meg west @cybersecmeg Twitter profile | Pikagi

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meg west

@cybersecmeg

137,360

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1,057

Following

1,016

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#CISSP | #CCSP | MSc #Cybersecurity | Sr. Cybersecurity Consultant @CrowdStrike | Tweets about #dogs & travel & APTs, oh my! | Opinions are my own.

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https://t.co/Gxipnv1j3l

Joined November 2020

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

Ask Me Anything! I’m a Cybersecurity Incident Response Manager at a F100 company. I specialize in Incident Response and blue teaming. I have a Masters degree in Cybersecurity, a CISSP, and a Sec+. I’m on ISC2’s DEI task force, and make Cyber YouTube videos. What can I answer?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

cybersecurity: WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO FILL JOBS!!! WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE?!! also cybersecurity: yOu DOn’T hAVe a CISSP, 42 yeArS oF ExpeRIenCe, & DidN’T InvEnt a neW OpERAtInG sYsTem SO we Can’T HIre YoU

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

7 months

ASK ME ANYTHING! i’m 27, have worked in cybersecurity for 6 years, have my masters in cybersecurity, have traveled to nearly 30 countries, have lost over 90 pounds of weight, and am open to talking about just anything. what do you wanna know? how can i help?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

repeat after me: NOT ALL CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS ARE HACKERS

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

show me you work in cybersecurity without using words to tell me you work in cybersecurity

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

DMs i get that make me giggle. 💀

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

my college professor told me he “didn’t think i’d succeed working in cybersecurity” i’m traveling the world, working for a top cybersecurity firm, have several certifications/a masters degree, have won awards for my content, and have spoken at some large cyber conferences hehe

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

HEY LOOK TWITTER I MADE IT! meg west, CISSP, CCSP 🥳

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

repeat after me: being successful in your cybersecurity career does NOT mean you have to be fantastic at programming.

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

friendly reminder that you don’t need to have a technical background/degree to get a job in cybersecurity

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

raise your hand if you would enjoy a “day in the life of a cybersecurity incident responder” live tweet tomorrow? basically i would live tweet what i’m doing throughout the day/what my work looks like

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

10 months

Y’all, PLEASE take advantage of this FREE CERTIFICATION from @ISC2 ! They are offering FREE entry-level Cybersecurity training AND a FREE exam voucher for a certification attempt! Sign-up below! Learn more about One Million Certified in Cybersecurity at: …

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

4 months

ASK ME ANYTHING! i’m 28, have a masters in cybersecurity, have worked for both IBM’s x-force and crowdstrike doing proactive incident response consulting, am a gym rat who has lost 80+ pounds, have traveled to nearly 30 countries, have a CISSP, CCSP, am working to improve my…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

i know my content is 90% cybersecurity, but i’ve recently lost close to 80 pounds (and still am working on losing the final 20) - would you have interest in me making a youtube video discussing my weight loss/fitness journey? 🤔

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

hi, my name’s meg. my life looks pretty nifty from the outside, but i got divorced at 25, have body dysmorphia issues, and sometimes struggle to get out of bed in the morning. i can’t always make you cybersecurity content, but i do care A LOT, and i appreciate you being here. ❤️

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

it’s officially MY BIRTHDAY! at 25, i: - moved continents - maxed out my 401K - began a side business - got a job at IBM @XForceIR - made 6 figures - got my CCSP - bought my dream car - lost 85 pounds - fell apart, & put myself back together + more what’s next? THIS IS 26! 🥳

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

if this tweet gets 2,000 likes i will make an ASMR style cybersecurity video and put it on youtube

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

why do people hear “oh, she can fix my printer and router and TV and every other technical issue i have” when i say “i work in cybersecurity”

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

10 months

everyone always asks me “what did you do to lose the weight?”, and my answer is always “i focused on healing my mind so that i could eventually focus on healing my body.” i’d tried time and time again to lose weight, but it’d never stuck. i always viewed weight loss as a time…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

working in cybersecurity means having 40 GB of old messages on your phone going YEARS back so that when someone tries to gaslight you, you can easily go back to your old messages, screenshot them, and prove your point DATA RETENTION IS IMPORTANT, FOLKS

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

random observation: people working in IT with weird profile pictures are usually top notch at their jobs

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

random person: “you only got your job because you’re an attractive female” me: *holds up CISSP certification* me: *holds up masters in cyber degree* me: *holds up Fortune 100 global IR manager experience* me: *sends links to all of my conference talks, accolades, etc.* 🤔

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

after ~5 years working at the same company, today was my last day. i went all the way from an associate cybersecurity analyst (my first security job!) to the global cybersecurity incident response manager. i'm so thankful for all i learned there, but it's time to move ONWARDS! 😊

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

11 months

if hiring managers and HR started to realize that they should be hiring new cybersecurity talent based upon someone’s potential instead of solely examining their past, we wouldn’t have a near 3 million person shortage in the field

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

hi my name’s meg, and i’ve lost 80+ lbs (and kept it off)! i usually post about cybersecurity, but i’m stepping out of my comfort zone here - does anyone have any questions about weight loss? i’m no doctor, but i’m a human whose struggled in this area. what do you want to know?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

alright friends, let “a day in the life of a cybersecurity incident responder” COMMENCE! you asked, you shall receive. let’s start off with some basics: 1. i work as a cybersecurity incident response consultant for IBM’s @XForceIR 2. this is my setup:

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

6 months

should i create a youtube video story time about how i used OSINT to figure out a man i was seeing had 10+ girlfriends in multiple states who were all unaware of the existence of each other and thought they were all his only partner, and so i informed all of them that he was…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

i don't remember who said this, but someone recently said "i like to remind myself that at one point, someone had to teach me how to use a spoon". and i think if everyone in Cybersecurity remembered this, our community would much be a much better place.

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

6 months

SURPRISEEEE! after 2.5 years of working with IBM X-Force, today is my first day working for @CrowdStrike ! in the falcon we trust. 🫡

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

hi i’m meg and even though my life may look shiny to you on social media - i’m newly divorced, on a weight loss journey, and just trying to figure out how to move forward in life i love cybersecurity, but i love myself more. who are you?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

is anyone else anxiously awaiting this year’s equivalent to solarwinds/log4j, or is it just me

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

11 months

it should be illegal to send a meeting invite after 5 PM for a meeting held the next day before 10 AM

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

9 months

conversations with my mother, who is an attorney and owns a law firm: mom: i’m doing my continuing education credits and they’re teaching us about cybersecurity and supply chain attacks! me: oh wow mom: i’ve learned about , how to protect PII, and that law…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

no one talks about how the “3 million+ shortage of cybersecurity personnel to fill jobs” is really a shortage to fill INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED jobs, which leads to a lot of people acquiring certs/degrees in cyber and then being disappointed when they can’t get an entry level job

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

beginning my first ever @SANSInstitute training today, LET’S GOOOO!

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

i’m super stoked (😏) to share that i’m working at @IBMSecurity on the X-Force Incident Response team now! 3.5 years ago: junior cybersecurity analyst 2.5 years ago: cybersecurity analyst 1 year ago: global cybersecurity IR manager today: X-Force! you can do it, too. #hardwork

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

4 months

happy birthday to meee. at 27, i: - traveled to 7 countries and many states - hiked mount olympus in greece with strangers - danced barefoot in the english countryside while drinking wine - backpacked through patagonia in south america - hitch-hiked in south america (sorry mom…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

THIS IS 27! happy birthday to meee! at 26, i: - traveled to 12 countries & 10 states - went on a 3 month solo backpack trip - bought an investment property - bettered my mental health - won a few cybersecurity awards - went hard in the gym - went skydiving & more! CHEERS TO 27!

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

8 months

roses are red violets are blue plz stop asking for 10 years of experience for a “junior” level position thank u

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

7 months

I was the only female on a team of 15+ men when I got my first cybersecurity job. I began making cybersecurity content for the purpose of trying to encourage women and minorities to pursue a career in a field that is traditionally dominated by people who don't look like I do. I…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

friendly reminder that you are ALLOWED to have hobbies and interests out of cybersecurity, that it is HEALTHY to not stare at a screen all day long, and that you are NO LESS of a cybersecurity professional for doing so

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

dear future husband - if you could stop playing and come find me, i’d really appreciate it. i’m exhausted of online dating, and i need a hug. thanks, future wife

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

GUYS. i just signed/submitted my largest contract ever for a youtube video sponsorship with an ENTERPRISE CYBERSECURITY VENDOR!!! *screams* hey look ma, i made it! 😭 keep your eyeballs peeled for the video dropping in early 2022!

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

10 months

not everyone who's trying to get into the cybersecurity field has the money to pay exorbitant fees for trainings, certifications, etc. shoutout to @ISC2 for offering FREE cybersecurity training and a FREE certification attempt!* learn more about One Million Certified in…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

things you shouldn’t feel bad about: - your age when you get into cybersecurity - how long it took you to get into cybersecurity - your career path into cybersecurity - what qualifications you have compared to those on your team just focus on getting into cybersecurity, okay?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

there is no larger internal battle than trying to decide between typing “cybersecurity” or “cyber security”

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

GUYS! i landed one of my dream partnerships with a huge cybersecurity training company and i’m gonna be sharing the content for it soon and ahhhh it’s just unreal. thank you all for all of the support! 🥹❤️

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

wanna hear another joke? companies asking for a CISSP, OSCP, 5 years of experience, a masters degree, someone who will go into an office daily, and only offering $50K salary

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

i’ve lost 80 pounds now! feeling confident enough to post photos of myself in a sports bra and leggings isn’t something i ever thought i would achieve, but here we are. cheers to losing the last 20 pounds and making it 100 pounds lost - let’s GOOO!!! 🥳

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

11 months

Earning the CISSP quite literally changed my career and my life - without earning the certification, “Cybersecurity Meg” would never have been created. In order to be an official CISSP holder, you need to have 5 years of experience working in the field (1 year can be replaced…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

cybersecurity meg takes herself out for a date night.

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

would you find it interesting if i live-tweeted “a day in the life of a cybersecurity incident response consultant,” where i walk you through what i’m doing throughout the day?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

i have been online dating for approximately one week now, and i feel like i need to start a new twitter series where i share with you all the dumb shit that men say to me

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

if i get kidnapped on my date tonight, i expect 1 out of the 64,000+ of you cybersecurity hooligans to find me PINKY PROMISE?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

5 months

2024 goals: 1. gym 5x a week 2. reach 30 countries traveled to 3. save $30K 4. therapy 1x every 2 weeks (at least) 5. study spanish daily 6. get a boyfriend/healthy relationship 7. run a half marathon 8. read 20 books 9. acquire 1 cybersecurity certification 10. cut out processed…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

i’ve lost around 90 pounds now. on the left: unhappy and insecure. on the right: a bit more happy, a lot more secure. changing the outside begins with changing what’s on the inside. if you’ve ever wondered whether or not you can do it: you can, and you will.

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

an issue in the cybersecurity field right now is that everyone hears “3 million open jobs” and assume millions of entry level positions are open, but the reality is that the majority of spots open are mid-senior level & that’s how we end up with “why can’t i get a job in cyber?”

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

“buT YoU Don’T LoOK LiKe A HAckEr”

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meg west

3 years

i wish more cybersecurity professionals would realize they’re not just protecting data and assets - you’re protecting people’s jobs, livelihoods, and families. if your organization goes under because of an incident - who will remain employed when the company ceases to exist?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

tried out a new hairstyle - felt cute, might delete l8r 😛

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meg west

1 year

YOU GUYS! @ISC2 is offering FREE entry-level Cybersecurity training AND a FREE exam voucher for a certification attempt for a limited time! Sign-up below! Learn more about One Million Certified in Cybersecurity at #ad

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

no one talks about about how once entry level cybersecurity personnel are hired, they rapidly advance and outgrow the entry level pay they were originally valued at - but the hiring org tends to continue paying them a low salary, which forces the individual to move companies?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

bought a new phone and forgot to import my google 2fa accounts before getting rid of the old one, FUN

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

if hiring managers and HR started to realize that they should be hiring new cybersecurity talent based upon someone’s potential instead of solely examining their past, we wouldn’t have a near 3 million person shortage in the field

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

a day in the life of someone who has lost 90ish pounds and kept it off (from a health/nutrition/exercise point of view!) live tweeting series! feel free to ask any questions and i’ll do my best throughout the day to respond. *NOTE: i am not a medical professional 🙃

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meg west

3 years

if you could give ONE piece of advice to those trying to break into the cybersecurity field - what would you say?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

you guys—… I BOUGHT A HOUSE! after months of searching, i finally found the perfect one! i’m so stoked! 😭❤️

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 months

i hit my 90 day mark working at @CrowdStrike and here are my top 10 favorite things so far: 1. steve jobs’ “hire smart people so they can tell you what to do” quote is genuinely embraced 2. there is a DEI-centric BOOK CLUB where they send us FREE BOOKS every month 😭 3. my family…

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

10 months

when u work in tech but u also enjoy a solid night out

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

7 months

i gotta stop adding “please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions” at the end of my emails i be lying, plz hesitate to reach out 😭

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

it’s only once we begin hiring cybersecurity professionals for their potential and not necessarily for their past that we’ll see the hundreds of thousands of job openings start to be filled.

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

i don’t want to see a single one of you judging any of these cybersecurity teams who work for organizations that are being breached. we have zero idea what resources, controls, management, etc., they have access to. empathize with your fellow comrades instead of shaming them.

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

do you ever just find yourself laying in bed at 1 AM thinking about cybersecurity, or is it just me?

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meg west

1 year

a happy happy day because i JUST BOUGHT MY DOG A NEW HOUSE WITH HER DREAM BACKYARD TO RUN AROUND IN!!! 😭😭😭 cheers to homeownership! 🥹❤️

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

i’ve reached the point in my career where spending my free time with friends, traveling, or having fun, has a higher priority over studying for the next hottest cybersecurity certification and that’s totally fine.

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

2 years

ASK ME ANYTHING! no, really, anything - i’m a 26 year old incident response consultant, MSc in cybersecurity, CISSP, CCSP, backpacking through europe/avid traveler, used to live and work in spain, avid mental health advocate, and have lost 90 pounds. how can i help?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

a professor of mine in college told me he “didn’t think i was fit to study or work in cyber”. here i am 4 years later working in cybersec management at a F100, holding a CISSP and MSc in cyber, and having presented internationally. lesson: don’t let the jerks get you down. 😊

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meg west

8 months

there’s roughly a 3 year (and probably 90+ pound difference) between these two photos. friendly reminder that you CAN change your life, and that it IS worth it. 🥺

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meg west

11 months

can we normalize the fact that doing your job well and *JUST* your job constitutes being a good employee? working 50+ hour weeks, taking on more than you can handle, losing time with your loved ones, struggling with your mental health, etc., doesn’t make you a better employee

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

look! what came! in the mail! today!!! 🤓

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

11 months

the smile you make when you open your email monday morning and nothing is on fire…yet

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meg west

2 years

if you wanna watch a cybersecurity professional tense up and get REAL nervous, just ask them to “explain what zero trust is”

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

the amount of men who DM me asking me out is incredibly endearing - but the reality of it is that i’m emotionally unavailable, eat way too many tacos, abhor dating, and love myself (and my peace) enough that i enjoy my own company above anyone else’s 🤷🏻‍♀️

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meg west

7 months

cybersecmeg is off on another backpacking adventure! 🥺✈️

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meg west

2 years

hi, cyber sec meg is dressing up fancy tonight and she says HENLOOO

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meg west

7 months

diary of the traveling chucks entry #1 : a tech journalist reached out to me, asking to interview me in london. she wanted to write an article about how i became so successful in the cybersecurity field at such a young age, and wanted to understand how i created the “cybersecmeg”…

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meg west

4 months

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS! i’m thankful for all of you, and wishing y’all the happiest, most love-filled, adventurous year yet ❤️

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meg west

2 years

this is where we should have a moment of silence out of respect for all of our fellow cybersecurity comrades who will be working long hours this weekend due to log4j godspeed, friends

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meg west

7 months

cybersecmeg is in… LONDON! 🇬🇧 which country is next?

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meg west

3 years

just wanted to say that TODAY I ROOTED MY FIRST BOX!!!!! & now i want to do it again and again and again 😏

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meg west

2 years

i’m a newly single woman after being in a 5+ year relationship. i just got my first ever place by myself. i wasn’t strong enough to get this 150 pound entertainment center onto the cart by myself, but i had to figure a way to get it off using some physics. i’m proud of myself.

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meg west

8 months

man on dating app: i hope you’re not secretly a 300 pound man me: what if i’m secretly a 250 pound man, is that ok? man: *unmatches me* me: 💀

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

hi, i’m meg! i work as a cybersecurity incident response consultant for @XForce , have a masters degree in cybersecurity, lived in europe, backpacked all over the world, have lost 90+ pounds of weight, am a gym rat, love advocating for mental health, and more! ASK ME ANYTHING!

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

1 year

raise your hand if you avoid showing up to virtual meetings early to avoid the inevitably awkward small talk

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meg west

3 years

idea: if i got together some expert level cybersecurity professionals from various sub fields (penetration testing, incident response, threat intel, app security, etc.) and got them all into a zoom at the same time to answer your questions - would you attend/be interested?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

11 months

a couple of weeks ago i was playing a game with my now boyfriend and one of the game’s questions was “do you think that my social media accurately reflects the person i am?”. my boyfriend told me, “no… you are much deeper in person”. him telling me this wasn’t a slight - in…

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meg west

1 year

70 days, 10 countries, 20,000+ miles travelled, 2 backpacks, 1 girl, and a lifetime of memories, stories, and new friends later—… I AM BACK HOME.

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meg west

3 years

i cried today. i wanted to say this because i feel like there’s some terrible and lame stigma around being emotional, especially in cybersecurity. i’ve been having a rough time with things lately, and today things really got to me. so i cried. and that’s totally ok.

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

3 years

if i created a github repo for all of my incident response tabletop tuesday scenarios that i have done, would that be helpful for you?

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@cybersecmeg

meg west

6 months

most important day #1 task of starting a new job: change everything on your new work computer to dark mode

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