Charles Karanja
About
Charles is a Cybersecurity Enthusiast currently working as a SOC Analyst at Telefonica UK. In 2017 he undertook studies for CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+ and CEH all within a period of 5 months. He struggled to get a job and sent over 200 job applications even applying for CISO roles all with the intention of just getting his foot at the door. 6 months after being CEH certified he received a call that was the beginning of the journey with Telefonica.
He’s driven by a desire to be the example that in life “Nothing is impossible and impossible is nothing.” He is an encourager who always believes the best in people.
Charles was born and raised in Kenya but, now resides in the United Kingdom. He mentors others mainly through social networks, like LinkedIn, where many reach out to him seeking advice on how to break into cybersecurity.
What mentoring means to me
- Community: Mentoring others helps foster community which leads to the mutual benefit of growth as both parties learn. Like, the African proverb that says “If you want to go fast go alone; if you want to go far go together” there is power in togetherness. Together we can go far by inspiring one another.
- Change the world: Mentoring allows one to see the mentee’s world change as they become better in their craft. Likewise, the mentor also improves and becomes better. The synergy of mentorship creates a better world.
- Commitment to competence: Certification gives you the knowledge base, while mentorship brings you to a place of competence by consolidating the knowledge acquired in a certification.
Areas of Expertise
- Incident Management
- Threat & Vulnerability Management