Started a new job..stepped away from networking..

So I started a new job (assignment, rather) with the gov't, and all I have to say is "wow". Both in good and bad ways. I'm working on a TS network at a helpdesk..that is bad, because I've spent the last 4 yrs doing network design/engineering, and got thrown into this, which kind of felt like a downgrade. The good thing is, I'm doing a lot with unix/windows that I've never done before. There's some microsoft geniuses here, who really show me I know NOTHING about windows compared to what I thought I knew. That's good, because even when my time is up here, and I head back to the network engineer role, I'll have more knowledge, which is always good.

The biggest downside is I really miss networking, and touching Cisco gear. A bright side yet again is since being here I've taken a huge interest in Pen testing/Security, and as a result have setup a VMWare lab with necessary tools, and spend a lot of time testing new things, and learning all I can. It's a nice blend between my current role (which involves a lot of difficult OS issues with windows), and what I love to do (networking, layer 2/3). Pretty cool stuff.

Just thought I'd post since I never do anymore. I'm in the middle of a move, and once my move is complete (next week), I'll be getting back to the ONT, and soon the ISCW to complete my CCNP. Once that's done my soon-to-be spouse is highly encouraging me to continue onto the CCIE, although I think I may be sidetracked with the CEH, or maybe CCIP. We shall see...

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Comments

dynamik

It sounds like you're happy with it overall. Congratulations!

networker050184

Change isn't always a bad thing. I think its good to branch out and learn new things. Good luck with new position and hopefully you can get back to the Cisco side soon if that is what you really want.

kahn

yeah you are right networker050184, as 'changes are constant'.
Congratulations.
cheers

UnixGuy

This sounds very good actually, it's important to get exposure in different things

impelse

Congrats

Paul Boz

Dude don't sweat it. If you can put pen testing on your resume you are set for life. I left a role at an ISP doing large scale networking to work as a security engineer and I can assure you that the only Cisco gear I touch is on the rack at my house

Configuring network devices is fun but pwning them is WAY better.

arwes

I know we paid some company a whole lot of $$$ to test our security at the hospital. We did pretty good (though the guy's software was DoS'ing our patient accounting system during my shift). The guy threw in some social engineering and the clueless nurses were more than happy to help. He just showed up in a suit & tie and said he was from our dept and needed to borrow their workstation. Printed up some patient info and delivered it to the IT director.

Paul Boz

I have a picture that I can't share for obvious reasons, of myself wearing a telephone repair man uniform sitting in the office of the CEO of a high-profile bank with my feet up on his desk

Here's one of me rooting through a client's dumpster. For the record I pulled about a rheam of loan docs, social security numbers, internal faxes, and credit scores from the bag in my hands.

[edit] wow that pic makes me look huge. I swear I'm not a megafatty

arwes

Hahaha that is awesome! That stuff wasn't shredded? I think these people here even shred their banner sheets.

Paul Boz

The whole purpose of a dumpster dive is to validate shred policy. This particular credit union employed a comprehensive shred policy, has shred bins under EVERY employee's desk, and they still got busted.

arwes

Wow that's pretty bad. Hope that got corrected quickly. At my office we get more stuff in the shred piles than we do in the trash cans. Lots of banner sheets and forwarded junk every salesman thinks deserves to be printed on the $20,000 color laser printer.

mikej412

Mrock4 wrote: »

Just thought I'd post since I never do anymore.

It's nice to know you haven't forgotten where we live

You're back in the states, right? Still active duty? How much longer?

The CEH could be fun. And the CCIP is VERY USEFUL for the CCIE.

Paul Boz wrote: »

[edit] wow that pic makes me look huge.

It's the stripes on the tie!

I always thought that dumpster diving was saved for casual Fridays

Paul Boz

Every day is casual Friday

cisco_trooper

Yo Rock, good to see you're still alive bro. It's funny you mention VMWare, because I have put that on my own plate as well for testing some different OS configs (email, certs, etc....). I had a buddy who went to the CEH training a few years ago and he came back with a couple DVDs full of Pen tools. There was some really really cool stuff on those DVDs. Later bro.

Mrock4

mikej412 wrote: »

It's nice to know you haven't forgotten where we live

You're back in the states, right? Still active duty? How much longer?

The CEH could be fun. And the CCIP is VERY USEFUL for the CCIE.

Hey, Yeah, still active duty here in the states. I'm down in Florida now at a pretty nice assignment with CENTCOM. I got roughly 2 yrs to go then I'll transition to the civilian world (probably contracting at the same place I'm working at). Pretty excited! I view my next 2 yrs as time to get the resume rollin', and hopefully get a jumpstart on the CCIE if that's the route I end up taking.

CT: Yea man, I've been doing a lot with VMware. I currently have like 5-10 different distro's, god knows how many tools, a few MS products loaded in my 03' server, etc. It's a nice little setup. I just recently incorporated dynamips into the mix, so now I can play with router security. That being said, maybe ISCW would be the smarter option for me next, since that's where my interest lays right now. We shall see..

I could never forget about techexams. Once I start studying again in a week or two I'll pick up my activity here again hopefully. The posts are encouraging, since this transition is pretty wild for me. I'll talk to ya'll soon!!

Mike