Hi — I’m Josh
If you’ve landed here, you’re probably somewhere at the start of your tech journey — curious, maybe a little overwhelmed, and wondering whether cybersecurity is really something you can break into. I’m here to tell you that it is, and I’m proof of it.
I’m a Junior Security Engineer, self-confessed nerd, and perpetual learner. I didn’t arrive in this field through the traditional route — no computer science degree, no straight line from school to SOC. My path was longer, stranger, and honestly more interesting than that.
CyberMusing is where I share everything I pick up along the way — the wins, the stumbles, the resources that actually helped, and the honest take on what this industry is really like when you’re just getting started.
Chapter 1: Where I Started
My career didn’t begin in a data centre or a university lab — it began in a kitchen. I spent years working in fast-paced hospitality environments where the pressure was relentless and the margin for error was basically zero. You learn to triage fast, communicate clearly under stress, and adapt on the fly. I didn’t know it at the time, but those skills translate almost perfectly to a security operations role.
The Unexpected Bridge
After hospitality, I moved into health and social care. Working in a regulated, compliance-heavy environment — protecting vulnerable people, following strict governance frameworks, handling sensitive data responsibly — gave me an instinct for risk that I now use every day in security. It’s a different kind of threat model, but the mindset is the same.
If you’re coming from a non-technical field, don’t write off what you already know. Healthcare taught me governance. Hospitality taught me incident response under pressure. Every background brings something the “traditional” path doesn’t.
Landing in IT
My passion for computers had been there the whole time — it just needed a proper outlet. I landed my first IT role on a service desk and threw myself into it. I studied in the evenings, built a home lab at weekends, and started stacking certifications. One role led to another, and eventually I found myself doing exactly what I’d been working towards: a position as a Junior Security Analyst.
Chapter 2: Why CyberMusing Exists
The name came out of nowhere — a quick exchange of texts with my wife while I was mulling over domain names. I asked about infomusing.com. She wasn’t sold. A minute later I floated CyberMusing. She said it was “quite good.” I said it felt right — Cyber for the space, Musing for the approach. Thinking out loud. Turning observations into something useful.
That’s exactly what this site is. CyberMusing is my place to make sense of a fast-moving field — to filter signal from noise, write in plain English, and favour steady practical progress over whatever’s trending this week.
The Problem I’m Trying to Solve
Breaking into cybersecurity is harder than it should be. Not because the subject matter is impossible — it isn’t — but because of the way information is often gatekept, the unrealistic expectations placed on entry-level candidates, and the scarcity of genuine mentorship for people just starting out.
Entry-level roles requiring five years of experience. Knowledge locked behind expensive courses. Communities that talked at beginners instead of with them. CyberMusing exists to push back against all of that.
- Clarity over complexity — plain English, always.
- Community over competition — we grow stronger together.
- Practical over perfect — actionable now beats ideal someday.
Chapter 3: What You’ll Find Here
CyberMusing isn’t trying to be everything to everyone. It’s a focused space for people who are curious about IT and cybersecurity — whether you’re researching a career change, working towards your first cert, or a few years in and looking for a fresh perspective.
The Blog
This is where the bulk of the content lives. Practical guides, honest certification reviews, career advice grounded in real experience, and explainers on the topics that actually matter when you’re starting out. No fluff, no recycled listicles — just content I’d have wanted when I was in your position.
The Newsletter
A regular roundup of insights, resources, and updates from my own ongoing journey — delivered straight to your inbox. If you want to stay in the loop without having to remember to check back, the newsletter is the way to do it.
The Journey
I share my own path openly — the certifications I’m working towards, the challenges I run into, and what I learn from both. You’re not following a finished expert. You’re walking alongside someone who’s figuring it out in real time, which I think is far more useful.
SC-200 (Microsoft Security Operations Analyst Associate) — follow along as I study, and I’ll share everything that helps.
Chapter 4: Who This Is For
CyberMusing is for the person who Googled “how to get into cybersecurity” and got ten contradictory answers. It’s for the career changer who’s done their research but still isn’t sure where to start. It’s for the person who passed their first cert and wants to know what comes next.
You Don’t Need a CS Degree
I didn’t have one. What you need is curiosity, consistency, and a willingness to be a beginner for a while. The technical skills are learnable — and I’ll help you learn them. The mindset is what separates the people who make it from the people who give up six months in.
Show up consistently. Study a little every day rather than a lot once a week. Build the habit before you worry about building the knowledge. The knowledge follows the habit, not the other way around.
You’re Not Behind
One of the most damaging things you can do early in this journey is compare your chapter one to someone else’s chapter ten. Everyone started somewhere. The people who look like overnight successes on LinkedIn have years of quiet work behind them that you’re not seeing.
You’re exactly where you need to be.
The fact that you’re here, reading this, means you’ve already taken a step. That’s not nothing — that’s the start of something.
Chapter 5: Let’s Do This Together
I built CyberMusing because I wanted the resource I didn’t have when I was starting out. Somewhere honest, somewhere practical, somewhere that treated beginners like intelligent adults rather than an audience to monetise.
This is a community-first space. I’m not here to position myself as an untouchable expert — I’m here to learn out loud and bring you along with me. If something on this site helps you, I’d genuinely love to know about it. If something is missing that you wish existed, tell me that too.
- Head to the blog and pick a topic that interests you.
- Subscribe to the newsletter to stay in the loop.
- Get in touch — I read every message.
- Connect on LinkedIn and say hello.
Everything I publish here is something I’d stake my name on. No sponsored filler, no recycled takes, no gatekeeping. If I don’t know something, I’ll say so. If I get something wrong, I’ll correct it. That’s the deal.
Welcome to CyberMusing. I’m really glad you’re here.
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Explore the blog for practical guides, or subscribe to the newsletter and stay in the loop as the journey unfolds.