So let’s start! Tell us a bit about yourself. For example, name, profession, and personal interests.
Hello everyone, thanks for having me. I am Periklis Gkolias, currently working for a cloud compliance & governance team at Citrix. I really love security engineering, though I have been a proud jack of all trades over the years, working in several domains, technologies and disciplines. In my work and personal life, I like keeping things pragmatic. Though some philosophy is always welcome and entertaining. I am a huge fan of biking in nature, solo travelling and always appreciate a great meal.
Interesting! What was your latest Hackernoon Top story about?
My latest story was a practical introduction to IAM (Identity Access Management). I believe a proper and flawless IAM strategy can prevent more than half of the security attacks happening every day. So I wanted to do my best and ensure that everyone can have an understanding of how this works.
https://hackernoon.com/an-essential-guide-to-iam-identity-access-management-in-2022
Do you usually write on similar topics? If not, what do you usually write about?
I like spreading my security engineering knowledge to the world. I also like writing about productivity tips and how the field is progressing
Great! What is your usual writing routine like (if you have one?)
I don’t really have one, though I believe writers should. When I have a good idea, I dedicate a few sequential afternoons to research, organize and write it
Being a writer in tech can be a challenge. It’s not often our main role, but an addition to another one. What is the biggest challenge you have when it comes to writing?
The biggest challenge is to ensure that people with different backgrounds and experience understand your message. And of course, if you are not a native English speaker (which I am not), to have a quality baseline.
What is the next thing you hope to achieve in your career?
The next big target in my career is to focus on security architecture and practices more. Things like, penetration testing, designing secure workloads and threat hunting. Also I want to be more involved in the Web3 area.
Wow, that’s admirable. Now, something more casual: What is your guilty pleasure of choice?
Greek gyros of course. There is nothing better
Do you have a non-tech-related hobby? If yes, what is it?
I like nature, sports and cooking-related things. For example, hiking, biking, or cooking a nice dish.
What can the Hacker Noon community expect to read from you next?
My plan is to write more on hands-on security matters. But in a way that is easily digested by people that are not involved in the field. And they want to learn more without spending tons of hours reading specialized books.
Thanks for taking the time to join our “Meet the writer” series. It was a pleasure. Do you have any closing words?
The pleasure was mine. I love being part of the Hacker Noon community, I really appreciate the work you do to spread the knowledge and I hope our collaboration to continue being prosperous.