From Paralegal to Cyber Security

Before she was inspired to go into information security, Annette Reed was a paralegal for 10 years. After researching the profession for months, she knew she wanted to make it her career.

She proceeded to hire a career coach who told her about the Information Systems Security Professionalprogram at KSU’s College of Continuing and Professional Education. This new knowledge further led her to realize her strong inclination towards this field.

Previously, Reed worked on security cases and was able to have a first-hand look on the impact of how a lack of security and privacy policies resulted in litigation. It was through these cases her curiosity grew and she became fascinated by the practices within the world of information security, seeing how it impacted all aspects of professional and personal lives.

In 2016, Reed attended the January Open House at KSU Center to gather as much information as possible. “I knew I was going to need more than a crash course on the subject in order for me to succeed,” Reed said. It was there she decided the ISSP program was best suited for her because it would allow ample time to learn the material.

During the course, Reed was able to receive a well-rounded experience through the small class atmosphere of her peers and her instructor, Dr. Humayun Zafar.

“The ISSP program allowed me to focus more deeply on the subject matter while also allowing me to have access to a professional who works in the Information Security industry,” Reed said. “The ability to ask questions in class in ‘real time,’ interact with my classmates and learn about the real issues they faced in their jobs as IT professionals was of great benefit to someone that has not yet worked in an IT department.”

Reed said Dr. Zafar successfully combined the study content with real-world examples, making the material accessible and memorable. “He helped the class push past difficult material by creating interactive practice test games in the classroom,” she said.This allowed for her and her peers to have fun and bring in some “friendly classroom competition.”

Reed did well on the mock final exam for the course. She dedicated much of her time to studying with the help of the ISSP class and the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) Common Book of Knowledge. The questions on the test resembled the way the CISSP exam questions are worded.

The mock final exam gave Reed the exposure and the confidence to succeed on the certification exam. She passed on the first attempt.

“It [the mock test] also helped to reinforce that someone who has not yet worked in IT can do well on this type of demanding certification,” she said.

Inspired by her young child, Reed would like to focus on security awareness and education aspects of cyber security. She wants to bring the knowledge of information security practices to schools to teach children how to use media safely and responsibly and also how to protect themselves online.

For those interested this program, Reed had a few words of advice.

“Do it!” she said, “Invest in yourself and your career. Build your network, use your resources wisely and pay it forward.”

For more information on this program or other offerings, visit ccpe.kennesaw.edu or call 470-578-6765.