Kimberly began her journey into cybersecurity in late 2020.  Determined to reinvent herself from corporate hospitality to an InfoSec professional, she dove head first into endless research, networking (with people), and absorbing information on everything InfoSec she could get her hands on. The real magic happened when building relationships in the cybersecurity community and refining those connections. 

During this transition, Kimberly realized the way for her to give back to this wonderful community was to help other newcomers find engaging, trustworthy, reliable, and free or "minimal-cost" training content for those seeking to break in to careers in this industry.  She knew sharing the quality, vetted resources and communities that worked for her and others she trusted, was key to helping others get a jumpstart on their own journey. 

Cybersecurity Central didn't happen overnight. By strategically creating specific industry connections to develop and grow relationships, Kimberly found a group of essential mentors who inspired her to launch Cybersecurity Central and turn it into a reality.  Included in this group are her cybersecurity inspirations: Stephen A. Hart, Jax Scott, Stefan Waldvogel, Dr. Gerald Auger, and Josh Mason. She credits where she is today with the help, support, generosity, and guidance of these individuals, and others, she met in her cybersecurity career journey. 

Connect with Kimberly on LinkedIn @kimberlycanfixit & Twitter @kcanfixit:

James is a 20-year U.S. Air Force Veteran who retired from active duty in 2014.  His background is in Logistics and regulatory compliance and system administrator (additional duty).  

With over 10 years as a U.S. government contractor in logistics, James knows a career in Cybersecurity is his end goal and where he is meant to be.  While he still considers himself fairly new to this space, he has gained experience as a system administrator, technical researcher and writer, along with mastering regulatory compliance and GRC.  James holds the coveted CompTIA CySA+,and multiple vendor certifications. 

James completed his Bachelor’s degree through ECPI University and graduated in August 2022, and completed his M.S. in Cybersecurity Operations in August 2024. He applies his combined skills developed from his military and firefighter careers along with learnings from his college education experiences to assist others in their journey into the cybersecurity realm. This is his way of giving back to the industry he is so passionate about.

As a Cybersecurity Researcher and Writer for Cybersecurity Central, James hopes his contributions will allow others to gain insightful perspectives as they work towards their own path in Information Security.

Connect with James on LinkedIn:

Our latest addition to Team CC is Alexis Julian, a graduate of Norwich University's Computer Security and Information Assurance degree program with dual concentrations in information management and digital forensics. She has worked in cyber security for 4 years and is currently a US SOC Incident Response Analyst for Crane Holdings Co.

Before Crane, Alexis worked for the State of Vermont's Agency of Digital Services as a generalized security analyst working projects in incident response, vulnerability management, and GRC. While with the agency she managed their third-party SOC and completed numerous risk assessments on high priority assets. 

Alexis also volunteers on the CVFiber policy committee. CVFiber is a municipal organization with the goal of getting fast, dependable, and affordable Internet to every Vermonter. In her spare time she enjoys hiking with her dogs, foraging, and connecting with future security professionals to assist them in breaking into the industry. 

Recently in 2023, Alexis started a mentorship program where she provides the insights and assistance many newcomers are seeking from experienced professionals in the industry. Alexis can speak first-hand to what it's like to break-in and advance in a cybersecurity career. 

As a Cybersecurity Content Creator for Cybersecurity Central, Alexis will contribute to providing insightful perspectives to our followers.

Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn:

Cybersecurity Central is excited to share more about our newest member of Team CC, Shaun Washington! Shaun is the first graduate from Cape Fear Community college with an A.A.S. in Cyber Crime Technology, a diploma in Information Technology, and a prior Applied Sociology Bachelors from University of North Carolina at Wilmington. With over 12 years of experience working with the NC Department of Public Safety as Juvenile Justice Officer and Supervisor, has a demonstrated history of working in the government relations industry.

Shaun is currently an IT Application Specialist and IT Support for a non-profit substance abuse treatment agency. Shaun is currently an Admin over the EMR/EHR used by his agency. Shaun is Scrum Fundamentals Certified (SFC), Six Sigma Yellow Belt certified, and (ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity.  Shaun is new to the Cybersecurity space and is looking to continue to develop his skills, and help others along the way.

As a Cybersecurity Content Creator for Cybersecurity Central, Shaun contributed to providing thought provoking insight into the journey of some one trying to “Break into Cybersecurity” through Blog by CC. 

Update: Shaun broke-in to cybersecurity as a SOC Analyst in 2023!  Tam CC couldn't be more proud of him and his efforts to make a meaningful impact along the way. Congrats, Shaun! 

Connect with Shaun on LinkedIn: