While we browse the internet or use digital services, we rarely think about what happens behind the scenes. Every alert, every block, and every silent investigation is part of an invisible effort that ensures technology continues to serve those it should, without being exploited by those it shouldn't.
João Machado, a cybersecurity analyst on the FCT's CSIRT team, in the FCCN digital services unit, reveals what the daily life of someone dealing with digital threats is like, from making quick decisions to long-term strategies, keeping systems secure and learning from each incident.
Name: João Machado
Team/service at FCCN: CSIRT
Year of entry into FCCN: 2021
Motivation for entering the field of cybersecurity: I've always been fascinated by technology and how it works, but even more so by how I can prevent it from being misused. Learning how to protect systems has opened doors I never imagined.
How do you explain your job to someone outside the field? It's the art of ensuring that only what needs to be done is done, and by those who are authorized. It involves resolving problems when something deviates from this rule and preventing them from happening again.
The motto in everyday work: Just because something is working doesn't mean it's correct. If it seems too easy, it's because there's a big problem to fix.
Something a cybersecurity analyst has to do, but can do without: Documentation and reports, especially when they are for people who don't understand the subject matter.
The most common security mistake you see every day: Accepting without reading what we are accepting. The care with passwords That's another critical point.
The most important skill for working in cybersecurity: It's impossible to choose between resilience and the ability to correlate information.
Your “secret tool”: SIEM and IOCSniffer
Music or playlist to help you stay focused while working: I prefer upbeat music without lyrics, like psytrance.
Favorite GIF/Emoji to react to incidents:
If you had a superpower in cybersecurity: The ability to perceive a system that poorly communicates with it.
