Five years later, I never worked as a banker. However, I have worked with numerous banks (in a different capacity) and financial institutions and the reason was simple: I found purpose and passion in something else. That something else is Information security. So if there is something I am really, and 100% sure that I will study forever, then it is Information Security. The reason is simple; it is unique, broad, challenging and not static (always changing).
So the one thing I could study for the rest of my life is Information Security. Unlike most fields and specializations, there is an end to the learning. You get to a point where there is nothing new to learn about them, but for information security, it is a total reversal as you keep learning and learning even while at the top. When you reach the top, you start learning more because you encounter more issues, activities and responsibilities requiring special skills and techniques. That is why you see that at 35 years in the information security field, this seasoned professional still enrols for more classes despite the huge bag of knowledge they carry already.
Training session i facilitated for Proffesionals in a reputable bank in Nigeria
The information security field is dynamic, and it never gets boring. The reason is that attacks could come in different forms and places. The hackers are getting their hands on sophisticated tools that could easily be used to hack into a firm system ins a split second, and the Information security (Infosec) guys are looking to block them up. Working in this field means one has to be up to date with the new ways and actions in which this hacker could use to break down the system of the firms they work in. So you tend to always learn even while on the job.
Also, I am so passionate about information security that even though I am a Trainer and train professionals at banks and other financial institutions, I still have much to learn in this field. There is a pentester side of things that I am so passionate about learning, and it is an area that is always changing as technology improves and develops. At the same time, attackers and social engineers also change the mode of attack. I have been in this field for some years now, and I have gone from being Information security certified to cybersecurity certified to being information risk certified; I have also been certified in cloud computing security and certified as a lead auditor for service management systems. And you will not believe I have not even started scratching the surface regarding information security.
Information security is so broad that it encompasses business continuity, physical security, systems and applications security, access control security, operations security, network security, communication security, organisation security, cloud security, supplier security, risk management, code and app development security, incident management, cryptography and encryption, privacy and Intellectual property and a whole lot more that I can not remember at the time of writing. Some new ones are cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence security also.
The field is so broad that no one can confidently come out and say he or she knows and could operate efficiently and effectively in this information security field. You have to diversify and focus on just one aspect at some point. If I get to study for life, I repeat, it will be information security.
All pictures were taken from my Samsung A51 smartphone at the bank's Training venue in Lagos, Nigeria.