The information security community is difficult to compare to any other. We are composed of intelligent, driven, passionate, opinionated individuals. When you combine the pressure and stress we put on ourselves in the form of research, learning, teaching, and creating it starts to build up. Not only do we put pressure on ourselves, but we also take it on from our bosses, co-workers, and family in many different forms. The majority of roles we fill cater to our drive and willingness to be behind a keyboard for hours on end. The end result is that many of us are broken. Broken in different ways, at different times, and for different reasons. We need to bring to light a topic that shouldn't be as faux pas as it is. I'll share my personal struggles, stories of friends and family, and hopefully help us come closer together as a community to help you or people around you.
Amanda co-authored the best practices book called "Defensive Security Handbook: Best Practices for Securing Infrastructure” with Lee Brotherston through O'Reilly Media. She is a co-host on the Brakeing Down Security podcast and writes for several blogs. She has spent over a decade in different areas of technology and sectors providing infrastructure support, triage, and design. Amanda has been involved in implementing a secure Payment Card Industries (PCI) process and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance as well as building a comprehensive phishing and awards-based user education program. Amanda is an avid volunteer and has also presented at a large number of conventions, meetings and industry events. Some examples of these are: DerbyCon, O’Reilly Security, GrrCon, and DEFCON. While she doesn't have the credentials or notoriety that others might have, she hopes to make up for it with her wit, sense of humor, and knack for catching on quick to new technologies.