I didn't start in cybersecurity — I started as an Application Development Analyst at Accenture, where I worked on a GCP environment during a data migration project. That's where I first realized how much of security is really about understanding where data lives and how it moves.
From there, I moved into Information Security Engineering at Wells Fargo, working across Identity & Access Management (IAM), mainframe security, Linux, Azure DevOps, Terraform, and CI/CD pipelines. That role taught me how identity, infrastructure, and security intersect.
Today, I'm a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at AT&T, working in a Data Discovery Platform focused on Data Loss Prevention (DLP).
Through my brand, Cycle Breaker Systems, LLC, I've helped 30+ people land roles in cybersecurity and tech, resulting in:
📎 Check out more at: cyclebreakersystems.io
This doc is everything I wish someone handed me when I started looking into DLP. Let's get into it. 👇
Data Loss Prevention is the practice of identifying, monitoring, and protecting sensitive data — whether it's at rest (stored), in motion (being transmitted), or in use (being accessed) — so it doesn't leave an organization's control without authorization.
It's not just "installing software that blocks USB drives." Modern DLP touches cloud, network, identity, endpoints, and data classification all at once. That's what makes it one of the most well-rounded niches in cybersecurity. 🔥
| Certification | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| 🟢 CompTIA Security+ | Foundational — covers general security concepts you'll lean on constantly |
| 🔵 CompTIA CySA+ | Great for understanding threat detection and analysis, close to DLP work |
| 🟣 Microsoft SC-400 (Information Protection Administrator) | Directly tied to Microsoft Purview DLP — very relevant if your org uses M365 |
| 🟠 AWS Certified Security – Specialty | Useful if your DLP work touches cloud data stores in AWS |
| 🟡 Google Cybersecurity Certificate | Good entry-level cert, especially if you're coming from a non-technical background |
| 🔴 Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) | Strong for data governance/privacy-adjacent DLP roles |
You don't need all of these — pick 1-2 based on the cloud/tooling ecosystem the jobs you want are actually using (check job postings first).