Interview with Daria-Romana Pop. The Benefits of Working with CSFI!

1. Would you please tell us how the Cyber Security Forum Initiative (CSFI) supported your cyber career goals?

I joined CSFI in March 2020. I still remember my first meeting with Paul de Souza, beginning a tremendous professional relationship and friendship. At that time, I was new to cybersecurity both in terms of experience and knowledge, but I took the opportunity without hesitation.

My first project was the Cyber Knowledge Base Project (CKBP), which introduced me to many new concepts and amazing people. By learning and contributing every day, I understood what I want to do in the future. I am also proud to say that I played an essential role in opening a CSFI office in my home country, Romania, and I will continue to offer my support for future projects there.

As I continued to grow and get more insights into the field, I was encouraged to start studying for certifications to validate my knowledge in cybersecurity. This was the challenging part! With a background in International Relations, achieving this seemed almost impossible, but CSFI not only encouraged me to do it but also offered all the help and support I needed to succeed.

And one year later, here I am, Security+ and PenTest+ certified, part of the CSFI Cyber Threat Intelligence Team, a job as a threat intelligence analyst, and wonderful people by my side. CSFI was for me that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because it shaped my cyber career path and motivated me to do more.

2. Why would you recommend CSFI to folks getting started with cybersecurity or even more seasoned cybersecurity professionals? 

Contributing to national security is a noble effort no matter what stage you are at in your career development. This not only gives you prestige but also teaches you about work ethics, teamwork, and commitment.

From my experience, I can say that the people I have met through LinkedIn, job interviews, and school were all very interested in my work with CSFI. The motivation to get involved and make an impact always brings people, ideas, and innovation together, and CSFI is a great facilitator for this. Besides the knowledge and skills that I developed through CSFI, I also improved my LinkedIn presence, and ultimately, CSFI brought me in contact with the company I currently work for.

I would definitely recommend the CSFI experience to people interested in getting into cybersecurity. It can change their perspective and guide them towards the right path and to those already experienced as their talent and skills can bring a lot of value and recognition.

3. What are some of the experiences you enjoyed the most by joining our organization? 

I really enjoyed my first project, the CKBP, as it was an ice breaker for me. It was great working with such an amazing group of professionals, learning how to manage a project, organize the teams, and ensure that the tasks are completed in time. It was a big responsibility, but at the same time, the final product and the feedback received from my team were very rewarding.

Also, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of networking. Through CSFI, I had the chance to meet some of the best experts in the field, learn from them, and gain their respect and appreciation. I also met people my age with the same drive to succeed in cybersecurity. Sharing experiences and supporting each other played a vital role in our work and professional development.

Another experience that I will probably never forget was my certifications journey, which would not have been the same without the support from CSFI. Ups and downs, everything I heard were “You can do it!” and “I’m very proud of you.” When you have all this, you are already a winner. 

4. Would you recommend CSFI to other professionals? If so, why?

I would absolutely recommend CSFI to other professionals! Constantly learning new things and challenging ourselves can only bring benefits to our personal and professional development. I believe that anything can be learned if there is commitment and determination. One of the things that I appreciate the most about CSFI is that it gives people a chance to grow, discover their passion, and materialize it into something extraordinary! 

Daria-Romana Pop is a CSFI Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst and a Threat Intelligence Analyst for KELA (The global leader in actionable threat intelligence).