Brief
I'm looking to make memories, build a reputation (in cyber-security), and make a difference in the world.
I enjoy a variety of inside and outside activities, including playing card games such as Exploding Kittens, painting, skiing, ice skating, and climbing.
A bit more about my interests:
- I'd love to learn glassblowing.
- One convention I've been to is PAX East, one that's still on my bucket list is Black Hat.
- I think Tom & Jerry is a better protagonist-antagonist duo than Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote, but Roadrunner is a funnier cartoon.
- I try to leave no trace when I'm in nature.
Personal:
I'd like to acknowledge my network. By seeing what I have taken from them, you can garner a feel for my character.
My father is a QA engineer with a test-by-design mindset, who has imbued in me the value of taking the extra step to solve a problem well, so if possible, it will be resolved for good. He instilled in me the feeling that if there's something I want to happen, I should figure out how to make it happen and follow through. If an endeavor fails, re-evaluate the approach, and the problem, then do what's next to do.
My mother fostered in me a belief in the importance of empathy, selflessness, and understanding - along with a resolve to do what is right and stand up for my views. I was taught how to balance my ideals and my actions when faced with the world.
My friends are a fantastic and diverse crew, with varying interests and desires. In high school, I was one of the few people who was accepted among the nerds, sports kids, theater kids, and even the troublemakers. It makes me happy to have a group of friends who expose me to so many novel viewpoints, hobbies, and experiences.
As my friends have taken their own paths and I've met people in college, I've found myself in cahoots with an awesome group of specialists, professors, peers, and pals. I love hearing about everyone's projects and plans, and I truly value being able to pose questions about my life to those who have insights borne of different backgrounds.
I would also like to recognize my employers and educators. Those who have gone out of their way to provide me with the resources and guidance to grow, placing trust in me, and providing me opportunity. I will always pay it back where I can.
Career
resume: pdf↓ (05/2024)
contact: aftonspiegel@gmail.com
Growing up, I found joy in math, reading, and spirited games of capture the flag. I participated in baseball and soccer, and even attended a circus camp.
My inclination toward earning money led me to various odd jobs, including providing tech assistance for the elderly, babysitting, and achieving over $1,000 in sales on eBay. Upon reaching legal working age, I spent a few years in the restaurant industry, mastering the art of juggling responsibilities in a time-sensitive environment.
By the end of high school, I realized wealth isn't everything, and youth is not eternal. I started watching for a career in which I could fulfill my ambition to experience new things, and achieve a reputation for doing good, while still traveling and having fun.
I spent my first semester of college as a statistics major because I enjoy the magic of finding actionable information in data. It's a ton of fun to pull meaning out of numbers and in doing so solve a significant problem.
Unfortunately, the University at Buffalo statistics program was geared toward use in the medical field. I'd love to help reform the U.S. healthcare system, but working for an insurance giant would not float my boat. As such, I switched to computer science.
My intention in going into computer science was to code the solutions to problems I see in the world. In line with that, developers are necessary across many industries, so I could aim to join companies that align with my ideals such as being environmentally friendly.
After finishing fourth in Mitre's Embedded Systems Capture the Flag, a teammate introduced me to Gen AI security. Cyber offers a field where my efforts protect people, not just profits; I find that rewarding. With a novel threat landscape, my work is poised to have meaningful downstream impacts as AI is integrated in increasingly safety-critical systems.
At PromptArmor, I identify indirect prompt injection vulnerabilities in LLM-based applications (empowering development of defensive solutions!).