My first Google SecOps CTF — three overlapping intrusions, 18 of 18 flags, and a false lead I had to let go of. How a data analyst's instincts hold up in a SOC.

Two certs on my entry-level path — one I've gone deep on, one I've previewed hands-on. This is the honest version: what the material revealed, and where it exposed gaps I didn't know I had.