Finding Your Niche in Tech: A Guide for the Confused but Curious

Gertrude Abagale — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 10:49:07 +0000

Over the years, I’ve met countless individuals eager to transition into tech. They’re motivated, they’re taking courses, and they’re networking. But there’s often one key piece missing: they don’t know what niche in tech they want to go into.

Recently, I participated in a webinar as a guest speaker, and this topic arose again. A recurring pattern emerged. People are diving into tech without a clear understanding of the diverse opportunities available or what roles suit them. And without that direction, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, lost, or like an impostor.

If that sounds like you, I want you to know you’re not alone, and it’s okay not to have it all figured out right away. But the earlier you start exploring where your strengths and interests align, the easier it becomes to carve out your path.

So, How Do You Find Your Niche in Tech?
When people reach out to me for mentorship and I sense they’re uncertain about their direction, I always ask one simple question:

“What do you naturally enjoy doing?”

This is where your journey should begin. Your tech niche should complement your interests and personality. Here’s a framework I recommend:

1. Identify What You Enjoy Doing
Are you someone who:

Loves reading and writing?
Thrives on solving math or logic problems?
Enjoys designing or building things from scratch?
Gets a thrill from investigating issues or solving mysteries?
Prefers working with people over working with code?
Your answer to these can steer you toward a field that will feel less like work and more like purpose.

2. Map Interests to Tech Roles
Once you identify your strengths or preferences, try mapping them to tech niches like so:

If You Enjoy… Explore Roles In…

Writing & Storytelling - Technical Writing, UX Writing, Content Design Math & Problem Solving - Data Science, Cybersecurity, Backend Developer Designing & Creating - UI/UX Design, Frontend Dev, Product Design Investigating & Analyzing - Cybersecurity, QA Testing, SOC Analyst Teaching & People Skills - Developer Advocacy, Customer Engineering

The list goes on.

3. Do Targeted Research
Now that you’ve narrowed down a few possible directions, dive deeper:

Watch YouTube videos about a “day in the life” of people in that role.
Join Slack or Discord communities where people in that niche hang out.
Take a short beginner course or tutorial.
Follow professionals on LinkedIn or Medium who share insights in those fields.
Your goal here is to test the waters before committing.

4. Talk to People in That Niche
Don’t underestimate the power of a 20-minute coffee chat. Reach out to people doing what you’re curious about and ask questions like:

What do you love about your role?
What skills are most important in your job?
If you could go back and learn one thing earlier, what would it be?
You’ll be surprised how generous the tech community can be with their time and advice.

5. Give Yourself Permission to Pivot
Your first tech niche doesn’t have to be your final destination. Many people start in one role and evolve into others. The key is to start somewhere aligned with your current interests, build real skills, and allow yourself to grow.

Final Thoughts

The tech industry is vast, and that can feel both exciting and intimidating. But clarity comes with exploration and action. Don’t pressure yourself to have all the answers now, just take the next right step based on who you are and what lights you up. Find what feels like “you,” and let that be your compass. If you’re currently trying to find your path in tech, I’d love to hear from you. What interests you? What are you struggling to decide?

Drop a comment or connect with me.

The Scariest Threat in Cybersecurity? It Might Be the Person Sitting Next to You

Gertrude Abagale — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 01:48:29 +0000

Introduction

When we think of cyber threats, we often picture shadowy individuals in hoodies, typing away in dark basements. In essence, external hackers targeting your systems from miles away. But what if the real danger was much closer? What if it were someone with a badge, an email address, and access to your most critical systems?

Welcome to the world of insider threats, one of the most underestimated yet devastating types of cybersecurity risk, in my opinion.

What Is an Insider Threat?

Insider threat is a security threat that originates from within the targeted organization. This can be a current or former employee, contractor, vendor, or anyone who has (or had) authorized access to sensitive information, systems, data, or networks and chooses to misuse that access.

These threats fall into two categories:

Intentional insiders: Individuals who intentionally harm the organization out of revenge, financial gain, or allegiance to a competitor.
Unintentional insiders: Well-meaning employees who accidentally expose data or create vulnerabilities, often through phishing, weak passwords, or misconfigurations.

Why Insider Threats Are So Dangerous?

Insider threats are especially scary because:

Access is already granted: Unlike external hackers, insiders don’t need to break through firewalls; they’re already inside.

Harder to detect: Their actions can blend in with regular activity, making it difficult for traditional security tools to catch them.

Damage can be catastrophic: From leaking trade secrets to sabotaging systems, the fallout of an insider attack can be long-lasting and extremely costly.
Real-World Examples

Let’s look at a few incidents that prove how dangerous insider threats can be:

Edward Snowden (NSA): Arguably the most famous insider threat case. Snowden, a former contractor, leaked classified information about government surveillance programs.

Tesla Sabotage (2018): A disgruntled employee modified code in Tesla’s manufacturing system and exported sensitive data to outsiders.

Capital One Breach (2019): A former employee of Amazon Web Services exploited misconfigured servers, exposing the personal data of over 100 million customers.

Common Ways Insider Threats Manifest

Downloading or emailing sensitive files to personal accounts
Abusing access privileges after being terminated (or right before leaving)

Falling for phishing attacks and giving away login credentials
Misconfiguring systems that expose company data to the public
How to Reduce Insider Threat Risk
Unfortunately, Insider Threat is difficult to eliminate, but you can

significantly reduce its likelihood and impact:

Implement the Principle of Least Privilege: Employees should only have access to what they need. No more, no less.

Monitor User Behaviour: Use tools like User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA) to detect unusual patterns such as massive downloads, off-hour activity, or unauthorized data access.

Conduct Regular Training: Phishing simulations and cybersecurity awareness programs help employees recognize threats and understand the weight of their responsibilities.

Create a Strong Offboarding Process: Disable access immediately when someone leaves the company. Delays can lead to misuse.

Foster a Healthy Work Culture: Disgruntled employees are more likely to become threats. Promoting transparency and respect can help reduce the motivation for revenge or sabotage.

Final Thoughts

Insider threats aren’t just a technical issue; they’re a human one. They remind us that security isn’t only about firewalls and encryption; it’s also about trust, accountability, and vigilance.

The scariest threat might not be some anonymous hacker overseas. It could be someone in your Slack channel, your Zoom call, or your office.

Stay alert. Stay informed. And never underestimate the risk from within.

DEV Community: Gertrude Abagale

Finding Your Niche in Tech: A Guide for the Confused but Curious

“What do you naturally enjoy doing?”

Final Thoughts

The Scariest Threat in Cybersecurity? It Might Be the Person Sitting Next to You

Introduction

What Is an Insider Threat?

These threats fall into two categories:

Why Insider Threats Are So Dangerous?

Insider threats are especially scary because:

Let’s look at a few incidents that prove how dangerous insider threats can be:

Common Ways Insider Threats Manifest

significantly reduce its likelihood and impact:

Final Thoughts