Reflection

Starting From the Bottom, and It Feels Better Than I Thought It Would

After three years as a cybersecurity researcher, I’m rebuilding my knowledge from the ground up. By revisiting cybersecurity fundamentals and filling in gaps I skipped early on, I’m creating a stronger, more complete understanding of the field. It's going better than I expected.

Vic Galvan

15 Aug 2025 — 2 min read

Photo by Peter Olexa / Unsplash

After three years as a cybersecurity researcher, I’ve finally faced an uncomfortable truth:
My knowledge of the domain is scattered. Like, “why is there a sticky note about Kerberos tickets next to a doodle of a cat?” scattered.

I'm navigating the competitive and professional worlds, but there are still many core concepts I haven't fully grasped.

So, I’ve decided to start over. Bottom up. No skipping the “obvious” bits. No pretending I fully understand something I've only seen a few times.

Swallowing My Pride

Admitting you don't know something feels weird.

For a long time, I felt like asking “simple” questions would undermine my credibility. That I should know something or would be seen as less due to a lack of knowledge. Logically, I'm aware that no one knows everything. Yet, the pressure to appear confident kept me bobbing in shallow waters for years. I'd toe-touch topics before running to the next. Trying to keep up with the Joneses is exhausting.

Meeting myself exactly where I am has been an unexpected relief. No matter where I am, I know that I'm there and can adjust my course as needed.

I'm finding power in the process, no matter how slowly.

Building a Better Base

I want my mental map of the cybersecurity realm to feel less like a collage and more like a series of constellations.

Here’s how I’m going to do that:

List: Write down a list of topics I've dodged until now. What are the areas I can't speak about intelligently?
Explore: Learn the topics one by one. Pick up certifications as wanted.
Document: Write about my learning here to share with others and maintain an honest record of my journey
Play: Build projects to use the knowledge in a fun way.

What’s Next

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be diving into computer networking. Expect plenty of “aha” moments. I've always suffered with networking, but I'm going to figure it out this time.

If you’re also starting from the bottom, whether it’s cybersecurity or something else, I hope you’ll join me. Let's do this.

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