(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Gilbert Salinas approaches every interaction with technology as an opportunity to learn something new.
Salinas’ passion for technology was sparked by the way computers connect, communicate and how fast it is advancing. This interest inspired him to pursue an associate degree in Cybersecurity at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus.
“When I was in high school, smartphones were being introduced,” Salinas said. “You had all the fundamentals of a laptop in a small device that fits in your pocket, and the opportunity to learn about this new technology in a rapidly changing digital landscape.”
I tinker with technology as a hobby,” Salinas continued. “I’ve configured my own home network of computers to access the internet.”
TSTC’s Cybersecurity program motivates the first-semester student.
“Around the start of the fall semester I learned about the domain name system, which is the name of a website,” the Harlingen native said. “The module explained how to configure it to block certain websites and unwanted ads. I tried it at home with a single-board computer. I set it up to intercept the names and information from websites instead of routing it through the router. It forwarded the data back to the router and blocked many unwanted advertisements. It was an interesting experiment.”
Alex Alcocer is one of Salinas’ instructors.
“Gilbert’s curiosity drives him to explore many challenges we haven’t covered in class yet,” he said. “Recently, he joined the student Cybersecurity Club. The members have been preparing for the National Cyber League competition. It’s a competitive virtual environment that helps our students sharpen their skills and get ready for the workforce.”
While progressing through his coursework, Salinas said he found password cracking intriguing.
“I think of password cracking like a puzzle,” he said. “It’s a challenge trying to access a computer network that you believe is secure. It’s also a category I plan to compete in during the National Cyber League competition.”
According to onetonline.org, information security engineers in Texas earn a median salary of $108,170 a year. The website projected that there would be a 29% increase in the number of such jobs in the state from 2022 to 2032.
For more information about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.