Hey there! 👋

I'm Jessica, and I'll be honest – my journey into cybersecurity started with Sandra Bullock.

I was a young girl when I first watched The Net, and I didn't know what Sandra Bullock's character was actually doing at the time - I was so young - but I knew it looked incredibly interesting to me. There she was, inserting her floppy discs into her machine, reviewing the pixelated data on her 1980's-esque machine, working alone, solving complex problems, and being this total digital detective. I remember thinking, "Now that looks like a job I could actually love." That seed was planted, but life had other plans first.

Fast forward years later to 2021, and I was at a crossroads. As a single mom with one incredible kid and another on the way, I knew we deserved better than the life we were living. That's when I decided to dive headfirst into cybersecurity – not just as a career move, but as our ticket to a better future. I was actually pregnant with my daughter while completing my Bachelor's in Information Technology, which made those late-night study sessions extra interesting.

Even though the initial interest peaked due to the monetary aspirations, the obsession was immediate and intense, and more importantly, genuine. I started collecting certifications like they were going out of style: CompTIA Security+, Network+, Linux Essentials, AWS Cloud Practitioner – each one felt like another step toward the life I was building for us. Now I'm a Security Operations Analyst at a Fintech company, where I spend my days in the trenches of blue-team operations, hunting threats, responding to incidents, and building detection rules. There's something deeply satisfying about leveraging SIEM and SOAR platforms to stay one (or hopefully 100) steps ahead of bad actors.

But here's the thing – I quickly realized that cybersecurity can feel like this exclusive club where you’re expected to already know everything. That's a big part of why I started creating content through my YouTube channel @FaerieHacker and other platforms. I remember how intimidating it felt to be the complete beginner asking "stupid" questions, so I make it my mission to share as much helpful info as I can and also be as transparent as possible with things like failures I've had getting to where I am now. Whether it's certification prep strategies, career guidance, or just demystifying what we actually do all day, I want to be the resource I wish I'd had when I was starting out.

Currently, I'm pursuing my Master's in Cyber Defense at Dakota State University because apparently I'm a glutton for punishment – or maybe just addicted to learning. Probably both. When I'm not buried in textbooks or chasing down security alerts, you'll find me in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes, completely absorbed in whatever reality TV drama is currently consuming my life, or diving down internet rabbit holes about the latest conspiracy theories (hey, critical thinking skills are transferable, right?).

This whole journey has been about more than just career advancement – it's been about showing my two kids that you can completely reinvent your life when you're willing to work for it. Some days that means I'm studying at 11 PM after bedtime stories, but every late night and early morning has been worth it to build something better for all of us.

Welcome to FaerieHacker, where we figure out cybersecurity together, one post at a time. 🧚‍♀️