Today we interview Gabriel Almada, consultant on the IS team at Grupo Inprosec. We hope you enjoy learning about his experience working at our company.
What is your role at Inprosec?
My role at Inprosec is that of a consultant on the IS team. My main focus is Offensive Security, but I also work on various compliance, awareness, and other projects.
What would you highlight about your responsibilities within the company?
How versatile I am. I believe cybersecurity is transversal to many aspects and you need broad knowledge and interest across the different areas that exist. I also always look for improvement and optimization of the tools and processes we work with.
What has Inprosec meant for your professional career?
I started here while completing my Master’s in Cybersecurity, after a work experience during my degree that didn’t quite convince me. Coming here was a great opportunity — starting in the IT department, which allowed me to get a good understanding of how Inprosec works from the inside, and later joining the renewed IS team, which I consider a very interesting project in which to grow professionally.
How do you manage to balance your personal and professional life?
I think the hybrid model and the flexibility we have at Inprosec is ideal, as it allows you to balance personal and professional life.
I personally enjoy going to the office and having a close relationship with colleagues, since I believe a good atmosphere helps achieve better results. But I also think remote work is necessary — for me it’s key to maximizing time and enabling things that would be harder in an office, like concentration, since offices tend to be more “chaotic.”
What do you value most about working at a company like Inprosec?
What I mentioned about work-life balance, plus the great team atmosphere we have and the ambition we share to grow both as a team and individually, through various courses and certifications we’re pursuing. I also value how we always strive for excellence toward our clients, which shows in the feedback they give about our team in surveys.
Tell us an anecdote that stood out to you from your time at Inprosec.
When I almost sent a laptop to the recycling center — it met all the conditions to be written off and destroyed, but in that case it had to be handled differently. When they asked me about it, I quickly called whoever manages that process for us, and they were just about to send it. Luckily I called in time and there were no major issues. That taught me that even when you follow the correct procedures, there can always be exceptions — just like in life.
Then another one I remember was the day of the blackout — a different kind of day, where coincidentally a colleague was celebrating his birthday, so at least we had a cake to eat (quickly, before it melted) all together. Afterward, most of us spent the rest of the day together, racking up plenty of anecdotes throughout the day (and some into the night, where a few of us had a pretty great dinner).
As an employee of a cybersecurity-specialized company, what is your advice for any business owner just getting started regarding their systems?
Better safe than sorry. Cybersecurity — or more precisely, Information Security — is often seen as an expense rather than an investment. If you’re not sufficiently prepared, you can pay a very high price, both economically and even reputationally.
What are your hobbies after work?
I really enjoy watching football, and since I also love travelling, I combine both by going to watch Celta away in Europe. I’m also really into series, so I always watch a few episodes before going to sleep at night.
Who do you “nominate” for us to interview next, and why?
I nominate my teammate Julia, to hear her perspective as a lawyer.