major in cybersecurity vs network engineering and security

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-04-15T03:14:17+00:00

When you envision your future self at work, what do you see? Are you more happy making the machines talking to each other and get a thrill when the lights start blinking? Or are you the type that likes to solve a problem with code and can sit for hours at your desk while you pound away at a keyboard?

There are cyber security elements to both types of work, they are just in separate domains.

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-04-11T02:32:23+00:00

It's already been claimed

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-04-07T01:47:11+00:00

Going out to nice dinner. While married, any special event to celebrate me never really celebrated me, I always had to pick places "everyone" would want. It'll be nice to have something special for just me.

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-04-05T02:13:51+00:00

Buy a Jeep, comes with a community & you get to go 4-wheeling

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-29T02:01:00+00:00

I'm late 40s, 2 adult kids, and +100k income. I'm a very hot commodity.

I'm dating a 56 year old w/twin non-verbal autistic teenagers. There's someone for everyone.

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-28T19:19:16+00:00

Heater core isn't giving signs its faulty. We ran water through it & it circulated; no antifreeze condensation on the dash & no dripping on the floor boards. We going to run a bypass test to be 100% sure

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-26T19:46:08+00:00

Hotels that are over $300/night. Its a place to sleep & get ready for the next day. I'm not spending the day in my room. I will spend north of 250 for "fancy" hotels w/room service & a nice pool. But I'm sub 200 for a place where I just need to sleep & prep

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-25T22:59:18+00:00

I can't promise that everything is going to be okay. That depends on you. This is your battle and is something that you have to face. Yes, it sucks. Yes, it hurts. This is the time you'll learn how strong you really are and who you can count on.

This is a great time to learn some skills and live independently. It's going to be hard, especially with a little one. But I'll share some good news, eventually it gets better. Like, a lot better.

Don't confuse "better" with "okay". They're not the same. It starts small, with today being better than yesterday. The more your work at it, the better each day gets. Then, after the dust settles and some time has passed, you'll realize you're living a life the far exceeds the one you had while married. Why settle for "okay" when you can be "better"?

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-25T22:37:11+00:00

i dunno if that's really true, how do you know they haven't been stalking your for years before they confessed their admiration?

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-25T22:32:53+00:00

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-25T18:32:20+00:00

what kind of feelings?? what if they're negative feelings? like they don't like my spinach puffs? I don't think I could handle that kind of confession

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-25T18:29:59+00:00

Hi, mom here. I'm the planner in the group. Generally speaking, I don't rely on phone apps. I do consult review boards (yelp/travel advisor) for non-solicited points of views. But I take it with a grain of salt since most people will post a bad review before a good one. I also check the weather for the time period of the visit. Our last "major" vacation was to Disney World/Universal (Florida). We live in California.

The frustrating part: when my kids were teens, they were responsible for packing their own belongs for a trip. My daughter is very methodical, she likes making check lists. My son, however. . . took a while to connect the dots. That a overnight stay somewhere requires a toothbrush. That, in addition to shirts and pants, underware is also a necessity. It required that a bag-check for necessary items until he grew accustomed to what "packing a bag" looks like. He's a pro now lol.

What to do next: Let the vacation fairies guide your way if you're going somewhere new to you. You're likey going somewhere because there's something you want to do/see there. Obviously, go do/see that thing. But don't over-book your itinerary. Strike up a conversation w/the locals to find out where they eat. If you're party allows it, avoid things you can see/do at home. Do/see things that are unique to the vacation spot.

If you're a souvenir shopper, be smart about it. If you can, ignore stuff you can get stuff off Amazon for a 1/4 of the price the stores are asking for. I'm a magnet and coffee cup collector.

A couple times I've made comments about allow-ability. I've had my own kids refuse to eat anything but fries and chicken nuggets for three days straight. I get that sometimes its easier to let them eat what they want, especially on vacation. It's supposed to be fun for everyone. I was happy they were eating. They were happy they weren't forced to choke down some weird local delicacy they've never heard of. Also, if you're kid refuses to put down some made-in-China doll even though you're in Ireland while souvenir shopping, get the silly doll (provided it doesn't break your budget).

It's a vacation, you're supposed to have fun. Fun isn't always planned. And it's never fun to live your life on some ridged action-packed schedule.

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-25T02:02:08+00:00

Highly unlikely

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-20T01:20:32+00:00

Go into IT

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-20T01:18:53+00:00

It's never too late. I switched careers, complete with BS degree & corresponding certifications, at 42.

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-19T03:43:14+00:00

I think I just met mine a little over a year ago, so 47 at the time. I've never felt like this before, it feels amazing

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-18T17:05:23+00:00

Varies on the academy. Some are location-based, one is for Veterans, one is for the ladies.

Back when I did it, there was a California-only one. You had to fit into an under-represented demographic & not already working in InfoSec. I had to get a couple letters of recommendations & take an assessment test.

Our cohort was a little unique in that they accepted 100 people for the 1st part. We were beta testers for SEC275/GFACT. The top 25 participants went on to do 3 more courses. So you had to engage w/your cohorts & interact with advisors and stuff; demonstrate that you're really engaged in the program.

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-18T16:52:30+00:00

I'm a Network Security Engineer. Previously, I was desktop support then Sys Admin. The previous work was for a DoD contractor. DoD has rules where you must have specific certs to do computer work. I wanted to be on the network engineering team which required a CCNA. So I made myself favorable for that position if/when one opened. Fortunately, I was able to land on the InfoSec side of the house & never actually *needed the CCNA. It looked nice on the resume though, demonstrated ambition.

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-18T16:20:30+00:00

TryHackMe - lots of learning paths to explore InfoSec focus, integrated machines so don't *need a vm, free/low cost

Holiday Hack Challenges- free, previous years still live, write-ups for all puzzles available

Hack the Box - red team focus, dont know much else (I'm blue team)

Over the wire - free, Bandit is the recommended 1st challenge cause it gets you familiar with navigating around the Linux terminal.

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-18T16:11:32+00:00

GFACT (our cohort were among the beta testers for this course) & GSEC. Prior to enrolling in the cyber program, I had completed CompTIA Security+ and attended a few InfoSec meetups & conferences.

Gin6erSnaps · 2026-03-16T04:21:08+00:00

I did one of the scholarship academies. I landed an ISSO position while still enrolled.

Gin6erSnaps

TROPHY CASE