I never saw myself working in government. Growing up, I taught myself coding and became involved in cybersecurity after I accidentally found a vulnerability in a financial website. I reported the flaw to the company’s bug bounty program and was hooked from there. I pictured myself having a comfortable job as a software engineer at a big tech company or a startup.
That all changed when I got an email entitled, “What if I told you the Pentagon wants you to hack it?” This was the launch of the Pentagon’s first bug bounty program, where they invited security researchers to try and find vulnerabilities in their systems – something that most private companies haven’t even done today. And I, at 16, was being asked to take part in it.
After participating in several of these challenges, I was invited to fly out to San Francisco to meet with the program’s organizers. There, I saw government leaders wearing hoodies and t-shirts, just like me. And I saw, contrary to what I’d heard, that things can get done in government. It just takes the right people and support from leadership to differ from the status quo. I then went on to work for the Defense Digital Service, and experienced firsthand the impact that one can have working in government.
Our country is at a crossroads when it comes to cybersecurity and tech more generally. As we become increasingly dependent on technology systems, so, too, will the potential grow for bad actors to cause harm to Internet users. If the last year has been any indication — from ransomware attacks disrupting hospitals and fuel pipelines, to the Solarwinds attack compromising government agencies and critical companies — the real-world impact of these threats to our safety is becoming ever more clear.
I joined TechCongress because I want to help shape a safe, secure, and accessible future for all Americans, and grow while doing so. I've seen firsthand the ability that policy has to make or break services provided to the American people. I’m excited for the opportunity to learn in the first branch and can’t wait for what’s to come!