Pedro Ortega
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer
Concho Resources
Plano, TX USA
“Sometimes you just have to take the plunge. Like bungee jumping...once you make that jump and you’re going down, then you’ll sort out everything else.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationPedro Ortega
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I was born and raised in Texas.
My interest in computers started when I was young; my parents bought a laptop for me when I was about nine years old—the only programs I had were a word processor, spreadsheet, and Hangman!
As I got a little bit older, my interest in computers grew and I started playing around with the internet and various software programs.
When I went to college, I started off with a degree in programming—my studies were very contingent on the fast, fluctuating growth of computers and the internet.
I got my first job at a bank and started gaining experience in IT as it pertained to corporate America—I started as a help desk technician and kept working my way up the ladder.
After years of working, I was motivated to further my education and open up better opportunities for my family—I discovered Western Governors University’s online college program.
While balancing my day job and family obligations, I was able to gain a bachelor’s degree in IT security and a master’s degree in cybersecurity and information assurance from WGU in just four years!
Now I work as a senior cybersecurity engineer for Concho Resources, where I spend my time protecting our network from security threats.
Education
High School
Graduate
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
Western Governors University
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
Western Governors University
Career
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer
I work in threat intelligence to block security attacks on our network.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Technology
Business
Problem Solving
Day to Day
Sometimes I'll see security alerts come in and then I'll work on solutions for those reports. However, those alerts often don't come in. So, I'll spend time working in threat intelligence, which involves going through logs and network traffic and looking for things that just don't look right. A lot of times it'll be things like multiple password attempts or reviewing accounts that were locked out that end up showing you the problem and then I'll work from there to block the threat.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
There are a lot of different options if you want to get into IT, from cybersecurity, to programming, to becoming a chief information officer. I recommend finding a program like WGU that will give you a breadth of information in different sectors so that you're better able to figure out which path you want to go down.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Myself:
"You just have to power through the hardships."
Challenges I Overcame
Work-Life Balance
