Tiffany Potok, an ORNL cybersecurity technical professional, works on teams to research and develop secure solutions for critical infrastructure networks. For Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022, we asked Tiffany why she devotes her career to cybersecurity. Check out her responses below.
What led you to pursue a career in cybersecurity?
I remember a discussion with my dad after I learned about the printing press and how it changed the world. He told me that we were going through something similar now with the internet, and I knew I wanted to be involved. I chose to work in cybersecurity because it is such a broad term and can encompass many different disciplines. As the world becomes more interconnected, the opportunities in cybersecurity expand exponentially.
Why is cybersecurity research important to national security?
Our nation uses cyber space for everything from financial transactions to social media to manufacturing and so much more. The advancements provided by the internet allow for unprecedented connectivity, which means, keeping these interactions secure is critical for the security of our citizens and our critical infrastructure. Whether that is defending our cyber physical infrastructure or intellectual property, cybersecurity is front and center to national security.
In two sentences or fewer, describe what you do as a cybersecurity professional.
I work as part of various teams to research, develop, and implement secure solutions in network infrastructure, data storage, and data analysis in a wide array of critical infrastructure areas.
Do you have any advice for students thinking about pursuing a career in cybersecurity?
Look into Scholarship for Service opportunities. Even if you don’t have a computer science or cybersecurity background, there are opportunities for all kinds of different perspectives in cyber security.
