Janith D'Alwis

Majors: History, Cybersecurity

Cyber Risk Management Intern, Palo Alto Networks

How did you learn about this internship opportunity? 

One of my connections shared the position on LinkedIn. 

How has your internship helped build your skills and clarify your career goals?  How did being a Liberal Arts student at Purdue apply to your internship?

Interning at Palo Alto Networks has given me insight into the different ways organizations can improve their security posture. I've really enjoyed shadowing cases, and this internship has made me want to pursue a career in cybersecurity consulting. Being able to help people solve problems and think about things in a new light has been incredibly rewarding. 

What is a piece of advice you would give someone in your major  looking for an internship? 

In cybersecurity, background knowledge will help you stand out. I recommend taking the time to read books and news articles. Knowing about specific cyber-attacks, threat actors, and geopolitical concepts will take you far and help set you apart from others. One specific book that I would suggest to someone interested in cybersecurity is Countdown to Zero Day by Kim Zetter. 

What key responsibilities or tasks have you taken on during your internship?

I've helped with notetaking, report writing, and creating presentations for client engagements. I've been able to shadow Tabletop Exercises, Cloud Security Assessments, Breach Readiness Reviews, and Cyber Risk Assessments. Outside of case work, I built templates that clients can reference to better understand what good documentation looks like. I also created a report generator using Google Apps Script to help consultants create tailored reports more efficiently. 

In what ways has the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University supported your internship journey? How has your participation in our job-ready program specifically aided your professional development? 

Being a Liberal Arts student through Degree Plus at Purdue has complemented my cybersecurity studies by helping me improve my writing, research, and communication skills. The College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University has supported my internship journey by helping me build the core skills needed to succeed in the workplace. For example, the history classes I've taken have improved my ability to understand primary source material and communicate key ideas clearly. That skill has been very useful in cybersecurity consulting when trying to make sense of a client environment with limited visibility. 

Could you highlight a standout aspect of your experience in this program that you find particularly noteworthy? 

One part of my experience that stood out to me was the intern speaker series. It gave us a glimpse into a lot of different roles across the company and introduced us to people from a wide range of backgrounds.