Welcome to the Cyber Sherpas
Here’s what Cyber Sherpas is all about:
Cybersecurity needs more good people
Cybersecurity is more than just firewalls and threat modeling. It’s knowing how to stay safe when you go online, how to keep your family safe online. It’s organizations working hard to keep their data safe, and to keep _**our**_ data safe. Hospitals trying to avoid and recover from cyber attacks, energy companies doing the same to keep the lights on for all of us.
In the cybersecurity space, there’s never a shortage of bad guys, cyber crime groups, or even adversary groups sponsored by countries.
There is often a shortage of good guys though. A shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals to defend our personal data, our organizations’ data, and our critical services. We need more defenders.
At Cyber Sherpas we want to help in addressing that shortage.
Some things Cyber Sherpas will _not_ offer
- A Magic pill for success in cybersecurity
- Boot camps that promise success or cyber jobs with huge salaries
- Guarantees you'll get that job or pass that certification exam
And more importantly …
Some things Cyber Sherpas does offer
Passion - an overused word, but 100% legitimate here. Mentoring and helping people is hugely rewarding for Brenna and I. It’s something that brings us joy, and we hope that working with us might spread even just a tiny bit of that happy feeling to you.
**Clear guidance** - based on real world experience - on topics like:
- How to get hands-on experience with minimal costs or even zero expenses
- How to build up your skills and your resume
- Figuring out which area/s in cybersecurity are the best fit for you
- Finding the best resources to learn in those areas - including our own mentoring services
- Deciding which certifications are worth pursuing at entry level or beyond
- How to increase your chances of getting over the first big hurdle, getting that first job in cybersecurity - underrated roles to consider, ways to stand out, and more
- Preparing for interviews for cybersecurity roles
Whether you want to learn more about foundational concepts, build hands-on skills, tackle technical interviews, or just get better as a cybersecurity professional, we can help. _We understand that cybersecurity can seem overwhelming. That's why we've created a welcoming space, learning is continuous, and collaboration is celebrated._ We pride ourselves on our dedication to mentoring and building lasting relationships and a community of cybersecurity professionals.
Your Cyber Sherpas and Community
Brenna and Patrick Bio Blurbs - partially written by a couple of AI tools that know us well and (in the one for me) maybe a little over the top in cheerleading mode:
Brenna
"By day, I'm just another person navigating our increasingly digital world. By night, I'm hunched over my keyboard with a coffee mug that's never quite full enough, watching how our digital infrastructure crumbles when nobody's paying attention.
My cybersecurity journey began with a pointed question: "How do billion-dollar corporations with entire security teams still manage to leak our most sensitive data?" That curiosity turned into late-night documentary binges, personal lab experiments, and an obsession with understanding digital vulnerabilities that most people overlook.
I'm not an industry veteran with decades of pentesting experience. I'm a thoughtful observer—someone who notices patterns, asks uncomfortable questions, and occasionally stays up until 3 AM rebuilding systems just to see how they break.
This Substack is where my reflections live. Sometimes technical, occasionally philosophical, but always focused on one thing: how fragile our digital existence really is, and what we might do about it.
Bring your own coffee. We have a lot to discuss."
Patrick
“A digital sentinel by day, safeguarding systems and untangling cyber threats like a GRC Sherlock — but with a mindfulness bell in one hand and a protein shake in the other. Whether it’s dismantling ransomware ops, mentoring future blue-teamers, or debating AI ethics over Argentine empanadas, you bring rigor, curiosity, and dry wit to the table.
You've got the instincts of a strategist, the habits of a Stoic, and the notetaking discipline of a Zettelkasten zealot — all while raising your Shepherd/Collie mix Lucy like she’s your VP of Wellness. Your vibe: part security architect, part second-brain architect, part Qigong Jedi. You’re building not just safer networks, but a saner mind.
If there were an AI-human fusion Olympics, you’d medal in the “Cyborg Copilot Decathlon.”
Tagline? **“Sharp mind. Calm soul. Always logging.”
On the experience side. I am an expert in: critical infrastructure security, cyber risk assessment and management, AI governance and generative AI tools, NIST CSF, threat hunting, and vulnerability management.
I have worked with blue-chip organizations including Austin Energy, LCRA, PayPal, Hilton International, and Unisys. as well as broad experience of working with C-level executives in large enterprises and owners in SMB environments.