Networking and Cybersecurity Professional in Lexington, KY
Greg Rodgers
Welcome to the technical homepage of Greg Rodgers, world traveler and technologist.
Keep Learning
From a young age, I began taking things apart. Like a good hashing algorithm, this was often a one-way process. Many toys died beneath my screwdriver. Regardless, learning how this fascinating world works is one of my greatest joys. From complex networks and circuits to plants and my own brain — I want to understand the underlying systems.
Learning and using what I’ve learned to empower others are what make me happy. I’m proud to currently work for my state’s flagship university.
Technical Experience
This is only a brief summary of my technical experience. Please see the technical experience page for better detail.
I am CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certified (2023).
Networking and Linux
At IBM, my six-person team was responsible for designing, building, and securing internal and customer networks. We did LAN, SAN, CAN, WAN, and every other acronym imaginable. I’ve been a Linux evangelist since 1998 but promise I won’t try to convert you.
Freelance Consulting
Since 2006, I’ve helped people with problems ranging from WordPress and security to coding custom payroll DB migration tools in Perl. Yes, I know it should have been Python.
But wait! There’s more to the OSI model. Working for the University of Kentucky, I’ve learned the Layer 1 side of things (conduit, pathways, and what the inside of a manhole looks like).
Security
I spent my last year at IBM auditing and updating network devices. My remote team also performed GRC, vulnerability scanning, and threat monitoring.
Today, I maintain a homelab (my happy place) where I test attacks and scenarios in a virtual environment. Current VMs include Suricata (IPS), Windows Server 2022, Kali Linux, Ubuntu, and unpatched Win11 systems (the equivalent of Red Shirts in Star Trek lore).
Component Level
I started early (age 17) when Lexmark International hired me as an electronics technician working on prototype circuits for R&D. My formative years were spent reading schematics and inhaling solder fumes. I’m hoping the former somehow counters the latter.
Other Experience
I spent over a decade living and working remotely, long before the term “digital nomad” caught on. In fact, I once mitigated an SQL injection attack on a site while my laptop kept overheating in Malaysian Borneo.
World Travel
I’ve been blessed with backpacking adventures around the world (30+ countries). Some memorable adventures include climbing in the Himalayas, running with the bulls in Pamplona, and wreck diving in the Red Sea.
Writing and Editing
I launched my blog in 2006, and other travel websites followed. I contributed as the Asia Expert for TripSavvy.com for over 11 years. I have done research and ghost writing/editing for famous travel writers, and my first book (about the science of meeting travelers) is nearly ready for a brave publisher.
Military Experience
Don’t let the hair fool you. I enjoyed my six years in the U.S. Army! I was honorably discharged in 2003 with a SECRET clearance and expanded life experience.
Just a few of the lessons I learned include:
Leadership of Small Teams
My MOS (13F Forward Observer) was equal parts challenging and exciting. We operated in small teams of up to five soldiers. Close quarters and uncomfortable conditions were the modus operandi, so getting along was essential! We learned to watch each other’s back.
Attention to Detail
The mission of a 13F is to observe enemy movement, and when possible, call artillery strikes. Training with live 155mm rounds is inherently dangerous. Incorrectly reading a map or doing the math wrong (while tired and in a hurry) could result in large projectiles going places they shouldn’t — always a bad thing.
Working Under Pressure
Did I mention the large projectiles? Although stress gets a lot of bad press, not all stress is bad. I learned that stress can be framed in a way that enhances performance. In training, we had less than two minutes to plot a map and direct fire to destroy a target after identification. I scored a 99 percent (the highest in my class) on the final exam (a live-fire exercise) to graduate AIT at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.
