About Ross Ricky

Life before IT

My journey into IT did not follow a common path.

My whole life I have been interested in learning how machines and systems work. With this is mind it is not surprising that I pursued an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.

Upon graduation, I worked for a few different defense contractor companies and enjoyed my time as an engineer. I worked in several roles with varying responsibilities and I learned a lot.

After a few years, however, I decided that I wanted to combine my technical knowledge with an understanding of business. I did some research and found some articles arguing that an engineering degree combined with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) was a strong combination. Shortly after I started applying to graduate schools. Pursuing an IT career was not even on my radar at the time, so I applied to schools that were strong in other subjects…

I narrowed my decision for graduate school to two programs: one that I was already accepted to and one where I was waitlisted. When I did not get into the school where I was waitlisted, I decided to attend the one I had already gotten into:

The Questrom School of Business at Boston University.

Little did I know at the time, this decision would alter my career path more than I could have ever imagined…

Graduate school

In August of 2015 I stepped foot onto Boston University’s campus as a full-time general MBA student. During orientation, I had a fateful conversation with one of my new grad school friends about his classes. When I told him about my technical background, he asked if I was enrolled in the MS-MBA program.

I didn’t know what those letters stood for, much less whether I would be interested in the program or not.

The MS-MBA program

My friend told me the MS-MBA program was a dual-degree program where I could graduate with a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Information Services. Two degrees for (not quite) the price of one!

At the time I didn’t think I had the background knowledge for a degree in Information Services. However, after attending an information session, I learned there was nothing preventing me from enrolling. I was curious about the program and wanted to learn more about technology so I decided to sign up.

As they say, the rest is history.

IT beginnings

Taking IT classes in graduate school opened up a whole new world to me.

At first I was intimidated by computers and information technology. My initial fear quickly faded and I soon discovered that these systems are not very different from the ones I learned about in engineering. The only difference between them was that computers use electricity and data as opposed to gears and fossil fuels.

The more I learned about technology, the more I wanted to make a career out of it. I could not turn down the opportunity to work in a field where continuous learning was required (especially in IT security).

Fast forwarding a few years, I find myself working in IT security and wondering how I got here.

Where am I now?

I currently work in a cybersecurity role for a large engineering company. I hold several IT security certifications and I plan on continuing my career in cybersecurity moving forward.

Some of the IT/cybersecurity certifications I have been awarded include:

  • Security+ from CompTIA
  • Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) from (ISC)2
  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) from EC-Council
  • Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) from (ISC)2

In my free time I like to exercise, read, do puzzles, and learn about IT concepts and technologies.

I currently live in the Northeast but I have previously lived in Philadelphia, PA and Dallas, TX.

Why did I create this blog?

At NetWork from Home, my goal is to help people who are overwhelmed and intimidated by information technology. I will break down the technical concepts surrounding these technologies so you are comfortable making decisions that maximize your internet connection and allow you to browse the internet safely.

I have seen many cases of people who are not making the most out of their home internet plans.

Due to COVID-19, many households have had their internet needs change, and I hope to help with those transitions as well.

Technology can be overwhelming, and I will try to make it easier to understand with the information and experiences I share.

Contact Me

If you have a specific question or if there is a particular problem you are having, feel free to reach out to me using the Contact Me page. I will do my best to respond in an easy-to-understand manner. Thank you for joining me on this journey, I am excited to see what the future brings!

Welcome aboard,

Ross Ricky