Alumni Highlight: Eric Escobar

The CCI periodically has students sit down with Cal Poly alumni working in or alongside the cybersecurity industry. Parker McKenzie (COMS) recently conducted this interview with Eric Escobar.

Eric Escobar | CE 2011
Principal Security Consultant and Wireless Lead
Secureworks

Could you introduce yourself and tell me a little about yourself?

Eric Escobar has been working in cybersecurity for 15 years, and is currently working for Dell SecureWorks conducting adversarial testing, compromising clients in order to make them more secure.

Can you tell me a little bit about your time at Cal Poly. How has it helped you in your professional development?

Eric graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in civil engineering and went straight into a career in cybersecurity. The aspect of Cal Poly that left a lasting impact on Eric was the famous “learn by doing model.” In his career in cyber, Eric often runs into a problem where nobody knows how to do something. The learn by doing model helped Eric learn on his feet.

Can you give us a quick overview of your work as a Security Principal Consultant at SecureWorks?

Eric’s time at SecureWorks is split between two parts. Firstly, he breaks in and compromises clients’ data after receiving a request to do so. Secondly, he then consults the team, communicating why they need to put more resources into their cybersecurity and what their current weak points are.

I see your team won first place in Def Con 23, 24 and Wireless CTF. Can you tell me a little more about your experience participating in these?

Eric recounted what was important to him leading up to the events, citing getting good at compromising over wireless networks and trying to locate where frequencies are being emitted from as key areas of practice that led to his teams’ success.

If you could share one piece of advice for students looking to pursue a career in cybersecurity, what would it be?

Eric’s main advice to students looking to pursue a career in cybersecurity is to get good at public speaking. He suggests going to conferences and practicing public speaking skills. Being able to communicate effectively sets you apart in interviews, and you must be able to drive home why people should care about security.

What are your favorite tools and resources for someone just getting started in cybersecurity?

Eric explained that since the cyber space is always changing, always having an objective you want to achieve and see through is extremely important. He advises staying curious and up to date on the cybersecurity world.

Eric Escobar has been working in cybersecurity for 15 years and is currently working for Dell SecureWorks conducting adversarial testing, compromising clients in order to make them more secure. He then consults the team, communicating their current weak points.

Eric graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in civil engineering and went straight into a career in cybersecurity. The aspect of Cal Poly that left a lasting impact on Eric was the famous “learn by doing model.” In his career in cyber, Eric often runs into a problem where nobody knows how to do something. The learn by doing model helped Eric learn on his feet.

Eric’s time at SecureWorks is split between two parts. Firstly, he breaks in and compromises clients’ data after receiving a request to do so. Secondly, he then consults the team, communicating why they need to put more resources into their cybersecurity and what their current weak points are.

Eric’s main advice to students looking to pursue a career in public speaking is to go to conferences and get good at public speaking. Being able to communicate effectively sets you apart in interviews, and you must be able to drive home why people should care about security.

Eric explained that since the cyber space is always changing, having an objective you want to achieve and see through is extremely important. He advises to stay curious and up to date on the cybersecurity world.

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