This year for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, ElevateEdAZ is highlighting Southwest Gas’ Manager of Cybersecurity and IT Compliance, Stephen Votta. Stephen grew up with an interest in technology, which propelled him into a career in cybersecurity. Learn more about his career, his career path, and advice he has for those interested in the cybersecurity industry in our interview series below.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself?
A: My name is Stephen Votta. I spent my early years in Southern California. My family lived in multiple cities as my father worked in the Aerospace industry as a logistics contractor. During this time I attended four different elementary schools as we moved frequently depending on which company had the contract. In 1989, my father retired and chose Las Vegas, Nevada as our new home. I finished middle school, high school, and then continued to college where I graduated from Community College of Southern Nevada and Nevada State College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business. During that time I enlisted in the Navy Reserves as an IT Professional and became the Educational Department Head for the Indoctrination Unit where I served 6 years. Later, I went on to achieve a Master’s Degree in Information Security and Assurance through Western Governors University (WGU). I‘ve been lucky enough to be married for 18 years to a very supportive and loving wife with two fabulous kids, who think I’m still cool. In my spare time, I enjoy DIY projects and am not afraid to tear apart walls and if I had to pick another career I’m good at, it would be a contractor as I like working with my hands.
Q: What is your occupation?
A: I have been at Southwest Gas for 6 years and am currently the Manager of Cybersecurity and IT Compliance for the company.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job and why?
A: There is never a dull moment as every day brings something new along with its own set of challenges. This requires thorough thought on approach and combined with having an “A-team” of cybersecurity and compliance professionals it makes it very exciting to go to work every day. In addition, having the full support of the Company’s leadership and Board of Directors on Cybersecurity allows for a quick change to address today’s threats, which provides a sense of accomplishment for the entire team.
Q: Why did you decide to go into this industry?
A: I’ve always had a passion for technology. I recall as a young man coming out of high school that I often assisted friends and family on computer issues with great pride. Cybersecurity was not even a thought growing up as it was not as relevant of a topic or career choice as it is today. It was not until I worked for a managed services security company later in my life that I realized the potential in the field of cybersecurity. This spawned my interest to move from technology to cybersecurity with continued growth leading to specialization in Incident Response and Investigations.
Q: Can you describe your career path journey?
A: My career did not start in cybersecurity let alone technology as every company was vying for experience and I did not have it. I started my career in entertainment and transitioned in time to the retail industry. At the height of my career, I was a Director overseeing the Administrative functions (Human Resources, Financials, Physical Security, Payroll, and Entertainment) of a local retail store and reporting to a Vice President of Global Retail Operations. A position opened for Help Desk at a local casino and through a contact, I applied for the position. This was not an easy decision as I already had an established career and I remember the candid conversation with the hiring manager asking if I was sure. Over a weekend I left the Director position and started answering phones and helping people with their computers. Soon after I was hired by the managed services security company and combined with my education placed me on a path to where I am today.
Q: Do you have any advice for others wanting to pursue a similar career to yours?
A: There are a lot more opportunities that were not present during my time of entering the field, such as internship programs. In today’s world, that would have been the way to go, and combining it with education would be the fastest way to starting a career.
That said, cybersecurity is not just one discipline as today there are many specialties within cybersecurity (forensics, malware reverse analysis, vendor product security, risk management, threat intelligence, etc.). As you enter the field, it is equally important to find a specialty that you are passionate about and start working towards it. This includes researching the position on job sites to see what is needed for that next step and developing a plan to achieve the requirements. Just getting into cybersecurity may not be what you think it is cracked up to be if you are not in the appropriate position.
Patience is also key as things may not happen overnight; however, with tenacity, a career in cybersecurity will become reality. I’ve had hundreds of doors slammed before I had a “yes” but that did not deter me as I kept knocking on more doors. And when the “yes” came, I took full advantage of the opportunity in wanting to be the best and not settling to be mediocre in the field.
Listening and not being too quick to judge are two of the most important approaches to have when entering the field. Just like any master of any craft in time, it is more about taking the best of everything learned through others and making it your own, even if what is learned is from someone in a more junior position.
And lastly, advice is free, but it is not worthless. It has helped me significantly in my career and made me who I am today. Always be curious and not afraid to ask questions even if it sounds dumb and share what you learn as a contributor to the field as you grow in your career.