Full Circle: A Passion for Security, a Legacy at SteelCloud
The first time Sadaqat Shah worked for SteelCloud, it was a completely different company. Literally. As Sadaqat’s passion for cybersecurity grew over his career, so did SteelCloud’s. Then the two found each other again.
Sadaqat left his Pakistani home for a better future and ended up finding the American Dream. Read on for tales of synchronicity, blankets that turn children into IT professionals and trays of Chicken Tandoori big enough to feed 50 people.
What does a Cybersecurity Content Manager do?
I lead a four-member team that creates the signatures for the regular releases and updates for CIS Benchmarks and STIGs. CIS Benchmarks are updated monthly and DISA STIGs are updated quarterly. We take the CIS and DISA update content and convert it for use with ConfigOS and ConfigOS MPO. We do this within three days of release, then upload them on our customer portal in both XML and JSON formats.
Your resume says you went to college in Pakistan?
Yes. I was born there and went to college there. I left because the system is corrupt. You can be the top student from your university and you still won’t get anywhere unless you know someone. I decided to leave to find a better future somewhere else. So I went to work for a US company in Saudi Arabia. Then I came to the US and got my citizenship. I actually worked for SteelCloud as a Systems Engineer and Help Desk person from around 2000-2007. After that, I went to the Department of the Interior as a Windows Systems Administrator for 12 years.
Wait, what? You worked for SteelCloud 20 years ago?
Yes. At the time SteelCloud manufactured secure, specialized servers and equipment, alongside consulting on intrusion detection antivirus software. We were securing BlackBerry servers and creating BlackBerry policies for the DoD at the time.
So, when you came back, it was a completely different company?
Yes. Up until the time I returned, I worked mostly in system administration. Securing servers was part of my job. I always wanted to move away from administration duties and just focus on security. At the Department of the Interior, I would scan the system, then implement security manually. It would take months to complete. Then I heard about this amazing product that automated the processes and reduced months of work to hours and days. And it was from SteelCloud! It was crazy to think it was coming from a company I once worked for—a company that felt like family. Everything came together perfectly.
Why do you love doing what you do?
My first job was teaching Computer Science in Pakistan and I’ve seen the growth of information technology over the years. I also saw the exploitation of vulnerabilities by bad actors. So I always kept my personal devices secure with the proper antivirus and intrusion detection software. Then when I was at Interior, I heard about a hack of the OPM system and that solidified my personal mission—I wanted to keep computer systems safe and secure. Then I met SteelCloud for the second time.
What do you think SteelCloud does best?
SteelCloud brought a mini revolution to compliance processes. Prior to SteelCloud, I had worked with scanners and other tools, but it was still a largely manual process. SteelCloud automates security configuration and compliance processes, saving time and eliminating errors. And we do it better than anyone else.
Word on the street is that you regularly cater meals for the entire office?
Yes. I grew up in Pakistan, which is a country made up of different cultures and tribes. And everyone wants to be the top in hospitality. In Pakistan, if someone comes to visit you and they don’t eat while at your house, that’s a bad thing. So I cook. The region I came from in the North has primarily Turkish, Persian or Lebanese influences with warm spices. The spicy Indian food happens further south. So what my wife, Wajeha, and I cook for SteelCloud is mostly beef, lamb and chicken kabobs with rice or Tandoori chicken. I love cooking and it makes me happy when people like what I cook.
You’re not the only Shah at SteelCloud are you?
No. The first time I worked at SteelCloud was when my son was born. They sent him a blanket as a gift. So he was raised wrapped up in the warmth of SteelCloud. And he grew up wanting to work in IT and cybersecurity. While in high school at the Academy of Loudoun, he took Cisco courses and got his certification. So SteelCloud gave him an internship. He has since graduated from high school and the company has kept him on as a contractor. Now he works at SteelCloud full-time, just like I do.
When Sadaqat is not cooking, you’ll find him renovating the home he lives in with his wife, son and daughter. He has changed windows, installed wood flooring, renovated all the bathrooms and given the home new landscaping.
