IntroduceYourself - First Post - @edwardthomson

edwardthomson (52)in #introduceyourself • 7 years ago

This is my #introduceyourself post. My name is Edward and this is my very first post on Steemit. I signed up about a week ago and only now just getting around to making this post. My current schedule doesn't give me enough slack to do everything I want to do.

I've been blogging on and off for a number of years. My main blog started in 2009 and is still in use. I don't tend to post that often and pretty much avoid 'personal life' blogging. It was never my thing. For me it is far more interesting to read and write about topics of interest rather than everyday life.

My blogs:

Esoteric (esoteriic.com) [2009-present] -- this blog covers any topic I find interesting which is quite a wide range: maths, physics, philosophy, investing, cryptocurrencies, general blockchain technology, language, etc.
Odinn Security (odinnsecurity.com) [2016-present] -- this blog is focused on Information Security. This can include: cryptography, privacy, anonymity, hacking, information security management, GDPR, ISO27001, security of blockchain technology.

About me:

I’m originally an Astrophysics PhD graduate but decided to make the switch to Information Security. Part of the reason for the switch is that job security is far better (no pun intended): the industry is growing and has a wealth of interesting problems. I did an MSc in Information Security at Royal Holloway University of London and I'm now working as an information security consultant. I’ve done penetration testing of web apps and infrastructure, as well as GRC consultancy (governance, risk, and compliance). I hold the following certificates: CPSA, CRT, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, and ISO 27005 Risk Management.

My cryptocurrency journey:

I first heard about Bitcoin in 2010 but didn't invest. I made the "mistake" of telling me then girlfriend about it. While I saw great potential she freaked out over the stories of people selling drugs and made me promise not to get involved. Bitcoin appealed to me because of its decentralised and trustless nature. Since 2010 I've followed the community and even wrote a couple of blog pieces back in 2012 and 2013. During this time I also taught myself cryptography in order to better understand how Bitcoin worked. I'm self-taught and did some learning from online resources but I also bought a textbook: Everyday Cryptography by Professor Keith Martin. This was one of my best investments. I finished the book and wrote a review on Amazon. Little did I know that I would eventually meet Professor Martin at Royal Holloway. He taught the cryptography module and was also my project supervisor.

When Ethereum came around I had a good feeling about it and purchased a small amount in 2015. Unfortunately, I'm still poor (*weep*). Recently, I've been reading laughing at the wild ICO propositions but I'm also keenly awaiting the public announcement from the Polkadot team about the terms of a possible crowdsale.