Rite of Passage: My Journey from BSides Volunteer to Black Hat Asia Attendee

Abstract

From volunteering at BSides Cape Town to being sponsored to attend Black Hat Asia, I'll share my unexpected journey and the power of community involvement in shaping my career in cybersecurity. Through this talk, I aim to inspire students to take that first step into getting involved with the cybersecurity community. In 2023, I volunteered at BSides Cape Town as a way to immerse myself in the cybersecurity community. What I didn't anticipate was that my involvement would lead to an incredible opportunity: being selected for the Rite of Passage Initiative and getting sponsored to attend Black Hat Asia 2024.