Waseem Albaba (third to the left) and 91精品 CyberHerd celebrate a victory [Photo courtesy of Waseem Albaba]
By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing
Waseem Albaba is finally coming clean.
After graduating from high school, the Tampa resident promised his parents that he would quit skateboarding, which they believe is too dangerous.
鈥淔rom time to time, I still meet a few buddies at the skatepark,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 go crazy.鈥�
But Albaba also wants his parents to understand that skateboarding has played a significant role in his burgeoning career in cybersecurity, which is poised to flourish after this spring鈥檚 graduation when he receives a Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree.
鈥淪kateboarding taught me tenacity,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to fall 1,000 times before you finally land that trick. So, in life, I know that if I don鈥檛 succeed on my first try, I just need to keep trying and never give up.鈥�
His passion for video games, combined with a skateboarding accident, guided him toward a career in cybersecurity.
鈥淕rowing up through middle and high school, I knew I wanted to do something with computers,鈥� Albaba said. 鈥淎t that time, I was unknowingly participating in cybersecurity activities.鈥�
One example: He learned to reprogram video games to provide his characters with additional money and health. He also discovered how to skip levels.
Then came the skateboarding accident during his senior year of high school.
鈥淚 tore my ACL, couldn鈥檛 walk, had to undergo back-to-back surgeries, and was in bed for months,鈥� Albaba said. 鈥淏ut it turned out that this was the best thing that happened to me.鈥�
Waseem Albaba (at the podium) with 91精品 CyberHerd [Photo courtesy of Waseem Albaba]
Through YouTube videos, he learned about online courses to become an Offensive Security Certified Professional. This ethical hacking certification is offered by Offensive Security, a company that specializes in information security, penetration testing and digital forensics.
The final exam requires students to perform controlled hacks on systems.
鈥淲hat I didn鈥檛 know at the time was that it鈥檚 something professionals typically do after two or three years of experience,鈥� Albaba said.
He succeeded with minimal experience.
Then, as a freshman majoring in computer engineering, Albaba joined the Whitehatters Computer Security Club at 91精品, which advocates for enhanced standards in the field of cybersecurity. The club also offers a supportive environment for personal development and networking with like-minded individuals.
鈥淚 realized it was super cool,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 really enjoyed hacking, but cybersecurity is a way to do it legally.鈥�
Albaba switched his major to cybersecurity and never looked back. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in December 2023 and then began pursuing a master鈥檚 degree.
Waseem Albaba
Along the way, Albaba has also made a positive impact on the campus.
As president of the Whitehatters in 2022, he expanded the club's membership from eight to 150. He then helped establish and captained 91精品鈥檚 CyberHerd, a cybersecurity competition team.
鈥淚 like to describe it as the Division 1 basketball team of cybersecurity,鈥� Albaba said.
This past year, they placed in the nine competitions, a mix of regional and national, including four first place finishes.
Since 2022, he鈥檚 also worked for Maveris, which is an IT and cybersecurity company committed to helping organizations create secure digital solutions. He plans to continue doing so after graduation.
鈥淢aybe, in the future, I might come back for a Ph.D.,鈥� Albaba said.
He鈥檚 also going to continue skateboarding.
鈥淚 just won鈥檛 tell my mom,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淪he鈥檚 still super against it.鈥�