NerdDual CyberSecurity by HDJames  

CyberSecurity starts with C but it's not complete without yoU.
Faliure to Act IS AN Invitation to Hack

Secure "IT" Before Someone Else Does

Cybersecurity has taken a new role in our lives today. I've been watching it creep into our lives, and I've noticed how most of us don't even think about "IT".
Information Technology:
As we adopt new technology without a second thought, only the hackers are thinking about the information that we are leaving for them to use against us. Cyber anything sounds like science fiction to most of us, but it shouldn't. Technology is integrating further into everything we do. If we don't take the proper steps to secure the information on and flowing in and out of these new devices we use to make out lives easier, bad actors will surely take advantage of that and make our lives much harder as a result of our ignorance and procrastination.
I was a helpdesk technician for a long time. One of the most frequent issues was an infection of some sort. A virus, spyware, malware, worms, etc. For a little while, it seemed that was all I did. Infected machines would come in by the dozens. Our users would click on almost every link they could find. It was my job to take their problem, make it my own, then make the problem go away. Clean the systems and get them back to users as quickly as possible.
I became pretty adept at cleaning the systems and getting the back into circulation, but that made me wonder. Why am I doing this so much? What exactly is going on when I run these processes? Why are so many machines getting hit with the same thing at the same time? Who is doing this and why? What can I do to stop this systematically? There was clearly more going on here than I understood.
I had to know more. I got my CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications, but I found difficulty applying what I learned to my position.
Security was a new concept for many companies just 10 years ago, and many didn't see the need to invest in security until it was too late. I wanted to be a part of the team that secured the whole system, not just remediate infected systems. I needed to level up my skillset again, so I went back to school. I had to learn more about Cyber Security.
I am happy to report:

BSCSIA Acheived.

I Graduated From Western Governors University on October 17 2023

A Dream Has Been Realized

My degree came a couple of days ago. I hung it up on the wall. I feel fortunate for the first time in a long time, but at the same time I feel awful.
Life has a weird alchemy. In order for me to gain something new, I have to release something old. I get some input for the new item, but the universe chooses the old one. My heart still aches from my brother's passing, but I'm bubbling over with excitement about obtaining the degree. Pops told me the only thing he was ever really angry with me for was not going to college. I finally corrected that. The sense of accomplishment I feel means a weight has been lifted, and the disappointment in myself for not doing it while he was alive is another weight levied.

In order for me to gain something new, I have to release something old. I want to get my master's degree now. 3 years ago I used to think that getting a BS would be impossible. I thought that my time had passed. My parents hadn't gone to college either. They left that up to their kids. I almost did the same thing to mine. I'm fortunate that I didn't repeat that cycle. I'm the only one of my mom's sons who graduated from College. I have cousins who have finished college, but they were removed from my circles. When I enrolled in WGU I was optimistic that the degree would materialize, but others in my family had tried and not had succeeded. I was on the lookout for anything that could derail my efforts, but I didn't want to see what was coming. Midway through the first term my brother died. I thought that was it. This would be the train that derails me; and it almost was. Depression set in and I couldn't even think through the simplest of problems. I stopped eating, classwork took a hard hit. It took a while, but I eventually started passing classes again. I still thought getting a master's was improbable, but getting the A bachelor's degree was still possible if I could get my act together.

Honestly, writing these pages got me out of my rut initially. Sometimes it seems like this is the only thing keeping me out of the mental hole I've dug. I can't explain it, but as I learned more about HTML and more about how much I don't know; I felt the hunger for knowledge start to return. Today I have my Bachelor's degree hung up on the wall and getting a Master's is so close I can almost feel it in my hands.

I want to get some record of what learned down for me to look at in the future. I'm brain-dumping what I can remember from my BSCSIA program on the following pages. It's a reference for me presented whimsically.

That's the way my brain works. I have to write it down or it didn't happen. I'm learning HTML and front-end development so I'll use what I need to remember for content. Use it or lose it is a real thing for me. What follows is what I remember from my cycbersecurity introduction. I want to share some of the Wisdom I have acquired thus far by supplying Information. Information that is shared becomes Knowledge. Knowledge that has been applied becomes Wisdom.
I like to think that I speak plainly, no matter what my subject is. The ability to explain technical issues in a nontechnical way is the key to getting everyone to understand the importance of cybersecurity. I aim to reach people and find a way to explain these important topics to them in a way that will not just confuse them. If not it will be more useless data.


I spent so long there was no way in the universe I would be able to get a degree.
I was wrong when I thought that this was something I thought I'd never do.
Lesson Learned NEVER say never
I did it!!
Soo, that's 2 things I didn't think would be possible just a short time ago. Along with graduating from college I thought owning my own home an impossible dream. I own the wall the degree is hanging on.
Now that I've done the BSCSIA, I want more. The master's degree is the next logical step. I know it's something I can do. It is not impossible.

Meet The Family
I remember reading a comic strip called the Family Circus as a kid. I have my own circus now.
Meet the performers in my family circus.

Mrs. Wifeypants
So I'm at the desk messing with this page as usual and the wife comes into the office. She see's me working and notices that she's not on the page. I tried telling her her I was saving the best for last, but that was a mistake.
**Note to Self**
Never tell her she was last for anything...

Ms. Sassypants.
She's so outgoing and smart. Sometime I just can't stand it. She's everything I was not as a kid.

Ms. Smartypants.
Academically brilliant this one. Just like her sister she is very social and smart. I feel ashamed of how introverted I am compared to them.

They used to be so small. Now they are more sassy than they are tall. That includes Leonitus. He has certainly exploded over the past 2 years. He went from being a 20-pound ball of wrinkles, to being a 103-pound ball of muscle. He used to be able to sit on my lap, but not anymore.

Mr. BiggStuph
Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that these little ones are indeed the same little ones I used to carry around.   The thought of trying to pick either of them up now is one I don't often entertain, but the memory of it is something I will always cherish.  Leo gets upset if he can't sit on my lap. I still love you buddy, but you are just too big to be a lap dog now!!

HDJames == NerdDual Nerd

Cybersecurity Professional

Security Enthusiast


All Around

Anime Addict


People laugh when I say that I draw inspiration from Anime. That's cool if it doesn't work for you, but it's helped me pick up and move on when I didn't know how I would get through. That's basically the plot of every anime I've ever watched. Certain doom is ahead, but somehow the hero reaches down deep to find the energy inside to save the day.
My life in a nutshell.

That's why

When people say I'm not capable, I

somehow seem to GET the JOB DONE And prove them wrong

Other Things of Interest

python
JavaScript
SQL
Full Stack Web Development

Follow Me?
It's More Like Catch Me If You Can

I haven't been out and about much lately. That's because I've been busy learning. I try to learn something new every day. Pops said if you go a whole day without learning something new, you've just wasted a whole day. I know that life has many downs and a little bit of ups, so I try to realize when I'm on the up so I can enjoy it. I usually only noticed I was up when Im back down. Trying to change is a constant battle. I'm in the house most of the time. I like doing these pages so I'm probably at my desk. I learned a lot about cybersecurity in a short time. It was like drinking from a firehose. This is the best way I can think of to retain it.

I'm happy when I'm learning. I'm trying to live my best life and be happy as much as I can. If I can teach someone else what I've learned I feel complete. Finding good information on security topics is tough for the average person. It's not that there isn't enough information available. There are plenty of reputable sources on the internet. It's just that, when you look up some of these topics from these reputable sources, it just sounds like people trying very hard to sound smart. That's all well and good, but if people can't digest what you're trying to say, you stop presenting information and you are only presenting data. Data by itself is ultimately useless. It is just collection of stored information. This data can't serve it's purpose unless it is put in a format that people can ingest as information. Information becomes knowledge. After aqcuiring knowledge we can apply Wisdom.
Your CyberSecurity will never be complete without U
Cybersecurity of the people, by the people is my ultimate goal. You have to take the first steps to secure yourself in cyberspace. It's just like going outside of your house. There are certain precautions you always take. You take your keys and lock your door. You make sure you have your bag zipped closed before you walk down the street. You know what will happen if you don't. Cybersecurity is the same way, We just have to know which precautions to take.
If Cybersecurity is unfamiliar to you don't worry. With enough applied Wisdom, Cybersecurity will no more mysterious than a walk around your neighborhood.
More about the Fam and cybersecurity on the next page.