Ian Cooper

About Ian Cooper

I\'m an ethical hacker and graduate of Fullstack Academy. Prior to my transition into cybersecurity, I was a working actor with 7 years of experience focused on theater and film. I loved the collaborative aspect and process of crafting a role. In order to set myself apart from other performers, I wanted to develop a unique skill I could add to my list of special skills. After an extensive search for something challenging and handy. I discovered the art of lock picking. I found the challenge of applying the correct pressure, in the correct order of pins and the inevitable click of cracking a lock very rewarding. It opened my eyes to the world of security. Walking down the streets of New York I quickly realized how much faith we put in others to keep people, places, things safe and secure. I started to wonder, where in my own life am I vulnerable? Where is my safety assumed but not asserted? These questions compelled me towards the field of cyber security. With cyber I found an aspect of my life I had never investigated. I had never considered how the negligence of information security impacts us all. So, I entrenched myself in all things cyber, downloading Kali, deploying my lab environment, learning about Linux, nmap, and tinkering away on Hack the Box. In doing so, I found myself with the same rewarding experience I had with lock picking in gaining root access on HTB and a community of collaborators utilizing their most creative selves to solve and understand real global issues. After some self-reflection on where I truly felt a sense of purpose and fulfillment. I decided to invest in myself and go to Fullstack Academy. I was reaffirmed of this decision when I met my fellow students, I was pleasantly surprised at how diverse the community is. People from all walks of life had made the same decision as me, to devote themselves to explore what cyber security means, and how they can incorporate their previous experience into a brand-new skill set. I love the fact that I\'m still part of a creative community, with unique perspectives and processes. Except now, the process is log analysis instead of script analysis, breaking things down into bytes instead of beats and implementing actions on objectives instead of my character objectives. I\'m excited for what the future holds, and I\'m looking forward to being on the frontlines as ethical hacker. Honing my skill set and further embedding myself in the ever-shifting frontier of cyber security.

Experience

1. Security Analyst

   ReliaQuest

   Oct 2022 — Present · Tampa, FL, US

Education

• Fullstack Academy

  Offensive and Defensive Cyber Security, Cybersecurity

  2021 — 2022

• Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater

  Theatre/Theater

  2013 — 2015