Azeem Cochinwala is a Catalyst CyberStart Ambassador entering his fourth year as a Computer Science Co-op student at Toronto Metropolitan University. He completed his first co-op in Information Security at Toronto Metropolitan University’s CISO Office and, most recently, he is working in a co-op position in Cyber Operations at the Ontario Government.
For Azeem, his CyberStart journey started with TryHackMe, then he moved on to the GIAC GFACT, and now he is preparing for the GIAC GSEC exam. “It has been life-changing,” he says. These milestones have led to his first and second co-op placements.
It has been life-changing.
“I said to myself, if this is a free program for youth that takes you through a gamified way of learning cybersecurity, then why not, right?”
Azeem was onboarded to TryHackMe shortly after registering, and he loved the various modules and was impressed by its gamified method of learning. “There was a way of tracking your progress and making it fun, but also learning at the same time,” he says. “One thing led to another, and I got an email saying you were a top participant; would you like an opportunity to attempt the GIAC GFACT exam?” It sounded amazing, he says. He knew it would boost his resume and open many doors for him in cybersecurity.
The certification led to his first co-op at the TMU CISO office in Information Security. That was his starting point.
As he continued to do well, Azeem was invited to be a CyberStart Ambassador and gained access to the Catalyst community platform. The experience expanded his network and boosted his confidence. Soon, he was in another co-op with the Government of Ontario for Cyber Operations.
It takes resilience. Determination is a major part of it: not giving up. There are moments where things aren’t going your way, but it definitely works out in the end.
Azeem applies this to the CyberStart program. He says you may get stuck in the TryHackMe labs, and you have to go step by step and power through. It requires dedication, consistency, and resilience. Azeem says that the same level of consistency shown during the modules in TryHackMe can be applied to job applications and certifications. “The same level of discipline transfers,” he says. “And CyberStart and TryHackMe build on that level of discipline and consistency. No effort goes to waste.”
If you’re consistent and do well, then bigger opportunities just fall into place.
As a new professional, Azeem encourages asking questions. Questions, he says, “clarify your understanding, and most people appreciate your questions because they show that you’re interested in learning and growing”. While Azeem holds himself to a high standard, he doesn’t believe you should or will know everything off the bat. “Things come gradually,” he says.
Experience comes as you build it up. So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
As Azeem begins his professional journey, he would like to make an impact in the early stages of AI governance and the intersection of AI and cybersecurity. “Companies are trying to integrate AI. Some may have a better rollout of AI than others, but in all aspects, cybersecurity is really important because AI is trained on data, the same data that needs to be protected.”