Armin Toric, Information Security Analyst I, is passionate about “protecting the university from cyber villains!” After attending St. Louis Community College and Ranken Technical College, Armin took advantage of CompTIA certifications and other cybersecurity boot camps. He took the initiative to obtain his Network+, Security+, and CySA+ certifications to build his skills around topics like ethical hacking, threat hunting, and risk mitigation. Armin loves to solve problems and analyze cyber events. He looks forward to” finding the needle in the haystack without getting poked in the process.” He brings this mindset to his role, reviewing security issues, phishing emails, technical processes, and security alerts. He has a persistent desire to learn and stay on top of emerging technologies.
Armin believes good information security requires participation from every member of our organization. He and his team can provide defense in depth to have redundant layers of security, but “staying vigilant and reporting suspicious emails provides a huge advantage to the university.” Armin believes “everyone can help make the difference to keep WashU secure.” Using the Phish Alert Button (PAB) is an easy way to report emails that you find suspicious. Armin also wants readers to know that you can contact him or anyone on the infosec team for help at infosec@wustl.edu.
Armin sees a great need for good cybersecurity practitioners and is motivated by the brilliant people on his team. He enjoys working with like-minded people and his “hacking buddies that help with hunting for threats in the environment.” This passion is not only for the university but also for computers and technology pushed him to pursue a career in information security. In his free time, Armin enjoys reading, watching TV, spending time with family, staying active outdoors when the weather is good, and going to the gym when it’s not. He likes snowboarding in the winter months and swimming and hiking in the summer months. He loves spending time with his cats, Galileo, Moon, and Catoge, and they keep him company while he works in his home security lab. Armin uses tryhackme.com for practice and education outside of work. Armin recommends the CISO Series Cybersecurity Headlines podcast and CyberWire Daily podcasts (especially the Research Saturdays and Career Notes) for anyone wanting to learn more about cybersecurity.