Willis News

Congratulations to Simon Cutler on his recent appointment as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of CapitalTek! Simon’s journey is a testament to the impact that dedication to a cybersecurity career can have. In this interview, Simon shares his experiences and insights, offering invaluable advice for those considering a path in cybersecurity. If you’re just starting a cybersecurity program or seeking cybersecurity training, Simon’s story provides a roadmap to success in this dynamic field.

Hi, Simon! Thank you for agreeing to participate in an interview with us. Can you tell us about CapitalTek?

Simon: CapitalTek is an IT managed security service provider. We provide cybersecurity along with traditional IT services like help desk, network monitoring, etc to clients in and around the Ottawa area. I’m the Chief Operations Officer, so my responsibility is the overall success of CapitalTek as a company,  ensuring that the team have processes, that everything we do has structure, focus, direction, documentation, and that we’re delivering excellent service to our clients.

How did Willis College help you advance your career in IT?

Simon: As is the case with many things in life, particularly the IT industry, it’s all about building connections. One of the things I managed to achieve, was a strong relationship with my instructor for my first three or four courses. He had a connection to an IT managed service provider here in Ottawa and after seeing my skills and experience he recommended me to that company to cover their help desk at the weekends. Taking that to the next level, I carried out my co-op at the same company, and from there I seized that opportunity and managed to get a full-time position and over 6.5 years worked my way up to Director of Operations. Then in March 2024, I felt like it was time for a new challenge and I moved to CapitalTek to become their COO.

Since you already had a strong IT background, were there any specific courses in the program that you found particularly valuable as an extension of your existing knowledge?

Simon: Certainly looking at firewall products like Sophos and Fortinet at that time helped me to get a much better understanding of firewalls and those particular vendors. Some of the Security+ content and Linux virtual machines were a little bit newer to me, so that was pretty valuable.

That’s excellent. What is your favourite part of working in this industry?

Simon: Well, I started in the IT industry in 1989. I was working for an international bank at the time. They were moving towards their first IT development, which was PC-based rather than the traditional mainframe computers. I took an aptitude test and came out with the top results. So the first role I had in the IT world was as a network administrator and server admin. That got me started, and then I moved on to more traditional approaches with KPMG as a level 1 desktop technician, crawling about under desks, fixing cables, fixing software and printing issues, and user account creation – Typical sysadmin role. My passion is for networks and a lot of the work I do nowadays involves designing networks and other solutions for customers, identifying opportunities for how CapitalTek can make clients achieve their business goals and make them more successful and profitable through the use of technology rather than just selling technology for the sake of it.

What other supports helped you throughout your educational journey with Willis College?

Simon: I was a student ambassador, and that was an enjoyable role representing the students. I did a lot of the internal IT at the college. My two key instructors at Willis were Glenn Myatt to begin with, who I built a long-term friendship with, and an amazing guy called Eric Ratcliffe, the lead instructor at the time. I still keep in touch with Eric as a peer professional and I respect his views and advice. A mix of the instructors, also the career services and being a student ambassador helped me. I actually went on to do a lot of volunteering in the city for Canadian heritage with Winterlude and Canada Day both of which I’m a volunteer coordinator for. I also volunteer at Atlético Ottawa, Nostalgia Music Festival, Canadian Tulip Festival and I think that initial involvement with helping out as a student ambassador set me on a pathway to develop a passion for volunteering here in the city.

Why did you choose Willis College?

Simon: There were other options available. Ottawa seemed to be the environment with the best housing market and job opportunities, which appealed to me. Also, I really wanted to find an educational fit, which was a good match for my existing skills and with my roots in networking, this program seemed to be a perfect for me. Willis was offering that program ahead of other colleges and private education institutions here in the city.

Do you have any advice for someone considering the technology programs at Willis College?

Simon: My advice for any people looking to get a career in the IT industry, going to an institution like Willis and considering a cybersecurity program is absolutely valuable for getting that start. I’ve always said that to become a good technician in this industry is not just about the certifications you have, it’s also about ensuring best practices like working as a team and documenting everything you do. Never feel that you need to keep your knowledge internally, you must share it with others. You must write it down. You must try to develop others as well. That’s really, really important. You will be much more valuable to a company if you are an information sharer rather than one that keeps information to yourself.

Also, if you’re a technician, if you’re a cybersecurity analyst, it’s the same thing. Whether you’re in support or network management, it’s all about being a little bit like Sherlock Holmes. So being a good detective, analyzing, thinking logically, logical deduction of where the root cause of the problem is will help you to identify what the solution is. So take your time, slow down and think about the big picture, why something’s happening. But certainly, if you are considering a career in the cybersecurity industry, you must get a good grounding of networks, first of all, because networking is the fundamental element that everything in the cybersecurity world works upon. So understand this area of knowledge.

How should someone interested in this field start building out their fundamental knowledge?

If you are going to pursue cybersecurity accreditations, start with Willis, get your start, and then look at things like Security+, then look at CISSP. Understand the NIST framework and the CIS framework. And try to get a co-op position with good cybersecurity companies here in Ottawa. It doesn’t have to be specific companies like Red Canary, it can also be managed service providers like CapitalTek, who also offer cybersecurity as their primary focus nowadays. And there are also industry leading cybersecurity managed detection and response companies here in Ottawa, like Field Effect, located at TD Place in the Lansdowne area of the city. Absolutely wonderful company. We partner with them. And that’s a really great company to become aware of and how they’re making a difference here in Canada, for sure.

Why Choose Willis for your Cybersecurity Training?

Launching a cybersecurity career through our specialized programs is a smart move for anyone looking to thrive in this field.  At Willis College, we offer tailored cybersecurity training designed to equip you with the skills needed to succeed. We proudly support veterans transitioning from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) with dedicated opportunities and resources to help them excel in cybersecurity. Learn more about how our programs can set you on the path to a successful and rewarding career.

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