Michael Echols
International Association of Certified ISAOs
Washington, DC USA
"Understand what bothers you, understand what gets you down, then build a box around it...The funny part about that is, that's exactly what we should be doing in cybersecurity."
Career Roadmap
Michael's work combines: Business, Technology, and Learning / Being Challenged
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Doubts are apart of life. I've always surrounded myself by people that know my abilities and, when I start to doubt myself, they step up to remind me who I am and what I'm capable of. There are people in my family that look up to me and so I have developed a sense of responsibility. Everybody needs emotional support.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
University of Maryland-College Park
Graduate Degree
Biotechnology
University of Maryland-University College
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
University of Maryland-University College
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Grew up “dirt poor” in Alabama, but luckily, he earned a scholarship to a very prestigious private high school that set him up for a successful college experience.
2.
Originally, he worked in engineering; he owned his own company up until 9/11, when the stock market crash drove his company into the ground.
3.
He had to start his career path over again, and the only job he could get was working as a TSA screener at the airport.
4.
Clients he’d previously worked with would come through the airport; they were shocked to see him working as a screener, and treated him like he’d had a fall from grace.
5.
He says that feeding off of something painful or discomforting with give you the fire you need to keep going; his experiences as a screener motivated him to work his way out of that position.
6.
Within six months, he’d been promoted to a position at TSA headquarters; while there, he developed an interoperability for technology systems at the 2004 Super Bowl.
7.
But after developing that majorly successful system, he actually felt like he had to fight to prove himself even harder, so he went back to school to get a master’s in business administration.
8.
He’s since held prominent positions in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and worked closely with former president Barack Obama to encourage cyberthreat information sharing.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I don't know if I can do this.
How I responded:
Doubts are apart of life. I've always surrounded myself by people that know my abilities and, when I start to doubt myself, they step up to remind me who I am and what I'm capable of. There are people in my family that look up to me and so I have developed a sense of responsibility. Everybody needs emotional support.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I grew up "dirt poor" in Alabama. Then when the stock market crashed, I lost my company and had to start my career all over again; I felt like I had to prove myself even harder.