Doug Sacobie reminds us that the world of tech and cybersecurity is ever-changing and that it is important to stay up to date with cybersecurity, now more than ever!
Doug grew up in Bilijk First Nation, and started his career in I.T. with Concentrix, focusing on troubleshooting and guest support, which soon turned into a heavy interest in the tech world. When COVID hit near the end of 2019, Doug was forced to move home where he saw a flyer for JEDI’s Cybersecurity Program and decided to jump on the opportunity. Upon completing the course, he graduated with a diploma in Cybersecurity from CCNB.
“I've always been interested in tech. When I was growing up, I always wanted to try and fix my PS3, stuff like that, and try to make my stuff run better.”
During a hacking competition in Ottawa, he saw just how many sectors are vulnerable, from McCains to Via Rail, there are no exceptions to hackers, making cybersecurity the fastest-growing need for most companies today. Doug did his internship with Bulletproof and learned more about hacking by shadowing some of their testers and working with their hardware. He became passionate about making sure those around him were aware and protected from the dangers of hackers.
“Back when I was in the (JEDI) course, we were shown how vulnerable our technology is. I want to be able to make my personal life secure, I want to be able to help make other people's lives secure as well – that’s one of the reasons I got so deep into the cybersecurity aspect of I.T.”
Doug now works at Scotiabank as a Cybersecurity Control and Defense specialist – a critical role considering the importance of cybersecurity in the financial industry. His work with Scotiabank has helped him get a “behind the scenes” view of how things work, similar to the course at JEDI, he can now see it in real-time and is confident in the work he is doing.
“Doug Sacobie-Munn has been an outstanding employee who has not only understood and grasped everything thrown towards him but also has been delivering on the tasks assigned to him in a timely manner and responsibility. We are glad to have Doug Sacobie-Munn as a part of our team and look forward to seeing him excel further in the role.”
- Mohammad Khan, Director, Cybersecurity Control and Defense, and Doug's supervisor at Scotiabank.
We asked Doug for advice for newcomers to the I.T. world. Curiosity and the willingness to learn are two things Doug strongly encourages when pursuing a career in I.T. Because cybersecurity is evolving so quickly, it’s crucial to stay informed. His goal is to help as many Indigenous People as possible become interested in pursuing a meaningful education, or career in I.T.
“I'd like to see more of our people get into the I.T. field to help better protect the sensitive data that passes through our systems. There are a lot of vulnerabilities when it comes to access to our status numbers, our birth records, and a lot of vital information. If we can get people to be trained for this kind of stuff, we can get them working on reserves. Being able to help the elders and have a line where they can reach out to someone if they feel like they're being scammed, or if they're having issues with their phones or tablets, we can help them adapt to technology. It would be very nice, and having a group of individuals trained to do so would be perfect.”
More About JEDI’s Cybersecurity Program
JEDI’s Cybersecurity Training Program is a collaboration with CCNB to deliver 60 weeks of training in the protection of computer systems and networks from information disclosure, theft, or damage, also known as cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is a major trending field in information technology (IT), where cybersecurity job opportunities have grown by 94% in the last 6 years, now accounting for 13% of all IT jobs (source).
This 60-week Indigenous Cybersecurity Training Program is broken down into 40 weeks of in-class training and 20 weeks of an internship placement with leading organizations in the cybersecurity sector. This program covers the cybersecurity stream of protecting and defending, where the in-class training bridges lectures with hands-on testing and practicing. In addition, students had the opportunity to network with leading employers in the cybersecurity space, such as Scotiabank, Deloitte, Bulletproof, McCain, and NB Power, which led to internships and job offers.
For more information on how to apply to the Advanced Indigenous Information & Communication Technologies (AIICT), click here.