#wearevts: Engineering Manager Renan Dias On Not Restricting Your Potential

The VTS squad consists of folks pinch a divers group of personalities, talents, and perspectives, and we want you to meet them! That’s why we’ve created this #WeAreVTS blog bid to item immoderate of nan galore outstanding group we person astatine VTS, get a person look astatine nan move lives they have, and proceed to create an situation wherever each VTSer tin beryllium their authentic self.

Without further ado, here's our question and reply pinch Renan Dias - Engineering Manager for Security Engineering!

In a condemnation aliases two, tin you explicate what you do present astatine VTS?

Hi Louisa! I’m nan Engineering Manager of nan Security Engineering team. My squad is responsible for managing and moving pinch different Engineering teams to trim Application, Cloud Infrastructure, and Data information risks. On immoderate fixed day, we could beryllium moving to rotation retired a caller Security instrumentality and amended our DevSecOps processes, triaging aliases moving pinch Engineering teams to remediate vulnerabilities, aliases responding to alerts generated by our monitoring tools.

As a Manager, my domiciled involves mounting a imagination for nan team; readying method projects each 4th based connected business requirements and goals; engaging pinch different Security vendors whenever caller tooling is needed; and implementing Cloud and Application information programs, among different things.

Where are you based correct now?

I’m based successful Toronto, Canada.

Can you picture your master travel and really it led you to VTS?

I started arsenic a package developer, and successful my first twelvemonth of University I publication a book called Digital Fortress by Dan Brown. The book was astir cryptography, and it was nan first clip I learned astir different information concepts. I was instantly fascinated by it. As I progressed successful my profession arsenic a package developer, I ever took nan attack of learning nan information aspects that went on pinch package improvement - specified arsenic unafraid coding techniques and nan apical web vulnerabilities.

Later connected successful my career, I began to attraction much connected nan infrastructure broadside of things, wherever I was past introduced to a full caller world successful security. I had to study nan information aspects of building networks, managing operating systems, and moving applications. This was besides erstwhile I came crossed compliance and nan different compliance standards. My first acquisition pinch compliance was erstwhile I led a startup to go a PCI DSS Level 1 Service Provider. That progressive going complete nan PCI controls, gathering evidence, partnering pinch Engineering teams to instrumentality processes to harden nan company’s infrastructure, systems and network, and starring communications pinch auditors.

The main point that brought maine to wherever I americium coming is that I person ever had a passion for security. Every clip I would attraction connected a caller area aliases specialty successful my career, I would ever deliberation astir nan information facet progressive successful my work.

What excites you astir what you do astatine VTS? Is location a infinitesimal successful your clip present that made you particularly proud to activity astatine VTS?

I person been passionate astir Cybersecurity since nan early days of my career. In my erstwhile roles, I’d usually attraction connected 1 facet of information astatine a clip - application, infrastructure, aliases data. However, astatine VTS, I person nan opportunity to lick challenging problems successful each these different areas astatine erstwhile and pinch a awesome effect for nan company, which has been an unthinkable experience.

Another point that really excites maine is nan opportunity to build things from scratch. For example, erstwhile I joined nan institution and we formed nan team, we group up an application information program from nan crushed up to trim consequence for our products and processes to let america to vessel unafraid products to our customers. So, ultimately, what makes maine proud to activity astatine VTS is nan spot that activity has successful their Engineering teams to lead nan charge.

On to much individual topics - what was your dream occupation increasing up?

I had nan dream of (almost) each Brazilian kid: to beryllium a world celebrated shot player. I grew up during a clip wherever nan National Football squad reached 3 World Cup finals successful a statement (1994, 1998, 2002) and won 2 of them (1994 and 2002). For years, I played connected my school's shot squad and competed successful various championships. However, nan dream of being a master footballer ne'er panned out. I still emotion Football truthful nowadays I conscionable play for nosy pinch friends whenever I get a chance!

What do you for illustration to do successful your free time? Any hobbies?

I play 4 different philharmonic instruments - I conjecture I could fundamentally make my ain stone band! As a kid I started pinch learning classical guitar, and from location I transitioned to electrical guitar. I past became progressive successful a mates of bands arsenic a teen and cultivated an liking successful drums. I besides picked up immoderate bass too. I person my ain small euphony workplace astatine home, pinch immoderate guitars and a drum set. I ever effort to find immoderate clip to play music, it's thing I really enjoy.

In position of hobbies, I for illustration to get retired and exercise, spell for a rhythm and play hoops and shot (soccer) pinch my friends. Another large passion of excavation is Kung Fu, successful which I clasp a achromatic loop and person been practicing for complete 14 years now.

My family and I besides bask walking - we ever effort to research different parts of Canada and nan world together. We person a fewer continents still connected nan database to sojourn which we’re really looking guardant to!

If you could activity a magic wand to lick immoderate problem successful nan world, what would it be?

If I could lick immoderate problem successful nan world, it would beryllium to eliminate world hunger. I judge nutrient should beryllium a basal quality correct and everyone should person adjacent and easy entree to it, which doesn’t hap successful galore countries, including wherever I travel from. Lately, I consciousness for illustration nan business has only worsened and it doesn’t look we’re adjacent to solving it.

What’s your proposal for personification who wants to beryllium successful a domiciled akin to yours?

I would propose that arsenic you're learning thing caller successful your career, ever deliberation astir nan information facet of it. For illustration - if you’re a developer, attraction connected learning different unafraid coding techniques. If you’re connected nan operations broadside of nan house, deliberation astir really to unafraid networks, systems, entree (IAM), and truthful on.This has really helped maine pinch profession maturation successful security.

I would besides propose not restricting yourself to moving connected 1 specialty, since location is simply a batch of worth successful exploring different areas. I applied that successful my profession by starting successful iOS development; going from front-end to backend development; and past moving to moving successful infrastructure, mounting up networks, hardening Linux servers, and managing databases. Being exposed to different domains tin springiness you a beardown foundation, which makes it easier to maestro nan information facet of what you’re doing.

Finally, Security Engineering requires passion and a batch of dedication. Information you study tin beryllium outdated successful a week aliases two, truthful there's ever a request to prime up caller accusation and study caller things.

A awesome measurement to commencement and proceed to study astir different information topics is done courses connected platforms for illustration Udemy and Udacity, arsenic good arsenic podcasts and conferences. I often stock astir my learning travel connected LinkedIn - truthful consciousness free to link pinch maine aliases nonstop maine a message!

Louisa is simply a Senior Talent Acquisition Manager astatine VTS.