Community Blog
Get the latest updates on the Splunk Community, including member experiences, product education, events, and more!

Splunk Training for All: Meet Aspiring Cybersecurity Analyst, Marc Alicea

cskokos_splunk
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

Splunk Education believes in the value of training and certification in today’s rapidly-changing data-driven industry.  Our ethos and commitment are stronger than ever – to expand our learning opportunities and lower the barriers to entry for anyone, anywhere who wants to develop in their career and feel more confident navigating our highly-technical world. 

Using Splunk to Boost Cybersecurity Knowledge

Aspiring cybersecurity analyst, Marc Alicea, caught our attention when he shared on the Splunk Training and Certification LinkedIn page that he was well on his way to achieving his goal of completing 25 Splunk free, self-paced training courses in 25 days. Marc is currently a student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) where he is enrolled in the Cybersecurity Bootcamp. 

“As a cybersecurity student, I’m learning that Splunk is the backbone of SIEM and SOAR operations within the cybersecurity infrastructure,” says Marc. “This made me curious enough to explore my options in Splunk training and get more in-depth knowledge of the product.” Marc said he learned about Splunk free, self-paced training from his assistant professor who took many of the courses herself.

The NJIT bootcamp offers students like Marc the opportunity to take courses at night and on weekends as a way to begin a new career in cybersecurity, or upskill into positions like IT Security Manager, Network Security Administration, Cybersecurity Analysts, and more. 

An Injury Was a Detour on His Career Path

Passionate about vintage cars, Marc started his career journey in school training to be an automotive technician and after graduating was offered the rare opportunity to continue his education with the Mercedes-Benz Drive Program.

After only two years as an automotive technician for Mercedes- Benz, Marc was badly injured during a roadside assistance call. “My injury forced me to rethink my future,” he said. “But I knew I wanted to use my skills and knowledge of advanced technologies in the automotive industry towards whatever I did next in my career.”

cskokos_splunk_0-1675186396622.png

Filling the Workforce Gap

With the pace of change in technology creating a wider and wider workforce gap, Marc saw a future of opportunity – especially since he realized how he could parlay his passion for technology and cars into a new career in cybersecurity. 

“Cars are becoming more and more technologically-advanced and cybersecurity is going to be an essential piece of that evolution,” noted Marc. “Splunk is already used in Formula 1 racing, so what a dream it would be if I could be a player in that space.”

Bootcamp Curriculum Plus Free Splunk Training

“In addition to my bootcamp curriculum designed around security and networking, I've actually completed all the free Splunk training needed to be prepared to sit for the 'Splunk Core Certified User' exam,” said Marc. “I plan to get this certification along with CompTIA SEC+, AWS Cloud Practitioner, and CompTIA NET+ certifications to prove my dedication and knowledge in the cybersecurity space.” 

Driven by a Good Challenge 

If it’s not clear already, Marc Alicea loves a good challenge. On top of the exams he’s taking to get through his cybersecurity bootcamp and prepping for the Splunk Core Certified User exam, Marc also passed all the course exams that were part of the Splunk free training curriculum. “I really appreciated the learn-at-my-own -pace format of the courses, which helped me better prepare for the exams. They were challenging.” 

He was very impressed with the product as well. “The training gave me an incredible inside look at the Splunk UI and how powerful it can be for data capture and analytics. I can see how Splunk could be used within the auto industry and for applications like Formula 1 racing and engine analytics.” 

Marc is hopeful that his training and certifications, along with his passion and dedication, will position him strongly for a cybersecurity role at the company of his choice – and will give him the practice he needs to stay up-to-date as the technology continues to advance.

______________________________________________________

We are so grateful to Marc for sharing his experience with the Splunk Community. If you are also on a new career path and driven by what’s possible, maybe these free courses will fulfill those needs for you too! You can check out the catalog of free, self-paced courses here

— Callie Skokos, Representing the Splunk Education Crew

 

Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

.conf24 | Registration Open!

Hello, hello! I come bearing good news: Registration for .conf24 is now open!   conf is Splunk’s rad annual ...

Splunk is officially part of Cisco

Revolutionizing how our customers build resilience across their entire digital footprint.   Splunk ...

Splunk APM & RUM | Planned Maintenance March 26 - March 28, 2024

There will be planned maintenance for Splunk APM and RUM between March 26, 2024 and March 28, 2024 as ...