Welcome to "Splunk Smartness," the interview series where we delve into how Splunk Education can help you excel in tech and beyond. I'm your host, Callie Skokos, and today we're chatting with Tom Kopchak, Director of Technical Operations at Hurricane Labs. Tom, welcome to the series!
Tom Kopchak: Thanks for having me, Callie. Excited to speak with you!
Callie: It was so nice meeting you in person at .conf24 – which is our annual Splunk user conference. You’re such a long-time member of the Splunk Community, it felt like I already knew you when you stopped by our booth.
Tom: It was fun. I’ve been a user and an advocate of Splunk for almost ten years and I not only appreciate the technology, but I also appreciate the community of users – so I participate wherever and whenever I can.
Callie: I’m sure that’s why you seemed so familiar to me at the conference. You shared with me that in addition to being a Splunk fan and expert, you're also a musician. Can you tell us more about this and how it fits into your highly technical world?
Tom: Absolutely! Music, especially playing the piano and organ, gives me a nice break from the tech world. It’s a different kind of creative process that helps me reset and think differently when I get back to solving data and security problems.
Callie: And music is just one of your many interests, I’ve learned. So, let’s dive into your Splunk journey. About ten years ago, you had a chance to learn Splunk at work. Can you share more about that?
Tom: Sure. It was kind of serendipitous. We needed someone to deploy Splunk for a customer, and when the person originally tasked with it left unexpectedly, my boss asked me to fill in and take on the job. At the time, Splunk was not my area of expertise. I was a network support engineer. It was definitely learning on the fly, but it led me down this path where now I help manage Splunk deployments and train others.
Callie: That’s pretty amazing – and brave – I might add. Speaking of training, what’s your approach at Hurricane Labs for getting your team up to speed with Splunk?
Tom: We purchase Training Units from Splunk and plan our training quarters in advance. With over 50 people in need of training each quarter, we focus on roles they’ll support and put them on a Certification Track. Splunk Education gets them started, and then we tailor their learning with our own practical experiences and labs.
Callie: It sounds like you have a well thought out process. So, how do you personally use your Splunk expertise to assist customers and others at Hurricane Labs?
Tom: My role involves a lot of ad hoc support. Whether it's helping a customer through a cloud migration or resolving technical queries, I’m often coordinating with our security teams on the fly, usually through platforms like Slack or email.
Callie: When we met, you were wearing a Splunk Fez. Can you share with us what that represents?
Callie: Well, huge congratulations on this honor. But that’s not all, is it? In addition to being a musician, a director of operations, an education manager, and a Splunk Trust member, you are also an adjunct professor in computer science. How does this all translate into your teaching role at the university level?
Tom: Although I teach cybersecurity at Baldwin Wallace University, I don’t teach Splunk directly. It becomes part of the coursework because I believe it’s a critical tool in the field. It’s a real-world application that supports what my students learn about in their Pen Testing and Cybersecurity tracks.
Callie: You’re a teacher at the university level, and it appears that you’re also a life-long learner. Can you share with us how many Splunk Certification badges you’ve received?
Tom: I do hold quite a few. And, I work for them because they are true validation that I’m highly qualified to support my customers with their Splunk deployments and optimization. I have gone through the learning paths and passed the exams for Core Consultant, SOAR, CDA, Sales Engineer, Enterprise Security, and others.
Callie: Do you have any advice for others in the field who want to continue growing their careers and staying ahead of evolving and devastating online threats?
Tom: Yes, learn Splunk – there’s free eLearning and affordable instructor-led training, plus hands on labs and you can download Splunk for free. If you already know how to use Splunk, engage with the community and take advantage of the resources like .conf sessions, Splunk docs, and open Slack channels. Splunk is dynamic, so staying connected is key to keeping up-to-date.
Callie: Great advice, Tom. This has been really fun. Thanks for sharing your insights and experiences with us today.
Tom: Thanks for having me, Callie. It was a pleasure!
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Callie: That wraps up this episode of Splunk Smartness. Join us for our next interview to learn how Splunk Education has led to some amazing career-impacting, and dare we say, life-changing experience. Until then, get smart!
PS: You can learn more about Tom and get some great Splunk tutorials right here! Happy Splunking!
