TL;DR
How many courses or career paths did you complete last year? Whatever you did, don’t feel bad if you weren’t quite as productive as Cybrary learner Oleg Vertiporoh. From his base in Cork, Ireland, Vertiporoh was able to get through an astonishing eight courses and 22 labs last year — making him one of 2024’s most productive users.
Even more impressive? Vertiporoh got all this done in not just a year, but in only three months. It takes a special kind of person to commit to such a feat, which is why I thought it was worth meeting with him to find out where he found such motivation, how he uses Cybrary, and what kind of tips he has for anyone looking to dial up their productivity this year.
[Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.]
How did you get started in cybersecurity?
I got familiar with computers at the age of 13 or so. This was 1992. There was MS-DOS. There was no hard drive. But when I went to university, I turned my career to some other things I was doing and got a degree in accounting. Afterward, I traveled around Europe and worked in a bank, BNP Paribas, as a financial advisor. Then when I moved to Ireland, my professional career in IT started.
What prompted the move from accounting to IT? That seems like a large move.
Yeah, that’s true! So I looked at accounting jobs at first, but they were very different from what I originally studied in Ukraine, where I’m from. But since I was familiar with computers, since my childhood, I was able to get a job as a Google vendor, providing technical support for Google Apps [now called Workspace]. I provided support to the Russian market for two years, then to the world market for three years, supporting Australia, India, and Europe.
When did you decide to formalize your knowledge of cybersecurity? What led to that decision?
When I was at Google, I remember talking with my team about how the cybersecurity field is exploding and full of open opportunities. One of my friends said he knew a guy who was working in cybersecurity here in Cork. Also, in terms of the paycheck, it’s a big increase. So I became interested at that point and started to look around to see what cybersecurity companies were here in Ireland.
In 2021, my contract with Google ended, so I started searching and applying to several different companies. I ended up at Sophos Cybersecurity, a UK company, working successfully in Endpoint Security and Response.
At what point did you start to take classes and to start studying cybersecurity? Did you apply to these companies just with your childhood knowledge of computers? Or did you have some certifications or some classes under your belt?
Let me see. When I was applying for the Google workspace, I definitely didn’t have anything. What I did, I recall, was create an account with Cybrary in 2015 or 2016, back when it was a new platform, and started with the CompTIA A+ preparation course. After finishing that, I started the CompTIA Network+ preparation course and managed to get about 60 to 70 percent through that. But these were the only preparations I did. I was not certified or anything.
And I have to say that when I applied to Sophos the first time, I was unsuccessful. A month after my first interview, or maybe a few weeks, I sent them a message asking if they could please let me know where I could develop, which area I needed to develop, and where I can go with that.
That's proactive. Is that something you always do with interviews?
I don't. I can't say that I normally do it. It’s just that, when moving from another country, like from Eastern Europe to a developed country, you need to be able to compete with natives on the same level. Maybe they have the same knowledge as you. So I was learning how to do interviews. I was reading a lot about what you need to do – what interview questions to expect, and how to answer them.
I initially applied to a network security group and my networking knowledge was not that good, which is why they didn't accept me. But a few weeks later, they were hiring for their endpoint protection group. So that’s how I got a job with them.
It sounds like, even after taking your current position, you’ve continued using Cybrary. Can you talk a little about that?
Of course, yes. Since joining Sophos, I’ve completed a lot more certifications. I studied for CompTIA Security+ and got that certification, then managed to complete a few more in networking, networking security, and so on. Then, when I was taking part in an internship opportunity at Sophos within their MDR [Managed Detection and Response] team, my manager recommended I take a specific course called Application of the MITRE ATT&CK Framework. I did that and it was one of the best I’ve seen.
After that, I started looking at what else Cybrary had. I really liked the career paths – how you can choose fundamentals, how you can choose stack analysts, how you can choose from the defensive part or from the black penetration part. So I started down the SOC Analyst path, which took me about a month and a half. After that, I wondered what else they had and found out about penetration testing, which is what I’m doing at the moment.
You went through more courses and labs than anyone else last year. How have you been so successful? What advice would you give to someone who’d like to follow in your footsteps, so to speak?
It was not even one year, it was only like three months. [Laughs] I started at the end of August and, I think, finished most of it in November.
So basically, I have a tab with Cybrary always open in my browser. And when I have some free time, I just go in there and do something. So I’d just advise doing a little bit at a time.
Moving slowly is better than doing nothing. Just start with something.
If I have more time, I’ll do theory and practice. If I have less time, I’ll just do theory. Sometimes I’ll do only half an hour a day, but sometimes as much as four hours.
It’s also very important you’re not forcing yourself, that you like what you’re doing. If you’re learning something and you’re interested in it, it’s not a job for you. It will feel like a hobby. You’ll be more successful at it.
Anything else?
When you’re lost, you just need to ask senior guys. You can use Google search or ChatGPT or whatever if you feel like it is good for you, but you need to double-check because they can be hallucinating. I rely on my senior colleagues way more than AI, although I’ve started to trust AI more in the past year. It’s just that, when you don’t know something and you try to get an idea from AI, you should never just copy what the AI gives you. Although it is developing very quickly.
To wrap up, what is it about Cybrary that stands out so much for you? What makes it so effective?
I think what makes Cybrary stand out is that it is very structured. It's very easy to find what exactly you need in there. It has career paths and it has skill paths. You just simply open the menu and you look. What exactly do I need? Which exact skill am I missing? And then you just start it and you do it.
I also like that it combines theory, practice, and learning checks. You can read and you can watch videos and you can try out what you’ve learned. And it does a good job of renewing stuff constantly and staying on top of the news so that you can constantly keep track of what’s happening in the cybersecurity area.
Finally, what’s next for you? How do you see Cybrary being a part of your growth in the next few years?
I have a few courses bookmarked that I haven’t finished yet. After that, I was looking into a new one that was recently announced, a new career path for security engineers. It’s just in testing mode now, but you can already start the theory. So that’s my plan.
Thanks Oleg. Best of luck to you!
Thank you very much!
