April 5, 2023

From a Law Enforcement Officer to Deputy Information Security Manager in the State of Florida.

Ryan R. May

Company: State of Florida
Job Title: Information Security Manager
Country: United States

In an exclusive interview with EC-Council, Ryan May, a security engineer-turned-Deputy Information Security Manager who attributes his rapid rise in an industry where competition is fierce.

Discover the secrets of his success and learn how the C|EH certification can help you write your own amazing career growth story.

If you ready to take your cybersecurity career to the next level, you must notmiss out reading this exclusive interview!

The C|EH certification helped me move from security engineer to deputy information security manager because I was the only individual to pass the skills verification test.

Tell us about your journey as a cybersecurity professional

I got into cybersecurity after working in law enforcement.

I wanted to go back into tech, where I could have an impact. I started on a small desktop support team, kept asking questions, and started to hit a lot of security engineering aspects, like setting up access control lists, intrusion prevention, and firewalls. I started realizing that I needed to learn more and started looking around for certifications, but most didn’t seem as complete as I needed. I learned a lot on the job over the years. After working as a security engineer, I was offered an opportunity as a Deputy Information Security Manager. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave the technical world and go into management, but I’m glad I did. The C|EH certification gave me that opportunity to get into management. After two and a half years working in that role, I got another opportunity at a large state body, where I’m currently working as the Information Security Manager.

What caught your attention about the C|EH program?
Looking at the C|EH—let’s just say it was cool. Who doesn’t want to be a hacker?

The volume and breadth of the information that the C|EH covers really grabbed me.

The knowledge, skills, and capabilities that it would give me. I felt that I’d be able to go out into the world, operate as a good security engineer and manager, and go into any area of cybersecurity knowing what I was doing.

How did the C|EH benefit your career?

After working as a security engineer for about 6 years, I wanted to jump to the next level. One role that grabbed my attention was a position as a Deputy Information Security Manager. I’d never really thought about going into management before, but the C|EH gave me the knowledge and capabilities to pass the skills verification test, which a lot of other very qualified people couldn’t pass. I’m very thankful to have the training that gave me the ability to get that position. After two and a half years, I found another amazing position as an information security manager in a very prestigious position in the state government. I go in every day knowing that I can do what we need to, and if I can’t, I know how to find the right people so we can get it solved together.

How recognized is the C|EH in your organization and the industry?

The CEH is definitely heavily recognized in my industry, my business, and the advertisements that I put out. There are many people that also list it as a certification, whether as a preference or a minimum requirement. I personally love to use it, because I know the amount of information that that candidate’s going to come in with and the value that they’re going to provide to our enterprise.

Frankly, I think it’s one of the things that got me an interview.

Did the C|EH help you get higher pay, a promotion, or a job you wanted?

Absolutely. The C|EH certification helped me move from security engineer to deputy information security manager because I was the only individual to pass the skills verification test. The C|EH also helps me every day in my new role as an information security manager.

How has the C|EH impacted you?

Immediately after the training, even before taking the final test, I sat down as a security engineer and started cleaning up our access controls, our firewall policies, and many other things that were within my purview.

The C|EH has also helped me get opportunities I’d never have expected before.

Did the C|EH help you give back to the community?

Absolutely. I do it every day with our team members, as well as some of the prior teams I’ve been on. I can take a look at our talent, their desires, their capabilities, and the directions they want to go and sometimes find things they didn’t even know they were good at.

What was your favorite part of the C|EH program and why?

My favorite part of the C|EH program was the volume of information. I knew a lot when I went in, but I had no idea how much I didn’t know.

The amount of information in the training book and the labs was overwhelming but, at the same time, amazing.

Do you attribute any part of your success to EC-Council? If so, do you have a message for the team?

I do attribute a lot of my success to EC-Council and the Certified Ethical Hacker. It changed my world—it gave me opportunities I never thought I would have. It’s put me in a place where I’ve just built a cybersecurity team and entered a new role working for our state with opportunities I never foresaw. I couldn’t be more thankful.