From Aviation to Cybersecurity Through Networking, Risk Management, and Curiosity
If someone told me a few years ago that I would become deeply interested in cybersecurity, Governance Risk and Compliance, and AI Governance, I honestly would have laughed.
At the time, my world was aviation.
Cabin briefings. Passenger safety. Long haul flights. Operational procedures. Managing people under pressure.
Technology was always around me, but cybersecurity felt like something meant for highly technical people sitting behind multiple computer screens writing code all day.
It felt distant.
My First Step Into Cybersecurity
My journey started with the Cisco Networking Essentials course.
At first, I simply wanted to understand how networks worked.
That course introduced me to concepts like:
- IP addresses
- switches
- routers
- subnet masks
- MAC addresses
- network addressing
- the OSI model
For the first time, I started understanding what actually happens behind the internet and digital communication we use every day.
And honestly?
It was challenging in the beginning.
There were moments I had to pause videos repeatedly just to understand one concept. Some days I did not feel like going to class because it was overwhelming for me.
But slowly, things started making sense.
I realised cybersecurity is built on understanding systems first.
And networking became my foundation.
Discovering How Broad Cybersecurity Really Is
After Networking Essentials, I continued with:
- Introduction to Cybersecurity
- CyberOps
also through Cisco.
That was when my perspective changed completely.
Before then, I thought cybersecurity was only about hacking.
But during those courses, I discovered cybersecurity is incredibly broad.
There are areas like:
- cloud security
- penetration testing
- digital forensics
- threat intelligence
- compliance
- governance
- risk management
- security operations
And that was when I understood something important:
You do not need to fit into every part of cybersecurity.
You need to discover the area that genuinely interests you.
The Topic That Changed My Direction
During my CyberOps course, there was a topic called:
Risk Management
Something about it immediately caught my attention.
Maybe because it connected technology with decision-making.
Maybe because it focused on:
- identifying risks
- protecting organisations
- managing operational impact
- building structured security processes
It felt practical.
Human.
Strategic.
That topic quietly introduced me to the world of GRC.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance.
And the more I researched it, the more interested I became.
Finding My Way Into GRC
After learning more about GRC, I started searching for courses that focused specifically on it.
That was when I discovered the Cybarik GRC course.
At the time, investing in the course was a big decision for me.
I had to save money towards it because I genuinely wanted to understand this field properly.
And honestly, taking that step changed a lot for me.
The course helped me understand:
- governance frameworks
- cybersecurity policies
- risk assessment
- compliance processes
- security controls
- operational risk thinking
It showed me that cybersecurity is not only technical.
It is also about:
- people
- processes
- accountability
- decision-making
- organisational trust
And even now, I am still learning.
Because cybersecurity never truly stops evolving.
Why AI Governance Became the Next Step
Then something else started happening.
AI began transforming industries everywhere.
Aviation. Healthcare. Finance. Cybersecurity. Recruitment. Customer service.
Suddenly, organisations were relying more heavily on intelligent systems and automation.
And naturally, I started asking questions.
- Who governs these AI systems?
- How are AI risks managed?
- What happens when AI systems fail?
- How do organisations remain accountable?
- How do privacy and cybersecurity connect to AI?
That curiosity led me toward AI Governance.
Because in today’s world, cybersecurity alone is no longer enough.
AI systems now influence:
- decisions
- operations
- privacy
- trust
- risk management
Which means governance matters more than ever.
My Biggest Realisation
One thing I have learned throughout this journey is this:
You do not need to know everything before starting cybersecurity.
You simply need:
- curiosity
- consistency
- patience
- willingness to learn gradually
I started with foundational networking concepts.
One course led to another.
One topic sparked curiosity.
And eventually, that curiosity became a direction.
On A Final Note
My journey into Cybersecurity GRC and AI Governance did not begin with expertise.
It began with questions.
And honestly, I am still learning every day.
But that is the beautiful thing about cybersecurity.
The field constantly evolves.
And if you stay curious, keep learning, and remain open to growth, one small step can completely change your career path.
