(lighthearted music) - Let's start by just talking about cybersecurity, why it's so important and really just kind of how that works.

- Cybersecurity is about protecting people and building trust.

It's about confidentiality, integrity, and availability of that data that businesses and individuals hold.

So you have to put yourself in the shoes of an individual that may lose some money, may lose their Social Security card, and it gets stolen.

So it's so important.

And the sooner that you know about the safeguards, you can protect yourself and others.

- Yeah, let's talk about your career 25 years in the cybersecurity industry.

Tell me how you got interested in it and about your path there.

- Yeah, when I was a teenager, I was at home watching the television news and it was the late 1990s, and they were talking about the Y2K issue, coming the year 2000.

The year was gonna turn to 2000 from 1999 and computers only were set up for two-digit years, so they had to go back and extend it to four-digit years so it wouldn't crash.

- [Stephen] So it wouldn't think it was 1900, right.

- Exactly, exactly.

So when I saw that, I was like, "Wow, it seems like this is a call of duty for me.

Maybe I should enroll myself into college and go into the industry."

So that's exactly what I did.

I enrolled in Henry Ford College and went into their associate program, Computer Information Systems, and I found out about Bill Gates and his software.

I did a presentation and read his book and I was like, "Wow, I'm in the right industry.

software helps with space exploration, healthcare, all that.

So I'm in the right place."

So it inspired me to keep going and persevere.

- Yeah, and when you started, talk about how present African Americans were in the field and how much more present they are now, and then I guess how much more we still have to do.

- Yes, when I enrolled in college back in the late 1990s, I was one of two African Americans that I seen in the program.

- Wow.

- And that was kind of devastating because I was looking for friends that I can be around to help with studying and support groups and all that.

So I did hook up with the one other person and we stuck together, we studied together, and we had each other's back.

But it was kind of devastating and I was like, "Wow, you know, am I doing the right thing or what?"

So it kind of had me question what I was doing.

But as a Detroiter, we persevere, we're underdogs and all that.

So I learned to just stick it out and I knew I was doing the right thing.

- Yeah, in the time that you've worked in the industry, that presence has changed.

I mean the 18%, roughly the percentage of African Americans that exist in the country, or maybe a little more.

- Yes, and that's part of what I've been doing.

I've been mentoring, I've been coaching, I've been advocating, training young people because you should start as early as kindergarten, you know, K-12 because I got exposure in college.

But the earlier you start and you see people like you, then you're inspired and you see the possibilities.

So that's what I'm doing now is trying to build a legacy and invest in the young people to fill that gap.

because right now there's a shortage.

There's 4.8 million cybersecurity professionals needed globally.

And 265,000 just in the US.

So we need to fill that gap because these are high-skill, high-paying jobs and they can change the trajectory of your life.

- Yeah, yeah.

Let's talk about your book and what readers will learn about cybersecurity and its importance from the book.

- Yes, well, it's a memoir/guidebook.

So I walk you through all the challenges that I went through, things like how to negotiate your salary, or unconscious bias, or being resilient.

And then I'll talk about the 52 careers in cybersecurity, and I talk about the skills and the knowledge that you need to have.

So you look at it and you say, "Where do I fit?

What do I want to go after?"

I talk about scholarships that you can get to help pay for college, and I just coach you through things that you probably need help with it, and no one probably is there to help you with, and I'm here as a labor of love writing this book to be the person I needed when I was younger.