DEFCON Acadiana: Breaking Into Cyber - With Little to No Experience

You don’t need the perfect background. You need a place to start. A practical conversation with Drew Boyd on building a cybersecurity career
About this Event
Breaking Into Cyber: With Little or No Experience

You want to get into cybersecurity.

But then you start looking at job postings.

Experience required. Certifications preferred. Three years here. Five years there.

And one question quickly comes to mind:

How are you supposed to get cybersecurity experience when you haven’t had the opportunity to work in cybersecurity yet?

On Wednesday, September 9, DEFCON Acadiana invites you to join us for a relaxed and practical conversation about what it can really look like to break into the cybersecurity field.

This is not a session about finding a shortcut into cyber.

It is about understanding that there is more than one legitimate path into the profession.

Our featured speaker, Drew Boyd, knows that firsthand.

Drew Boyd is the Cybersecurity Manager at Techneaux Technology Services in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he leads the security practice and a team of analysts supporting clients across healthcare, government, education, energy, and industrial/OT environments.

His path into cybersecurity was anything but traditional.

Drew founded his own security company at 23 before moving into corporate IT. From there, he worked through help desk, supervisory, and systems administration roles before earning his CISSP and SSCP and ultimately moving into cybersecurity leadership.

That journey gives Drew a valuable perspective for anyone wondering:

“How do I get into cybersecurity when I didn’t start in cybersecurity?”

What to Expect

DEFCON Acadiana meetups are designed to be professional without being overly formal.

Come ready to listen, participate, ask questions, and meet people.

You do not need to be an expert.

You do not need to work in cybersecurity.

And there are no “too basic” questions when you are genuinely trying to learn.

Our goal is to create an environment where professionals, students, enthusiasts, and people exploring the field can learn from one another and build meaningful connections.