Name: Kreesan Govender  
Title: Information Security Risk and Compliance Specialist
Employer: MiWay Insurance (Santam Group)
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Education: National Diploma Computer Network Engineering
Years in IT: 5
Years in Cybersecurity: 4
Cybersecurity certifications: SSCP

How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity?

I have always found hacking and data breaches interesting since my days at campus, and when I was given the opportunity to start my career within the cybersecurity field, I jumped at the opportunity. Since starting my career in cybersecurity, I have enjoyed every bit and have never looked back.

 

How did you decide to pursue your SSCP?

I was fortunate enough to be mentored by my previous manager Mr. Stanley Langa, who introduced me to (ISC)² and the SSCP certification, and persuaded me to challenge myself. After reviewing the exam outline and recognising that there were only 19 certified SSCP professionals within South Africa, I decided to accept the challenge and pursue my SSCP certification .

 

In cybersecurity, no two days are the same – what is your main role in your organization?

My main role is to oversee and maintain IT regulatory compliance (PCI-DSS), provide information security risk analysis to the business and enforce IT general controls. This mainly entails me doing tasks such as reviewing access controls and firewall rulesets, analysing vulnerability scans and advising on remediation, collecting and submitting evidence for PCI-DSS, providing Cybersecurity advisory within the projects space and auditing all HSM cryptographic key activities and so much more.

 

Tell us about a project that you were particularly proud of –

I am extremely proud of myself for delivering an IT project code named MDD3600, whereby I was thrown in the deep end and tasked to manage the deployment of a new POS image to 150 sites across South Africa. This project required me to collaborate with many different individuals and thought me a valuable lesson on what we plan on paper isn’t always executed as such in the real world. This project was successful and will stick with me for the rest of my career.

 

What impact has the SSCP had on your career?

The SSCP certification has really elevated my career and has given me a much more in-depth understanding of cybersecurity and how it affects everyone and everything. It has enabled me to be able to provide expert advisory and analysis to my organisation and community. It has also opened a platform for like-minded individuals to network and gain knowledge which adds to career building.

 

What advice would you give to those aspiring to get their SSCP?

Anyone who is considering the SSCP certification should pursue it all the way through and commit time to it. It is a great certification to start with and shows that you are serious about cybersecurity. It adds so much value to your career and allows you to be a part of a group of certified cybersecurity professionals.