State University in Alabama, where I was a cheerleader and mascot.

Today, I work in CDC's Cybersecurity Program Office as a senior system administrator.

I'm also essentially a cyber detective.

It's my job to spend every day on constant alert.

I start each day searching for potential threats to CDC's network.

Have new vulnerabilities been exposed?

Have there been any global cybersecurity events that might be a threat to us?

This type of research is critical because we can use it to hunt down malicious activity

to defend CDC users, systems, data, and services that save lives.

I also manage the application we use to investigate and provide alerts about malicious activity.

In a nutshell, I help protect the science.

I have several hobbies, including woodworking, leatherworking, and smelting metal.

These activities help me to momentarily escape the digital chaos and justified paranoia that

comes from working in cybersecurity.

If I didn't work in cybersecurity at CDC, I'd probably just put on a plaid shirt and

go be a lumberjack.

I love my job because I feel what I do actually makes a difference.

I'm Thomas Brookshire and I AM CDC!