Duke Cyber graduate Akhil Vishnubhotla reflects of how the Duke Master’s program helped him be ready for his new job

He was hired right before graduation, by Echelon Risk + Cyber, as an Associate Consultant-Risk Advisory

• Why did you apply for the ME in Cybersecurity at Duke? What career goals did you come to Duke with?

I applied to the ME in Cybersecurity at Duke at a point in my career where I realized I wanted to learn more about cybersecurity. I was just wrapping up my Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree, and I was taking classes that were related to networking and IoT. When working on these topics, I realized how vulnerable these platforms can be and questioned how I can start to improve these. More research concluded that the cybersecurity program was a great move, and I found Duke’s program to be the best one for me, as it provided great scope between a programmatic sense and an analyst approach. I came here hoping to gain some experience with technical aspects of cybersecurity, along with the ability to become a leader in the cybersecurity space.

• What was your area of interest in the Duke ME in Cyber Program?

Within the Cyber program, my main interest was within Digital Forensics and Incident Response, and I gained a newfound respect and interest in Red Team work (Ethical Hacking).

• How did you find your current job? What is your primary role in the company?

I found my current job through the help of one of our professors, David Faraone. He had joined as a partner to a new firm, Echelon Risk + Cyber. I spoke with him early in the last semester to see the scope of the company and see if I was a potential fit in the company, and I found that the roles seemed perfect for me based on the coursework I’ve taken and the skills I’ve gained in my internship. My primary role at Echelon will be focusing on the Risk Advisory portion, providing assessments and tabletop exercises (TTX) for clients.

• How has your degree helped you be prepared for the role?

My degree has helped me prepare for this role simply with the coursework itself. Most of the courses I’ve taken at Duke provide some real-world examples in the forms of TTXs, assessments, and even hands on practice assignments, all of which help prepare us for the work we will be doing outside. The professors have also done a great job in helping each one of us learn the content and have always been open to helping us out with practicing for interviews.

• Can you name 2-3 most important skills you gained during the ME program?

Some of the most important skills I’ve taken away from Duke were to network with people as soon as I can and grow my connections. This was something I had wished I learned earlier, as it would have helped me with jobs a lot earlier in life. Another skill I learned here is critical thinking, especially when it comes to thinking as a leader. A lot of the classes here focus on the governance side, which can be very useful when preparing to become a CISO in the future. Therefore, we need to be able to think critically, and I feel that I learned to do this quite well.

• Where did you do your internship? In what way did the internship experience prepare you to be where you are now? 

I had my internship at Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, where I was a Digital Forensics and Incident Response Intern. While this is different than my current role as a Risk Advisory Associate, I was still able to take some of the theories and practice I’ve done from Duke and combine it with skills gained from seasoned consultants. While that role was far more technical, it provided me with valuable insight on how to work with clients, either proactively or reactively.

• What advice do you have for other cyber students on how to have a good internship and job experience?

Some great advice that I wished I had learned before would be to start networking as soon as you can. I know that people can come from different backgrounds or locations, and so I know how difficult it can be to find jobs in the market. However, the more you talk with people and grow connections, the more it can help with jobs in the future. Just remember that it will take time. As it comes to internships and jobs, I would say that some advice I learned from people would be to become a “sponge” and soak up as much knowledge as you can. Don’t fix yourself to one path. While you may have interest only in one direction, be willing to try out the other paths before making a decision.