Q&A with Joseph Keller, Bowie State University Intern at Adobe
By Adobe Security Team
At Adobe, we believe that great talent can come from anywhere, which is why we focus on community collaboration, strengthening inclusion, and driving progress for underinvested communities. To help the industry and our own needs for a diverse pipeline of talent, our cybersecurity team chose to partner with Bowie State University’s engineering department, a designated Historically Black College and University (HBCU), to design a unique internship experience to help students develop their cybersecurity skills.
In this blog, we sat down with Joseph Keller, our Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst intern, to discuss his experience with Adobe Life during his internship.
Tell us about your background. What initially got you interested in cybersecurity?
I aspired to be a software engineer all throughout my college career. Somewhere along the way, I realized that the products we create and the tools we use need to be protected. Thankfully, the computer science department at Bowie State University granted me an opportunity to participate in the National Cyber League in fall 2022 and my interest in cybersecurity began to develop further. I fell in love with the detective work in cyber security, which filled my curiosity to understand the various ways malicious actors can manipulate attack vectors. So, in my senior year of college, I shifted my career aspirations from software development to fully pursue cybersecurity.
Tell us about the project you worked on during your internship. What was your goal for the project and what impact were you able to make?
The main goal of my project and internship as a whole was to simply learn the job and specifically understand the tools and methodologies of a Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst. Moreover, I wanted to leave something behind for the team, something both impactful and personal. Learning the job of an Adobe SOC Analyst was like drinking water from a fire hydrant — it was so much to absorb! Adobe’s Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) service is very extensive and incredible.
As a part of my contributions, I created training videos for new hires to assist with integrating into the complexity and creativity that is the Adobe SOC. The training videos teach new analysts how to triage and investigate potential cyber threats to Adobe, as well as how to use the tools that assist with those investigations.
The Adobe SOC and Threat Hunting teams have been nothing but supportive and encouraging throughout my internship. I want to thank Jackson (Adobe SOC) for always holding me accountable regarding my goals and tasks. I also want to show gratitude toward John, Luke, and Alicia (Adobe SOC) for being wonderful teachers and assisting me with creating the awesome training material. Lastly, I want to thank Wilson (Threat Hunting) for being my biggest source of support and advisement.
In what ways did your manager and mentor support your growth and development throughout your internship?
Brandon B., my direct manager and Sr. Manager of Security Operations, once said –
“To be successful in this field, it is important to remain a student.”
His words have shaped my understanding of what it means to be a SOC Analyst. What’s truly inspiring about someone at his level of knowledge and position is his consistent ability to prioritize learning and continue teaching others.
How has this internship contributed to your overall learning experience and career growth?
Prior to starting this internship, complex technical terms were just words in a book without any form of true understanding. However, now that I’ve witnessed penetration tests, threat remediation, and attack vectors first-hand, they are now all so beautiful and elaborate to me. I’ve learned so much about detection and prevention tools such as SOAR and SIEM, and how those these are absolute powerhouses in attack prevention. I’ve developed a detective mind by investigating threats and backing up my conclusions with evidence.
I’ve also learned that this is the career path that I want to take. When it comes to Information Technology careers, there are so many different paths you can take — it’s intimidating. I believe this internship truly pointed me in the right direction for where I want to go in life.
Finally, what is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I am an incredible dancer!
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We would like to thank Joseph for taking the time to chat with us about her experience here at Adobe. We are proud of all our Bowie State interns that participated in this year’s program. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Bowie State University in helping to close the cybersecurity talent gap.
If you are interested in learning more about available internship and university careers at Adobe, please visit our Adobe Careers site.
To learn more the Adobe For All mission, visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.
To learn more about how we do cybersecurity here at Adobe, check out our other Security@Adobe tech blogs.
