Kaleb Worku’s record of academic distinction and relevant experience earned him the 2020 KnowBe4 Black Americans in Cybersecurity scholarship and the following year the CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service. Today, he is a junior in the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences at Augusta University pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in cybersecurity. He is an undergraduate research assistant investigating medical device cybersecurity under the supervision of Dr. Michael Nowatkowski, CISSP and the captain of his school’s computing programming division of the Association for Computing Machinery. We caught up with Kaleb to discuss how earning this scholarship has impacted his journey and the ways in which he is working to make an impact on the future of cybersecurity.
What prompted your initial interest in cybersecurity?
It all started when my mother’s Yahoo email account was hacked in the infamous 2013 Yahoo data breach. We attempted to solve the problem as fast as we could by rushing to the computer repair shop. Back then, I did not have much experience with computers. My mother was worried and upset that she lost all the valuable information she had over the years, including the email addresses of family members and friends. I remember how concerned she was about not being able to retrieve the information. I was only in the sixth grade, but it lit a fire in me to want to do something about it. That’s really what sparked my initial interest in cybersecurity. Looking back now, I am glad I pursued it.
What did receiving this scholarship mean to you and what has it helped you accomplish?
I was filled with gratitude and joy after I heard of receiving this scholarship. It meant so much to me and it was like dream came true! It proved that all the years of work that I did were worth the effort and that I am an investment in driving the future of cybersecurity. The scholarship has helped me achieve academic excellence in my cybersecurity education by providing me the financial support to navigate my journey, which otherwise would have been difficult. It has allowed me to focus on my studies, taking me one step closer to fulfilling my career and professional aspirations.
What is it about the field that you love, and why do you think cybersecurity is important?
Cybersecurity evolves every minute, as a person who values education, I embrace life-long learning in the field; simultaneously, I enjoy contributing to and growing from the vast community. Cybersecurity is deeply integrated into the daily lives of most people because of our ever-increasing reliance and connectivity to the internet. Without cybersecurity, millions of businesses, personal finances, medical and personal information online would be accessible for the world to see, with disastrous risks.
What has been the best experience in college so far?
I have the privilege of taking college classes related to cybersecurity and doing research at the Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta, Georgia. Worth $100 million, I was told it is the largest investment in a cybersecurity facility by a state government. The opportunity to be educated here in my final year of college has been an honor for me, with academia, the U.S. Army, law enforcement, state and federal government, and the private sector. I am looking forward to witnessing the growth of the facility moving forward.
Who has been your biggest influence or mentor and what have you learned from them?
I met a cybersecurity professional affiliated with the Blacks in Cybersecurity organization who became my mentor in their inaugural mentorship program last year. I learned from them so far about their experiences in cybersecurity, their career path and important life lessons they
discovered along the way. One powerful lesson I learned from them that stuck with me is that I should do my best to promote myself in my career. Like other professionals in the field, I am my own brand.
Where do you see your career after graduation and in the future?
I am looking forward to working and making an impactful contribution in the cybersecurity profession with particular interests in medical device security, computer forensics, threat and security analysis, cryptography, incidence response and systems engineering. Following graduation, I see myself working and serving the United States government in cybersecurity.
In the meantime, I plan to do my best to contribute to underrepresented communities with my evolving expertise. As a child of Ethiopian immigrant parents, I feel that one of my duties is to give back to underrepresented communities, including Ethiopian communities. Eventually, I want to open my own business to help educate these communities about cybersecurity. I want to mentor the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and eventually help establish a scholarship fund to provide opportunities for others to pursue the education I had the opportunity of.
Do you have any parting thoughts for young people considering further education in cybersecurity?
Before you start further education in cybersecurity, clearly understand why you are pursuing your education. When you understand that purpose and decide to pursue cybersecurity, make sure you are prepared to be successful. From my own experience, succeeding in cybersecurity education requires dedication, patience, perseverance, and being proactive.
The KnowBe4 Black Americans in Cybersecurity Scholarship is open and accepting applications through April 18, 2022. Learn more about this and other cybersecurity scholarships at https://iamcybersafe.org/s/scholarships.