CSIT degree prepared Eric Gaby for information security career

By John Clampitt
Communication ′26

Eric Gaby knew for a long time that he wanted to work with computers, but he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do with them. 

Earning a Computer and Information Technology degree from Trine University, as well as an MBA, in 2023, equipped Eric with the skills to succeed in his current role as an Associate Security Engineer at DuCharme, McMillen & Associates, a tax consulting company. 

“CSIT offered the cybersecurity concentration, which covered topics in software engineering, computer engineering, and information systems. Being able to learn each of these concepts and apply them to the coursework was very exciting, as well as being able to get a job in almost any tech field,” he said. “Cybersecurity is a very in-demand field, and there are tons of different areas in security to work in,  from industrial control security to hacking satellites. Trine's CSIT did a good job of preparing me for the constant learning and intensity of the cybersecurity industry.” 

Eric wears many hats in his job, with tasks including Web Application Penetration Testing, Application Security, Systems Security, and SOC (Security Operations Center). 

“Web Application Penetration Testing involves hacking into applications to see where they’re vulnerable,” he said. “I’ll then create reports to identify these vulnerabilities and work with software engineers to help fix the problems. I also research industry trends, tools, and breakthroughs to test.” 

“Application Security involves static code analysis for identifying potential vulnerabilities, as well as threat modeling and analytics,” he said. “I will also identify weaknesses in applications and recommend potential solutions and help in creating a secure software development lifecycle, so security is considered at every stage.” 

“Systems Security involves phishing and social engineering campaigns, network security, and endpoint detection response, and SOC work involves responding to security alerts and incidents, creating and enforcing policy to better protect our users, threat hunting and intelligence.” 

Keeping communication open 

Working as an Associate Security Engineer has its challenges, especially with all that’s required of the position. 

“Communication is certainly a challenge I face,” Gaby said. “Cross-departmental communication is critical when working in any department, and that is especially true in IT. When Systems, Developers, and QA (Quality Assurance) all have things they need to complete and processes they must follow, communication sometimes takes a back seat. It’s critical for departments to have open and honest communication with other divisions so they can maximize efficiency and prevent any unnecessary problems and challenges.” 

“Cross-departmental education, that’s important too. Each department under the IT umbrella has different responsibilities, and staff members often don’t know what the other departments do. This can create problems when departments have different priorities and need to work cross departmentally,” he said. “It’s important that each department has some understanding of the tasks, processes, and workflows that each department has. This improves communication and leads to more effective planning and delegation.” 

Eric started an internship at DMA the summer after his sophomore year at Trine. He was then brought on during the school year, and he started to work year-round. 

“Some discussions with our management lead to me moving to different teams to learn all parts of our IT department, in hopes that I could become a cross-departmental resource once I graduated,” he said. “I spent time on the Infrastructure and Systems team, then moved to Software Engineering. After that I was put on my own team doing application security due to my combined experience at the company. After completing my degree, I was brought on full time.” 

Course preparation, personal attention 

Trine’s coursework prepared him for his current job in a multitude of ways, but the most influential for him were the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacking) courses. 

“Those courses had a very intense, very hands-on workload that helped me gain quite a bit of experience doing things that lectures alone wouldn't have covered,” he said. “It was intense, but because of that intensity I learned way more than I thought I would when I started the classes.” 

“I came to Trine because of a culmination of things,” he said. “I wanted a high-level education, a small school feel, and I wanted to play tennis. I didn't want to be in classes with hundreds of students, and I really liked the low student-to-professor ratio. I felt like the professors really cared about what they were teaching, and they want to see students succeed.” 

He gives the Trine faculty a lot of credit for his success as a student and as a professional now. 

“I definitely recommend that students take full advantage of their approachability and experience,” he said. “They care about students' success and are always willing to help.”