helps a lot when investigating.
🔑 Could you give me a little insight on the day-to-day routine of a SOC analyst/team leader?
Honestly, two big things that are a part of the job is monitoring and investigating.
Watching the case wall, picking up cases and investigating them to determine if they are a genuine threat or a false positive.
As a team lead specifically, it is mainly supporting analysts through the day to day ops, ensuring cases are handled correctly and efficiently.
👏Can you share one of your favourite or most rewarding success stories?
Something I am very proud of is receiving the rising star of the year award after my first year working at Cybanetix.
🧩What do you think the cybersecurity industry could be doing to support upcoming SOC analysts?
I think the industry is quite dependent on people having credentials and certifications which can be a massive barrier for people early on.
Offering more apprenticeships/ entry level pathways would help, it was the path I have
taken, and it’s given me a positive career trajectory.
I’d also say just giving people a chance like Cybanetix gave me. There is a lot of talent out there being overlooked due to some companies solely focusing on certifications over potential.
I also think practical skills do hold a lot more weight as they reflect on a lot of skills like problem solving which certifications can’t always show.
🌎Where do you think Cybanetix is headed in the future, and what are you most excited about?
Cybanetix has grown massively since I joined and that growth has been amazing to be a part of. I think Cybanetix are positioned to scale higher as a company in the cybersecurity industry.
👩🏫What advice would you give to aspiring leaders who are looking to follow a similar career path?
My advice would be to work on projects, you can read a lot of theory but being able to put it into practice by building something helps a lot, I learnt a lot from working on my home lab.
🌈What are you most proud of?
Probably my transition into cyber. I’ve moved from physics, already one difficult industry, to another and survived it thanks to the colleagues that have supported me since I started.
Des’rejea Robinson – SOC Team Lead
This interview was conducted and written by Emily Carter – Marketing Executive