John "Mako" McGill
The CompTIA Security+ certification is the gold standard in cybersecurity. Mako got his in 2008 and has since written study guides, led study groups, and used a mountain of materials to help people pass. He understands your concerns, the temptation to cheat, and addresses both. Learn what resources he recommends!
Author: John McGill
Organizing Your Workspace
John "Mako" McGill
"Organizing Your Workspace" is tagged as "Self Care"? You betcha! Anxiety is increased in a cluttered environment. Let Mako gently guide you through the steps to Marie Kondo-ing your way to healthier cortisone levels.
Cybersecurity Club Survival Guide: Lessons Learned from the First Year of a New Cybersecurity Club
John "Mako" McGill
(Fifth in a five-part series.)
We are all strangers, until we aren't. As a cybersecurity club president, Mako learned many lessons in leadership along the way—some of them too late. But the philosophers don't have to be right; history doesn't have to repeat itself. Mako's roadmap to success includes which tempting wrong turns to avoid!
Hiding in Plain Sight: Steganography Tricks and Tips
John "Mako" McGill
Who uses bitmap images anymore? Data smugglers, primarily! You're instantly suspicious that there's more to a file than meets the eye, but how can you uncover its secrets? Mako exposes the etymology, purpose, tricks, and tools of steganography and recommends additional means of practice.
Cybersecurity Club Survival Guide: How to Organize Events and Meetings, Invite Speakers, and Attract Sponsors
John "Mako" McGill
(Fourth in a five-part series.)
For every minute of a large event, there are about 30 minutes that go into planning it. Mako and CryptoKait share their master tips and tricks for maximizing time, money, and that incredible feeling of shared satisfaction enjoyed by organizers, sponsors, and attendees alike. Pro Tip: The right mindset makes all the difference!
Why I Became an NCL Player Ambassador – John’s Story
John "Mako" McGill
In the military, Mako couldn't get the cyber job he wanted. His first cyber competition left him feeling humiliated, too. What matters, though, isn't how many times you get knocked down—it's how many times you get back up. Read to discover how our resident shark, Mako, swam his way to the top!
Cybersecurity Club Survival Guide: Leadership Methodologies for Running an Effective Cybersecurity Club
John "Mako" McGill
(Third in a five-part series.)
Student leadership will come and go. Faculty leadership can see the big picture but cannot push student volunteers to do anything they don't want to do. Before pairing a faculty sponsor with a club, decide on a leadership style you'd like to foster together, to ensure longterm club survival. Mako shows you how.
Sharpening the Axe: How to Cut and Carve Logs in the NCL
John "Mako" McGill
Parsing log files is an art form, not unlike sculpting—"cut away all the parts of the wood block that are not the bear." In place of an axe and knife, Mako shows us how to whittle the bear from the log using grep, regex, awk, sed, uniq, sort, and pipe!
Cybersecurity Club Survival Guide: How to Create a Statement of Purpose and Draft a Charter for a New Cybersecurity Club
John "Mako" McGill
(Second in a five-part series.)
The difference between a hangout and a club is purpose. To gain official recognition as a club, you'll need to clarify that purpose in a charter. Mako likens it to an "elevator pitch" for the group and shares tips and examples of what to include.
Sha Jvgu Pelcgb! Crypto or Cthulhu?
John "Mako" McGill
How can we crack these cryptic ciphers? Fortunately, we don't have to supplicate before any ancient world-swallowing, madness-inducing deities. (Although, Mako does feel like losing his mind a little during the NCL games.) Instead, Mako introduces key markers and tricks for identifying encoding schemes!
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