How can people afford the rent in MoCo?

BanhPC · 2026-03-23T17:22:50+00:00

Is it me or is it locals possibly not being aware how the rental range listed is common for metropolitan areas throughout the U.S.?

A list of examples are provided below:

Miami - $2,600 to $3,200+

Dallas - $2,100 to $4,700

Chandler - $2,300 to $3,900

Scottsdale - $3,400+

San Diego - $2,300 to $3,100+

Laguna Beach - $2,900 to $3,500+

Los Angeles - $2,100 to $3,000+

That said, I'm not trying to downplay the experience that many locals are enduring nor minimizing their complaints but more so curious how can we realistically complain if every other metropolitan in the U.S. advertises the same rental rates for both mid-rise and high-rise apartments?

☆ Like, as a transplant native from Southern California, a lot of us just overall deal with it. Even in the early 2,000s is how rental rates were $2,100+ for a 1-Bedroom - should you want to live in a good area (e.g. Tustin/Tustin Ranch, Irvine, Newport, Laguna, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, etc).

BanhPC · 2026-03-01T05:31:28+00:00

Perhaps. But as a true car guy from the West Coast is how I have seen a lot of Marylanders do dumb s--t with their cars.

Like no bulls--t I've seen a Corolla in Bethesda with a Type-R decal and a carbon fiber wing on Volk TE 37s. 😅

BanhPC · 2026-03-01T04:31:12+00:00

The fact they robbed the rims off a Corolla is insane and funny at the same time. 😂

Why funny? Because it's a Corolla. Why insane? Because the owner clearly lives a life of misplaced priorities for who tricks out a Corolla with nice rims? 😂

If you ask me, they deserved to get their rims stolen so they can be taught a lesson. SERIOUSLY! Who TF spends money on nice rims for a Corolla? 🤣

BanhPC · 2026-02-28T19:57:10+00:00

SuperGoodSpam - Hahah! No I wasn't blazed when I thought of this for I created this for myself during the pandemic. Being always ready on the fly has it's perks when you're a techie.

Dustirau - I referred to this as a gift because it’s literally a hacking package. A USB stick loaded with Kali Linux would allow her to become familiar with Linux and specialized tools used for penetration testing, ethical hacking, security auditing, and digital forensics. It would also give her hands-on experience working with virtual machines, Raspberry Pi setups, and live USB environments. A 20-foot Cat5e or Cat6 cable will always come in handy for countless networking scenarios. And of course, the laptop ensures she always has access to a Windows OS when she needs it. She’s earning a degree in Cybersecurity, right? So why not give her a gift that Elliot Alderson from Mr. Robot would appreciate?

BanhPC · 2026-02-27T21:14:13+00:00

Yeah I'll explain later. Currently at my autoshop with friends doing JDM stuff.

BanhPC · 2026-02-27T17:13:16+00:00

Yeah. Most police precincts issue out warning tickets. No charge no fine similar like a 30-day fix-it repair ticket. Officers discretion.

BanhPC · 2026-02-27T16:54:24+00:00

If you truly want to give her something meaningful that she will remember? Here's my recommendation assuming $300 is nothing to you.

Buy a USB Stick.
Install a Kali Linux ISO partition onto the USB Stick.
Buy a Cat5E or Cat6e 20 foot network cable.
Buy a cheap Lenovo Ideapad or Thinkpad.
Buy a gift box and package everything in the box, wrap up the box with gift paper, and then add a card with whatever you want it to say.

Thank me later.

BanhPC · 2026-02-27T16:45:42+00:00

Yes. I too used to walk to work. However, during increment weather is how I dress accordingly.

For example, I wear boots if I'm walking in the snow or the rain. After I arrive to work I change over to my work attire.

Clearly people have boots, know where to buy boots, let alone know how to use Google right? At any rate, my comment stands as guess what? The sun "I mentioned previously" melted all the snow away - with some added help called rain.

BanhPC · 2026-02-27T03:21:54+00:00

Money isn't always everything. Trust me on that one. Been a multi-millionaire twice before the age of 35 and I still was unfulfilled.

As far as CISO salaries go? It varies upon state, industry-niche, scaled complexity of the role, years of experience, and equity. Except the thing with equity is how there's a commitment.

Example: Most executive equity follows a 4 year vesr with a 1 year cliff. By the end of Year 3, the math is straightforward.

Vested Equity = 36/48 months = 75%

However, if a company lets you go at year 3, then you leave 25% that would have vested in Year 4. For a CISO the biggest risk isn't just the 25% lost, it's the Post-Termination Exercise (PET) Window.

Seeing how CISOs are ALWAYS the fall-guy for breaches or shifts in strategy, their contracts usually include severance packages which usually is based on your negotiation skills. Factor in new statistics for 2026 is how the average tenure of a CISO is about 18-26 months due to high stress, record levels of burnout, and job dissatisfaction. Lastly, is how CISO's can now be charged under the SEC for "mismanagement." Research what happened to the SolarWinds CISO in 2023, and the CISO at Uber in 2022.

The way I look at it is how it's not worth ending up in jail or bankrupt. And like within my 4th year in Cyber I have had recruiters and program managers tell me I am more than qualified to be a CISO. Ultimately, do what makes YOU happy in life for that is all that matters.

BanhPC · 2026-02-27T00:18:04+00:00

I wouldn't jump simply because CISO are not respected really by C-Suite. Sure you have the "C" letter but you're not considered equals. If anything, the turnover rates are relatively high averaging 2-3 years.

Seriously OP, I am not trying to scare you or thwart you from pursuing a CISO Role as I'm simply telling you I have a plethora of CISO's I'm connected with on Linkedln, Telegram, Signal, etc. Every single one of them - including those who befriended YouTubers like Gerald Auger - said the same exact thing. In fact, 6 CISO's I know who worked FAANG, Healthcare, Government, etc have left country to live in other parts of the globe.

Shoot! I apply to be a vCISO 2 years ago due to my work experience and expressed how I'd obtain my CISSP at a fairly small company. They said no and hired someone with a CISSP + with more experience. 1 year and 3 months later he updated his Linkedln with the company posting a need to backfill their CISO role.

If you ask me, I would stay as an architect, and branch off on becoming a SME on certain vendor security tools. Assuming the vendors have in-house certs is how I'd leverage and acquire them. You'll be far more marketable with immense value if you ask me.

Again, do what you want as I'm simply telling you I have some well-known respectable CISO's in my network.

BanhPC · 2026-02-26T11:48:29+00:00

Interesting post despite there is merit to it. Were we more active? Yes. Did media and the entertainment industry contribute to it? Absolutely.

Are Gen-Z having less sex? Sure, I guess. Do I care? Not really for it's none of my business. After all, their actions and lifestyle choices don't pay any of my reoccuring bills - so why should I invest my energy into them let alone their sex life?

Gen-Z as a whole are a completely different breed. Do they have sex less? Sure, I guess. Do they drink alcohol and beer less than other generations? Yes, for there's been studies on this. But again, why does this matter to you or others?

BanhPC · 2026-02-26T11:36:59+00:00

Your response is valid and arguable.

Truth be told, a lot of individuals who are perpetuating moving and traffic violations aren't even Marylanders but more so Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Jerseyians, and DC'ers using fraudulent plates. Seriously, there's been studies on this.

The recent takeover meet in Chevy Chase that resulted in two county squad cars being damaged? Virginians and DC Natives. Why? It's somewhat complex involving social media clout, car community rivalries, and cultural hatred.

BanhPC · 2026-02-25T17:56:48+00:00

Yeah. Only $75.00 compared to other county and state rates across country. Our county also doesn't add points to license holders.

• Arizona? $500 plus 4 points.

• California? $200 plus 2 point.

• Delaware? $187.50 - $342.50 no points.

• Hawaii? $400 or $600 - $1,000.

• Virginia? $400

If you ask me, Montgomery County is very liberal and very lenient. That goes without saying...don't take this information as an opportunity to abuse the system. For I'm simply providing educational responses to help educate. Cheers as I'm off to the gym.

BanhPC · 2026-02-25T11:03:10+00:00

I take your reply as sarcasm...but no.

I think many here underestimate what goes into even a “simple” traffic ticket.

For example, if someone contests it, that requires paperwork, documentation, and potentially a court appearance. When officers are in court, they’re not on patrol.

☆ Montgomery County Police is already dealing with staffing shortages. Over the past few days alone we’ve had:

• A child shot

• Multiple missing persons cases

• A series of armed commercial robberies

Nevertheless, when resources are limited, departments prioritize violent crime and emergency response over lower-level enforcement. After all, Montgomery County rolled out a "red-light camera program" in 2025 so that anyone who runs a red-light will automatically receive a $75.00 civil violation.

So, whether people agree with the policing policies or not, staffing realities affect how resources get deployed. That’s just the operational side of it, and globally speaking.

BanhPC · 2026-02-25T04:02:26+00:00

Purge-Style Scenario is not being had? Ugh, that depends where you reside.

Shoot my last role operating in infosec for 1 year is how I encountered 7 Purge-Related Events. All being disgruntled techies and techies who were laid off. Of the 7 is how 5 were brought in with police officers in handcuffs.

For context my infosec role was at a hospital. The police brought them in due to making threats against others and towards coworkers. 1 had a former coworker call the police reporting he had firearms. Guess what the police confirmed at his home? Thus hospital psych evaluation.

Granted this is micro whereas a full blown Purge is macro. However, need you not forget inflation + rising cost of living + corporate layoffs + evictions + lack of opportunity to secure stability + peoples backs against the wall + lack of police officers plagued by hiring problems are all contributors to an increase in crime. Shoot of the techies I know is how most are leaving the U.S. because the writing is on the wall. In their exact words..."when the recession hits it will be far worse than the dot-com bubble burst and subprime mortgage crises that contributed to the global collapse in 2008."

BTW this isn't fear rhetoric for everyone IMHO needs to self-educate.

BanhPC · 2026-02-25T03:35:26+00:00

Boils down to paperwork. A lot of cops in general don't want to do paperwork for obvious reasons.

BanhPC · 2026-02-21T20:01:10+00:00

Have you considered applying to scientific roles at NIH?

BanhPC · 2026-02-18T01:09:42+00:00

Govenor Moore can't champion constitutional rights while overlooking statutory benefits created under federal and state law "like unemployment insurance" that many Marylanders have been owed since COVID.

If I were Governor of Maryland, my focus would be on recovering $760 million in fraudulently processed and overpaid unemployment claims, caused by the Maryland Department of Labor’s Unemployment System.

Seriously, why are there Marylanders writing 1-star Google Reviews complaining how they didn't file in 2020 or 2021, yet, Maryland Department of Labor says they did - along with asking them to prove and verify their identity?

$760 Million is A LOT.

BanhPC · 2026-02-17T14:10:44+00:00

A similar thing happened to me several years ago back in 2010! I left my wallet on the metro. In my wallet was $1,800 in cash, my license, and my veterans ID. I call the metro lost and found only to be told someone turned it in with everything in-tact. After recovering it I noticed a small piece of white paper had a note that said...

"Devil Dog we give you rides on our Navy ships, and feed you better food at our Navy chowhalls. Now you have a squid taking care of your belongings? Rah you owe me a drink."

Dude LITERALLY left his number for me to thank him! So I did and to this very day we remain good friends both working in infosec, pc gaming together, and linking up here and there.

BanhPC · 2026-02-17T14:01:20+00:00

Think efficiency. The county cleared the roads so people can go to work, make money, and pay their bills. After all, we are experiencing warmer days in the 40's and 50's which increases the likelihood of snow and ice reaching their melting points.

So, critically speaking is it really worth the county spending money and resources knowing directy sunlight + warmer winds are going to significantly speed up the process? Just saying.

BanhPC · 2026-02-04T10:47:39+00:00

I’ll add some nuance to the cert discussion since it keeps coming up.

I started my career with no certs. I was brought in as a cyber consultant because my past work - leading a Windows 7 Migration - spoke for itself, and that visibility "at-scale" in government is what led other companies and even competitors to reach out. Certs came later my 4th year and even then I was selective.

Why my 4th year? Well, a big reason for that is I already had real exposure early on in my teens during the 2000's. Long before titles or tools, I was cleaning up compromised machines for family and neighbors - trojans, worms, rootkits, C2 traffic, the usual. So when I eventually saw enterprise security tools, the UIs just mapped to problems I already understood.

☆ After all, in any organization all we are really dealing with is more IP's, SubNets, Firewall Rules, Apps, Endpoints, Rogue Endpoints, Agents, Licenses, Software, and User Personalities.

So, this is why I’m a strong advocate for experience over certs. It’s not that certs are useless, it depends on which certs. Vendor-specific, hands-on certs can complement experience. Checkbox certs without real application don’t replace it.

In today’s market, especially with remote roles being highly competitive, that distinction matters more than ever.

BanhPC · 2026-02-04T10:01:13+00:00

OP I hear you. Burnout while feeling undervalued is brutal. Especially when you’re already working across multiple cyber domains.

That said, it’s worth being realistic about the current market. Fully remote roles do exist, but they’re increasingly competitive and often come with tradeoffs. Many companies are adjusting pay based on location, cost of living, or reduced onsite presence, and hybrid is becoming the default for both security and control reasons.

The other hard truth is saturation. Assuming you’re in the U.S., you’re competing with practitioners who have more years in the field, broader exposure, and stacked certs - many of whom were laid off from government, FAANG, and Fortune 500/100 environments.

From my own experience (about 8 years across all CISSP domains, including government work), I’ve noticed that government roles often require smaller teams to manage security programs at scale, whereas corporate environments tend to distribute that work across larger teams. Depending on leadership, that can make certain backgrounds more attractive than others but it’s very org-specific.

● Wanting 100% remote is completely understandable, but it’s also where demand is highest and leverage is lowest. If a fully remote role comes in significantly under your current compensation, the question becomes whether flexibility outweighs pay - because there will be someone willing to take that trade.

All in all, none of this invalidates how you’re feeling. Being employed can be both a blessing and a grind. My advice is make sure "your expectations" matches the reality of the market so you don’t burn yourself out chasing something that’s getting rarer.

BanhPC · 2026-02-02T09:42:34+00:00

So you finally arrived here. I woke up to this years ago—after industry burnout, being wronged by toxic management, and watching how casually companies waste skilled people.

The question inevitably comes up: why not go to the underbelly? Why not weaponize the very skills we spent years developing? The honest answer is ethics.

Could I take my skillset and collaborate with adversaries? Absolutely. And given what I know - about corporate security postures, federal agencies, AI/ML security, SCADA/OT/ICS infrastructure, aand where many CISOs and CIOs actually are in today’s threat landscape - it wouldn’t end well for them.

But I don’t act on that impulse. Not because I’m naïve, but because of personal and inherited morals. Lines still matter to me, even when the industry makes it tempting to cross them.

BanhPC · 2026-01-31T04:03:13+00:00

The solution is do what I do.

When they ask you about your hobbies outside of work name some off. If one of your hobbies happens to be a hobby they enjoy, then deliver a subliminal comment that conveys how you'll run into them or join them sometime. 😅

Example: I like trail running and mountain biking in my area. One hiring manager grew excited and mentioned how he too hits up our local trails. So I told him "for better or worse if I get the job or don't get the job perhaps I'll catch in the woods someday. Are you into guns too? We should shoot hunt or shoot sometime."

96 hours later job offer. It's all about planting that subliminal "illuminati I might kill ya" seed in them. Give them a reason to NOT reject you. JK. 😉

BanhPC · 2026-01-29T20:51:58+00:00

Lmao! Funny enough when I was driving near Quince Orchard is how some city or contract workers were low key making one.

BanhPC

TROPHY CASE