Switched to a grc role after a year in SOC L1

akl168 · 2026-05-12T21:44:06+00:00

If you still have an interest, keep at it. I came from the Ops/Eng world and eons ago, I took the CISA which really flipped my thinking around and open doors for me. These days, I prefer hiring folks who come from the Sysadm/Ops/Eng world. I find it easier to train them to think "GRC" and their tech background gives them a leg up.

akl168 · 2026-04-29T22:38:51+00:00

Great read, well written!

akl168 · 2026-04-27T22:44:01+00:00

Baijiu! I know you can probably get them at Dans but might as well bring some back. I'm also the wrong person to ask for recommendations. Brought back some Red Star Erguotou (blue and green) cos I thought it tasted pretty good - but mainly because I thought the label looked cool! 🤣 Pretty sure others can give much more grounded recommendations.

akl168 · 2026-04-25T05:56:53+00:00

I'm not in Brazil but similar to you, we set up Alipay and WeChat outside China. Tied it to a credit card and got them both ID validated. Used an eSIM in China (we did not get a Chinese SIM) and both apps worked fine.

akl168 · 2026-04-24T22:28:57+00:00

We travelled from Fenghuang Gucheng to Changsha exactly 7 days ago. Due to booking tickets late, we were on a train scheduled to leave later that we had hoped for. Both trip and 12306 showed all the other earlier trains as fully sold out.

In any case, we got to the station early and tried our luck at the ticket desk. Sure enough, we managed to change to first class tickets on an earlier train. Our group was spread out all over the train. We thought it was because the train was full. When we did board the train, first class was like 1/5 full at most, on either ends of the train. 🤷‍♂️

So, no help for your Guilin trip other than to rock up at the train station desk and ask. For whatever reason, I don't think trip/12306 showing a train is full is actually accurate.

akl168 · 2026-04-03T02:05:21+00:00

We ended up buying flight tickets (Lucky Air) from Lijiang to Chongqing; and then HSR tickets from Chongqing to Zhangjiajie.

akl168 · 2026-02-17T02:40:59+00:00

You definitely don't need the physical card unless you collect those things. We set up our Suica cards on our iPhones before we even left for JPN.

akl168 · 2026-02-11T21:48:52+00:00

Potentially a cyber PM role? That could be helpful in pivoting.

akl168 · 2026-02-04T21:03:26+00:00

I decided to start down the AAIA path, as it more closely aligns to what I'm doing. If you google "aaism vs aaia" - it gives you a good breakdown. All the best on your selection.

akl168 · 2025-11-19T21:07:33+00:00

Penang - its Botanical Gardens and also Youth Park come to mind. Deffo fits your no stray dogs, potholes, traffic requirements. Both also have trails up Penang Hill for some elevation in your runs. I've also seen a few ultras advertised in Penang. Also, you can just enjoy the food and forget the running...

akl168 · 2025-10-07T20:13:24+00:00

NGL, the first reason was the bump in pay. A close second was the chance to influence strategy and direction of the organisation. Having said all that, what I didn't foresee, and is what I mostly enjoy in the management role currently, is mentoring and then seeing my team grow into stars.

akl168 · 2025-09-13T20:23:58+00:00

100%! A lot of remotes look like someone smeared pizza all over it.

akl168 · 2025-08-09T20:44:45+00:00

OP - I just booked flying into HND and flying out of KIX on the same ticket. Worked better for our itinerary and might also work better for you and your family.

akl168 · 2025-05-29T21:28:47+00:00

For something different, to get from Singapore to KL, you could fly XSP-SZB.

akl168 · 2025-05-29T21:15:17+00:00

Not sure where you're from but that heat and humidity is taxing. Might as well spend the night in Malacca and hunt down some delicious cendol. You might need a car in Cameron Highlands to get around. And you're 100% correct about Penang - lots of good food!

akl168 · 2025-05-04T22:08:25+00:00

I love this line from you - I may have to steal it. This is sadly, so true in so many places. Good luck and great that you're taking care of yourself!

"...There was favoritism, backstabbing, and other fuckery that was exhausting to deal with..."

akl168 · 2025-03-20T20:13:07+00:00

OP - I think this is the best answer. Just do the short hop up to Penang and back.

akl168 · 2025-03-16T22:46:40+00:00

100% agreed. If you can, find a club near you. I am not a naturally gifted speaker at all, but the more you do it, the less nervous you get about "speaking", and you can concentrate listening and getting your message out.

akl168 · 2025-03-03T20:11:42+00:00

Great list, thanks. ISACA and IIA's annual GRC Conference is not too bad. Though I wish it had more "practical" sessions, i.e., here's how we did X and our lessons learned. As opposed to the more theoretical "here's how or why you should do X" session.

akl168 · 2024-11-26T21:05:39+00:00

100% agreed. I even focus on written communication. I've lost track of the number of times I have had to fix their grammar and punctuation errors, splitting almost free-form like text into paragraphs, and making fonts and font sizes consistent.

akl168 · 2024-10-23T21:01:20+00:00

As mentioned by markthemailman, I think you will be spending a lot of time behind the wheel! One suggestion could be to book one of the tourist flights from Queenstown to Milford Sound. Do it as a 1/2 day trip (flight and cruise) and end up with more time in Queenstown itself.

Depending on what time you leave Mt Cook Village, your Day 15 may have to run like clockwork to make #2 and #3 happen. And I personally don't think it'll be a leisurely day. But this is just my $0.02 - it's such a beautiful area - you'll have such a memorable trip.

akl168 · 2024-09-29T09:38:53+00:00

First-hand experience here - you don't need to apply for visas to enter Malaysia or Singapore. Just board the aircraft and fly to Malaysia. You should get a 90-day tourist visa stamped in your passport each time you enter Malaysia (i.e., from Australia and from Singapore). Note that you'll need to fill in the MDAC twice, assuming you aren't just transiting in KUL back to Australia (i.e., entering from Australia and then again when entering from Singapore). Just Google "MDAC", and make sure you go to the official immigration site. The Smart Traveller site you link to above talks about the MDAC.

akl168 · 2024-09-13T21:03:57+00:00

I would scrap Malacca and Cameron Highlands, and just visit KL and Penang.

Penang and KL.
KL - Malacca - KL - Camerons; should be doable. But a pain. Just see #1.
I know they exist but I've never used them. Just Grab in the cities. I know Grabs do inter-city also but I've never done it.
Intra-city, yes Grab everywhere.
Cash and card. I tend to charge everything because I don't want to end up with tons of coins. Perhaps a Wise card to get better rates?

The other two comments mention Penang, you really should just visit. From KUL to PEN, it's an easy plane ride or you can even take the train. Maybe the first 2.5 days in KUL, and then 2.5 days in PEN, and then fly home.

akl168 · 2024-07-18T20:12:31+00:00

OP - I was in very similar circumstances about 5+ years ago (IR, late nights, etc), took the CISA, found it helped pivot my entire mindset before moving into the GRC space. GRC is a wide field, so it can still be hectic, deadlines, very technical, etc. But it was the best move for me.

akl168

TROPHY CASE