Cadet David Rodriguez, ’27, spent part of the academic year looking for threats most people don’t realize exist.
A cybersecurity major from St. Augustine, Florida, Rodriguez worked in The Citadel Security Operations Center, or C-SOC, where students gain hands-on experience monitoring network activity, investigating alerts and helping identify potential cybersecurity threats.
“It’s like digital public safety,” Rodriguez said. “We’re monitoring what’s happening on the network and learning how to recognize when something isn’t right.”
The C-SOC allows students to work alongside IT professionals while applying concepts learned in the classroom to real-world situations. Students review network activity, analyze suspicious behavior and create reports outlining potential risks and possible responses.
Rodriguez did not arrive at The Citadel with a clear career path in mind. After considering several academic options, he chose cybersecurity and quickly discovered it was a good fit.
“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but once I got into cyber, I stuck with it,” he said.
Like many professional cybersecurity operations centers, the C-SOC uses a tiered system that gives students increasing responsibility as they gain experience. As a tier 1 analyst, Rodriguez learned how to identify patterns in network traffic, recognize potential vulnerabilities and understand how cybersecurity professionals respond to threats.
Outside the C-SOC, Rodriguez participated in the Cyber Leadership Development Program and cybersecurity competitions, further developing his technical skills.
After graduation, he plans to join the Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy and pursue a career in cybersecurity.
“We’re not just learning it in class,” Rodriguez said. “We’re actually seeing how it works.”