My Background
Hi everyone, my name is Ian, and I am an aspiring freelance ethical hacker from Potchefstroom. I am writing this with a humble heart to ask for your support in taking a pivotal step toward my career in cyber security.
Read more: Back A Buddy Crowdfunding Campaign – Empowering a Local Ethical HackerI have been investing my time for the last several years in cyber security certifications, in the hopes of making an impactful career change into cyber security. But, as most of you know, work in South Africa is scarce and making what appears to be a sudden change in careers, without a degree in something as complex as cyber security often leaves gaps in job requirements that would have otherwise assisted in my work applications.
I have participated in an internship at MWR Cybersec (Johannesburg) in 2024 and applied to the Orange Cyberdefense internship twice now. Both applications have left me close to succeeding, only to be rejected near the end.
But, noticing the figurative steep slope I need to climb in order to succeed in future job applications, as well as receiving constructive feedback from a very friendly team of professionals at Orange Cyberdefense, I made the decision to invest more into my practical skills and start building a portfolio to improve the future success of my applications.
I am receiving a limited income at the moment, by working at a local music store, barely enough to cover basic living expenses (lodging rental, food etc.), that I am aware it will take a considerable amount of time to save up finances for any decent investment that will boost my resources to build a decent cyber security portfolio.
The Goal
My dream is to become a ‘Red Team’ Penetration Tester—an ethical hacker who helps organisations find and fix security vulnerabilities before the ‘bad actors’ can exploit them. To do this, I need a specialized workstation capable of running complex virtual environments and security simulations.
In order to achieve that, I need to build a portfolio showcasing the practical application of my knowledge.
I own a website (this one) that I aim to leverage as a base to write educational and informative article focused on cyber security topics. Additionally, I will create and publish YouTube videos with the same intent. I want to build a reputation under the name Cyber Sai using this site.
I will also mention a long-term goal for my career. I want to one day be able to apply to Interpol’s cyber security unit to make a bigger impact in the lives of abused people, specifically human trafficking.
Why I need Your Help
I have identified the Dell Precision 5690 as the essential tool for this journey. Unlike a standard laptop, this machine is a mobile workstation that allows me to run multiple virtual operating systems at once, which is a requirement for advanced security training and certifications. The ‘essential’ aspect of this computer is the processing power, memory and storage.
The total cost of this setup, including the necessary RAM and storage for professional-grade testing, is roughly R 90,000. As a self-studying student who aims to go all-in with a career in cyber security, this is a significant hurdle that I cannot clear alone.
Incentive
Once the finances exceed the purchase value of the computer, I promise to have any additional funds used to purchase courses and certifications for the people who have supported me on this project if Back a Buddy allows me to see the names of people who have contributed and allows me to contact them.
The courses and certs will focus on cyber security topics. This will be my way of paying-it-forward and boost the skills of a person in an already limited skills gap. It also aligns well with my website’s purpose.
My Commitment
I am not just asking for a piece of technology; I am asking for an opportunity to learn.
This computer will be used to:
- Complete my CEH and future certifications.
- Build a lab environment to practice defending local businesses from cyber threats.
- Eventually give back to the community by helping secure our digital space.
Any contribution, no matter how small, brings me one step closer to this goal. If you aren’t able to donate, simply sharing this link with your network would mean the world to me.
For those of you who need more tangible and human contact with me, look me up on LinkedIn or YouTube.
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