Tell us about your experience at Advanced Intelligence:
My time at AdvIntel has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I started out as a Threat Intelligence Analyst - a role that I never expected I would be in (more on that later!), but grew to love immensely. While interning, I learned an enormous amount of information thanks to the tireless effort and substantial subject matter expertise of Yelisey Boguslavskiy, AdvIntel’s Head of Research, and his Security and Development, Team. It was truly an invaluable experience!
I also served as the Intel Team Lead to our Security and Development Team and was afforded the opportunity of working closely with the junior analysts, many of whom originated from disciplines outside the fields of cybersecurity and intelligence. By assisting with their research and writing skills, I watched them grow into confident, capable threat intelligence analysts. Their progression has been an extraordinary thing to witness.
What is a challenge you are facing in your new role, and how are you overcoming it?
In my current position, I have shifted my focus to the customer-facing side of Advanced Intelligence operations. In doing so, I am learning a whole new skill set! Vitali Kremez, the CEO of AdvIntel, has taken me under his wing to provide me with insight and guidance into how we can best convey how our products and services serve our customers to satisfy our main goals: fraud prevention and loss avoidance.
How would you describe the workplace culture of Advanced Intelligence?
From both a personal and professional standpoint, the culture of Advanced Intelligence was something around which I wanted to completely immerse myself - starting from day one. The seemingly endless amount of support, integrity, and overall humanity that exists within the company is truly remarkable. Even though we are in a remote environment, with analysts originating from all corners of the world, it feels like we are not only colleagues but also trusted allies. There is a strong heartbeat from within this organization, and I am deeply honored to be associated with it.
How has your career grown since starting at the company?
Yelisey and Vitali have been extremely generous in providing me with the opportunity to grow within the company. By doing so, I was able to wear many different hats while at AdvIntel. Beginning as a Threat Intelligence Analyst, progressing to Intel Team Lead, and finally transitioning to Customer Success Manager, I was involved in a wide spectrum of duties that go into the everyday operations of AdvIntel. This growth in responsibility has allowed me to expand upon skill sets that are vital to success, both in a professional setting and a personal one!
What aspects of AdvIntel’s technological operations and products are the most exciting or surprising for you?
One of the most exciting things for me was to see all the tech buzzwords like AI, or Big Data in a real-life threat intel environment. There is a continuous flow of thought and innovation into how we can enhance functionality or upgrade service to best meet the specific needs of our end-users. On a daily basis, I see how our analysts and developers use AI, machine-learning with TensorFlow, as well as Big Data Analytics to prevent DarkWeb breaches and ransomware attacks and turn this data into efficient risk prevention.
As a Customer Success Manager, what excites you most about the company’s future?
The cybersecurity field is rapidly changing; we all are acutely aware of this fact. Every day brings a whole new set of opportunities to expand our offerings which will assist our customers - in sectors ranging from finance to insurance to healthcare - in keeping pace in this field. As Customer Success Manager, I am most excited to see how our products and customer relationships evolve over time.
How do you feel about the challenges of the transition between research and customer management?
The combined expertise of our team members in the extremely intricate cyber threat landscape provides us with the capability of tailoring our products and services to better meet the needs of our customers. My time spent on the intel side enables me to fuel our development as a company by maintaining a finger on the pulse of the latest adversarial campaigns using our joint skill sets. With understanding the current threat landscape as a researcher, I can swiftly communicate with the Intel team and tailor their findings to the needs of our customers. It is truly a team effort.
The key to success in our industry is to a) provide the customer with the clearest and most concise picture about the intel and b) provide the researchers with a clear understanding of what the customer needs. Being in-between two worlds is fascinating. A high-quality user experience is a top priority, and a good intel product is our craft. It is really exciting to see how the conceptualized ideas come to fruition.
What is the most unusual story or personal experience you can share that led to your path with cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity was not on my radar until a few years ago. Strangely enough, in my previous life, I was a librarian. After my twin brother began Active Duty as Army Military Intelligence, however, I decided that I wanted to give back in a similar way. My cybersecurity journey started after I was accepted to the MPS Cybersecurity Risk Management graduate program at Georgetown University.
When I was nearly half-way through my program, I came across an opportunity to practice as a Threat Intelligence Analyst at AdvIntel. The advertisement emphasized that there would be extensive training, which was something that I strongly desired and valued as someone new to the field. That promise was certainly kept, and I haven’t looked back since!
Claire McKenzie Robertson is the Customer Success Manager at Advanced Intelligence, LLC. Her time at AdvIntel began as a Threat Analyst where she produced exclusive reporting on specific breach incidents like botnet infections and RDP compromises. Additionally, she engaged in investigations into threat activity presented on top-tier DarkWeb forums. She soon progressed to Intelligence Team Lead where she coordinated the intelligence reporting and weekly duties of the Security and Development Team.
Claire holds an MS in Information Science from the State University of New York, Albany, and a BA in Language Studies with a minor in Education from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Her interest in the field of cybersecurity, and cyber threat intelligence specifically, began after her twin brother began Active Duty as Army Military Intelligence. She is currently completing her MPS in Cybersecurity Risk Management at Georgetown University.