So how come I got into Cyber Security? How come I got in OT Security?

?? The reality is that what I do is such a big part of me. I love what I do. Every day is indulging in my hobby. They say that you never do a day's work when you love what you do.

?? It began when my Dad got me a short-wave radio at age 8. I came across a number station that was in German. I was hooked. I wrote down the numbers and thought in my naive youth that I might actually find how to decode it.

? My Grandad was in the RAF in the 2nd WW. He was an electrical engineer and was technical. He got me a book on codes and cyphers (I think it was called The Bumper Book for Boys Codes and Ciphers). I learned how to communicate using Pigpen, Ceasar, Vigenère, etc. We used to send encrypted notes to each other.

?? I went to Bromsgrove School . It was 1980. I was a boarder. There was a computer that was in a cupboard in a classroom. It got upgraded to a ZX81. I got computer magazines with my pocket money and typed in listings. There were bugs. I fixed them with my mates. I recall Keith Goatman being one of them.

?? I went up to the senior school in 1983. In the senior school, there was a lab with BBC Micros. I played games, and I wrote code. I was often the only one there. One of the computers was connected externally with a Prestel Adapter designed to connect a BBC Micro to the Post Office's Prestel viewdata system. I was online! I thought that it was fun to interact with computers remotely.

?Some of the teachers at school inspired me, especially the maths teacher "G" - John Gunton, who was also my climbing instructor and housemaster. I wasn't alone in looking up to G. He inspired many children.

?? In 1988, I decided to study Ocean Sciences, sharing a flat with Steve Wright . (I remember how cold it was in winter with no heating). I didn't do well. However, there was a course on Marine Data Management where I learned Pascal and Fortran 77. The computer science department had a mainframe. I got connected to JANET. I was online again. I lost interest in Ocean Science and dropped out.

? Pirated games were pretty standard in the 1990s, and I had an IBM 8086, a 286, and a 386DX... I never considered it theft.

??I bounced from job to job as a university dropout. Then I ended up at HMS Defiance working for the Royal Navy for the 2nd Submarine Squadron (SM2). I found I had an aptitude for fixing computers. Even though I was employed for something else, the Commanders contacted me for help. Getting support from the official helpdesk was challenging because we worked with sensitive information in the Registry.

??A Commander at the Royal Navy sat down with me and suggested I start a professional career in computing. I wish I could remember his name so I could thank him. I went on a 7-week intensive Hardware Maintenance Course with Cerco and came top of the class, leading to a job with SCC at 甲骨文 in Bracknell fixing the very first laptops. Fast forward through completing my Novell CNE, MCSE and many other certifications. I worked for Laplink Software, Inc. owned by Mark Eppley , as the UK pre-sales technical manager and network security. I remember the server did a daily email sync to the US using a Hayes modem. I even got certified as a Hayes Modem Engineer.

??2000 and the millennium bug. I worked Friends Provident with colleagues such as Dominick Ash and Christopher Tucker , Alexander Bautyonok-Clarke , and Paul B Mullan . The task at hand was to migrate OS Warp to Microsoft Windows. We worked hard, but being young, we also did much partying.

??That led to working on IBM MQSeries. I met Michael Clayton from Alphacourt at Friends Provident. Alphacourt was co-owned by Peter Sands . Michael asked me to work on a contract at Vodafone. At the start of the project, he turned round to me and asked, "How's your security?" I had never done any security, but I learned fast. I helped secure IBM MQSeries for Vodafone, and my security career had begun.

??I worked at Thames Water with Buddy Liyanage when the CPNI came along and trained me in "SCADA Security", leading to my becoming a Certified SCADA Security Architect. Shortly after, we had Stuxnet. OT Security had begun. The world had woken up to the problem.

?? I have not looked back. The Cyber-Physical world is enthralling.

??Every day is an adventure in something that endlessly fascinates me. I love defending our society from harm - which motivates me..... and that is what we are doing. Many people in the world wish to harm our critical national infrastructure, and I hope that my actions are just a little bit of the solution.

??So, what's the point of this article?

? Firstly, it is about thanking some of the people and companies that have been part of my story. Many people inspired the little boy in that uniform at Bromsgrove School. Lots of people have given me opportunities and chances. I hope you get that from my story. I have not mentioned them all. But you know who you are. ??Thank you.

? Secondly, I hope my story inspires others to follow a career in cyber security - I am always open to mentoring people. Follow your dream and your passion in life. If Cyber Security fascinates you, then find your path to the profession. We need enthusiastic, knowledgeable people to join the mission. If I can help you, reach out.

? Thirdly, I am about to embark on the next chapter with Capula as the OT Cyber Security Lead, which is pretty exciting. I get to indulge even more in the cyber-physical world. I get to help keep the lights on and keep society "normal". I am excited about the possibilities.

??The reason I love what I do is because everything is Normal. It always reminds me of this slightly older video from the CPNI.

?? I am doing a good job when everything is Normal, and nobody notices what we do for a living.

??And to cap that all it feels like I am sticking with the roots started by my Grandad. He started Lambert Automation, which built some of the first industrial control systems. If he were alive today he would be doing exactly what I am doing.

?? Somehow, that makes me feel even more like I belong.

?? So that is enough about me. Thank you for reading this far and allowing me to tell my story. Now tell me yours!