This week has been one of learning new things in the areas of information security and how it applies to my current role. I had to revisit the OSI model which is something I haven’t paid any thought to for several years. I’ve also had to brush up on my ports and protocols which was something I haven’t worked on since last summer in my networking class. One of the things I learned is how we harden our computers that we image. I also delved deeper into the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and how it affects the encryption process. I was also able to learn some basic cryptography, the various encryption methods, and how keys are passed during communication between devices.

If that wasn’t enough, my learning then brought me into our performance metrics within our department. My mentor Sheila shared our departments Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and objectives. She provided me with some insight on how an IT department is run and the optimization thought process in driving our measurements. I was also taught about Service Level Agreements (SLA) and how they relate to our interactions with the various clients on campus.

What really excites me about all of this is the opportunity to bring my experience and share it with the members of our new IT club at the school. I can’t stress how valuable the amount of knowledge I’ve attained here has been in helping me decide what area of IT I would like to focus on. My experience with my mentor Sheila has reaffirmed that I would like to be able teach IT in some capacity but it has also made me realize that I would like to be back in some type of leadership position where I can cultivate a productive and extremely positive work environment like we have in our department. The leadership team here continues to encourage and support me in my studies at Point Park as well as my pursuit of professional certifications in the IT industry as well. This week I would give myself a 5 rating as it has been both very productive and informative.