Seeking Employment: Meet Parker Capers

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Parker Capers, a cybersecurity professional with a decade of experience in the SMT industry, earned a bachelor’s degree from DeVry and is CompTIA Security Plus certified. He is open to various industries but has a strong affinity for manufacturing due to extensive familiarity. Parker appreciates smaller companies where personal connections matter. His education includes training in Arduino programming and specialized Linux usage for penetration testing, emphasizing the critical role of human awareness in cybersecurity.

Barry Matties: Why don't you start by telling me about yourself?

Parker Capers: I've been working in the SMT industry for almost a decade. I graduated from DeVry with a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity and IT, and I am certified by CompTIA Security Plus.

Matties: You've been in the SMT provider industry for a while. Is that the same market space you're looking to participate in, or are you looking for another industry in particular?

Capers: I'm open to industry. Every industry needs cybersecurity; however, manufacturing is close to what I know since I've been there for so long. I know it like the back of my hand. I'd be more than happy to run cybersecurity in that industry.

Matties: What are you looking for in a company?

Capers: I like smaller companies where everyone knows each other. I am currently working for a very large company. I enjoy my coworkers, but there's that whole thing of knowing people, especially if I will be working cybersecurity with them. If you need to tell someone something face to face, it's easier if you know them.

Matties: Talk a little more about your education.

Capers: I went to Collin College (in Texas) to complete the basics, then to DeVry for information technology and cybersecurity. That was a fantastic program. I started with Arduino programming and learned all the way through using special versions of Linux to infiltrate systems. I learned so much more about Linux than I ever thought I would have known and needed. It made me so much better at Excel, too. But it turns out Linux not only runs basically 90% of all servers; it's the main tool that cybersecurity specialists use for penetration testing. It was an extremely fun program.

Matties: What do you think is the most vulnerable part of a company?

Capers: The human aspect. You can fortify your servers and train your people all you want, but all they need to do is click one bad link in an email, and the attacker will be in.

Matties: How would you mitigate that risk?

Capers: By better training. Many bigger companies are sending out phishing emails that they have created themselves to see if an employee clicks that link. If they do, that's additional training. You can also set up email filters to look for those sketchy links. But, you know, humans can always bring in something like a flash drive.

Matties: What about isolating your email from your core servers so you have a standalone email system?

Capers: You can do that, but the human aspect is still there. You open that link on your computer, which is connected to your main network, and then it has access to other resources. Weak passwords are also a huge issue.

Matties: What sort of role are you looking for in cybersecurity?

Capers: I'm looking for a hands-on security analyst role. Certainly, IT would be an important component of that. 

Matties: Are you willing to relocate for a job?

Capers: I would like to be near my family. My grandmother is a little older, so I'd love to still be near her. I would like to stay in the Dallas Metroplex area.

Matties: When an employer looks at you, what else should they know?

Capers: I'm always willing to learn and grow my skill set. That is something I love to do. You show me something new, and I will soak it up like a sponge. If I need to wake up early, I'll do it. If I need to stay late, I'll stay late. If a job needs to be done, I will get it done.

Matties: That's a great attitude. Tell me about your SMT contract manufacturing experience.

Capers: I've done inventory management, conformal coating, hand solder, and running SMT lines. I've done it all.

Matties: If a contract manufacturer reached out to you, what should they know about you?

Capers: My experience and training would be a good advantage for me and them. I have industry experience and a background in cybersecurity, so I am familiar with the processes and people's roles in that world.

Matties: Parker, I certainly appreciate you taking the time to do this interview. 

Capers: Thank you.

Reach out to Parker directly through his LinkedIn profile.