Brandon_Rasaka

Get to know me and check out some of the work I've done.



Peace!

I’m a current student at Columbia Basin College, all set to graduate I just graduated in December 2021 with my BAS in Cyber Security. My goal after I graduate now that I am done with school is to work in Cybersecurity Risk Analysis/Assessment/Management or in Penetration Testing. However, I’m also open to working in anything related to cybersecurity or computers, such as networking, information technology, databases, etc.

I’ve figured out that I really like data analysis, problem-solving, and math. I’ve also learned throughout my education and my experience in these last couple years that I really enjoy tinkering and developing automated systems.

I made this website as a way to showcase some of the work I’ve done. Isn’t that what a resume for? Of course, I have a resume, but I’ve worked very hard to keep it clean, limited, and tailored to each job application. This site doesn’t outline my employment history, but is a way to document some of my cybersecurity adventures. You should also definitely check out my LinkedIn profile to read about my other achievements and my work history, but this website gives me the ability to present myself with a little more of a casual voice. When you read my website, I want you to get to know the real me.

Me, at a glance

Though I just got my BAS in cybersecurity, this isn’t my first rodeo through school. I started by getting a bachelor’s in Geology at Brigham Young University - Idaho, then I went on to get my master’s in Geology from Baylor University. I spent a few years teaching an online natural disasters course, submitting countless resumes for positions in a failing field, and working at a rental car agency. Eventually, I decided it was time to gain some education and skills in a different arena.

Now, I’m an intern at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which started through the SULI program in the summer of 2021. During part of that time I also work for Marcraft/ETG, a company that develops training courses with hands-on equipment. They sell to educators, not to students, so they’re often selling an entire course, which comes with a textbook, lab book, and a whole kit of devices, like a pre-configured Raspberry Pi, a laptop with Kali and Windows, several routers, a server, etc. At Marcraft I am editing and writing labs for their course in Industrial Control System Cyber Security.

In addition to these jobs, I also work for CBC as an adjunct instructor teaching Geology 101 online, and until I graduated I was also the president of our campus cybersecurity club: the Cyberhawks. I’m a husband, and the proud father of six kids!

Me and my family having fun together

My Path to Cybersecurity

Is it “cyber security” (two words) or “cybersecurity” (one word)?

Most people probably couldn’t care less, but I pride myself on precise language. I went back and forth a lot, then I decided to settle on “cybersecurity” (one word), because that’s the way it’s use by NIST.

So, how does someone with a master’s in geology and six kids decide to go back to school and get a degree in cybersecurity? Well, the short version of the story is this. After graduating with my MS degree, I spent 2.5 years applying for hundreds of positions related to geology. Geologist, staff geologist, assistant geologist, environmental planner, geographic information systems specialist, geology instructor (community college), etc.

I had very few call backs, let alone interviews. I made it to the top 2 candidates for a position with a GIS company called Eagle Eye, but they picked the candidate who had experience working with governments. For much of that time I was working as an online adjunct instructor teaching a natural disasters course.

Eventually I decided I needed to get a full-time job doing anything, regardless of its relation to my degree, which led me to working at Enterprise Rent A Car. During my tenure there I continued to look for geology-related jobs, but I really dove into the job to make the most out of it. That helped me learn a lot about business and sales, but I still felt out of place.

I spent much of those years introspectively thinking about what really interested me about geology, what makes me tick. Was it the rocks, or was it something more fundamental? In the process I learned a few things about myself. I learned that I really enjoy solving problems and puzzles. I like data analysis and finding patterns. I like to build things and the satisfaction that comes when finally finishing a project that works.

But I also learned that I care about people. I care about my family, my community, and my country. I care about helping people live meaningful, productive lives. I care about protecting our rights to life, liberty, and property. Putting all that together led me to cybersecurity.

Other Interests

In addition to cybersecurity, I have a lot of other interests. I have been in love with the outdoors since I was a kid and have come to an even greater appreciation for the Earth as I’ve come to understand the processes that shape it. As part of my interest in geology, I am semi-active on my YouTube channel Geology Guy, though I don’t often have the time to dedicate to it.

Outdoors

I love camping and hiking! My ideal vacation involves tent camping and going on hikes to beautiful mountain vistas. The best views you have to hike to, you can’t just drive up to them. I grew up in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and lived there until I was 23. I was in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and had a ton of fun camping and hiking in the central Oregon Cascades, mostly in the Santiam Pass. I’ve hiked all around the north, west, and south sides of Mount Jefferson, and I climbed to the very top of a mountain called Three-Fingered Jack. Its summit is so narrow only two people can stand at the top at a time!

I’ve also been to many places in about a 150-mile radius surrounding Idaho Falls, Idaho, like Yellowstone, the Tetons, Craters of the Moon, Stanley, the Grand Canyon, etc.

Hiking the Grand Canyon

Geology

My love for the outdoors, along with a keen interest in science inevitably led me to study geology. I like to say that everybody likes geology, but nobody cares about it. For example, I’ve never talked to someone who wasn’t fascinated by volcanoes. But unless they study geology, they’re not usually all that interested in discussing the differences in the chemical composition between basalt and granite.

And it seems like a lot of people misunderstand what geology is really about. It’s not just rocks, it’s understanding the natural physical and chemical processes that shape the Earth. But different processes produce different rocks with different characteristics, so geologists use those characteristics like a detective uses clues in a crime scene.

But what’s cool about these details is that geologists have been able to reconstruct the shape, location, and movement of the continents over the past billion years! And you might think, “That’s cool, but who cares?” but we can predict where to find precious resources with such knowledge.

I could keep going, but I won’t. Instead, I’ll invite you to my YouTube channel, Geology Guy (and hopefully I’ll have time soon to add to it!). You might also be interested to know that I teach Geology 101 in an online course for Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington. I use the Canvas LMS and have written my own curriculum a textbook/labbook called Earth Lab and hands-on activities.

Artistic Endeavors

Guitar

I play the guitar and sing for fun, and I love jamming out to classic rock music. I’m far from an expert, but I think I’m not too bad. I only have a Fender acoustic now, but I used to have an electric guitar as well. I’m a decent visual artist too. I used to draw a ton when I was younger and I still more-or-less have the talent. These days though, if I’m doing any kind of visual art, I’m usually doing graphic design on Adobe Illustrator.

I’m also into writing. I currently have three different stories in the works, though who knows when I’ll ever get around to finishing them. One is a murder mystery set in a fictional ancient era in which the lead investigator discovers a plot to overthrow the government. Another is a serial killer thriller novel set in modern times. And the other is an epic fantasy with dragons and magic.

Literature

I really like reading (usually listening to audiobooks, actually), especially fantasy and science-fiction, though I enjoy a wide range of books. I’m a huge Star Wars fan (I’m sure you fellow Star Wars fans recognize my greeting on my homepage), though I enjoy Star Trek as well. Brandon Sanderson is my favorite author of fiction, but I also like works by Robert Jordan, Douglas Adams, Lee Child, Tolkien, Pierce Brown, Richard Stark, Andy Weir, and many more. In addition to fiction, I greatly appreciate non-fiction works as well, in the realm of philosophy and politics. Here’s a list of my favorite works:

Fiction

Non-Fiction





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