With 25 years of experience in the technology industry, David Wright is currently a cyber and information system security manager at Symptai Consulting Limited. He expresses his love for tech as ever-evolving, in the sense that there is always something new. Now he credits cybersecurity as enhancing his area of expertise.

Wright believes in the words of Grand Master Oogway from the Kung Fu Panda franchise, “One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.” Wright started his journey very young, dabbling with Commodore 64, an Atari 2600, and the original Nintendo gaming system. By joining the computer club at St George’s College, Wright became interested in developing games and programming, leading him to pursue information technology in GCE O-Levels, where he got a C.

Wright intended to pursue a law degree but was unsuccessful in getting into The University of the West Indies programme. However, his backup plan worked since he had also applied for the computer studies programme at College of the Arts, Sience and Techology (CAST) at the time, now known as the University of Technology, Jamaica. This sparked his professional life in tech, starting as a programmer at the National Water Commission and eventually becoming a programmer analyst. As an information technology manager, Wright has been a part of several different industries, such as insurance, finance, and automotive, where he used technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of companies such as ATL Automotives and VMBS.

Discussions with his mentor sparked Wright’s interest in cybersecurity, pursuing several certifications.

As a cyber and information security manager, Wright states that his typical days are very dynamic, with little to no space for boredom. Throughout his 25-year career, Wright has adopted the “People, Processes, Technology” framework, inspired by Richard Branson’s philosophy that “people come first,” where if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers. From a tactical standpoint, Wright focuses on the processes, where he evaluates the company’s efficiencies as it relates to time and energy in executing goals. At Symptai Consulting Limited, his primary focus areas are vulnerability assessments, penetration tests, and social engineering related to cybersecurity. On a day-to-day basis, Wright spends most of his time reviewing vulnerability assessment and penetration test reports that the teams have compiled, ensuring proper grammar, readability, and necessary substance are all present.

Wright states that with the shift in workplace parameters due to work-from-home orders, people generally protected by an organisation’s firewall are now vulnerable to cyber-attacks due to a lack of security. Often workers with company devices may be at risk of falling victim to cyber breaches.

In response to these vulnerabilities in a post-pandemic world, Wright states that there are simple steps that organisations can follow. In the case of onboarding employees, the method of user education is imperative, as employees must have the skills to decipher links and e-mail that might be suspicious. He recommends that offboarded employees have no access to the organisation’s systems.

Before the pandemic, Wright reflected on and evaluated his career choice as an IT manager and decided to become a full-time lecturer to contribute to developing young minds in the tech world. As a lecturer, Wright felt a sense of appreciation when at the end of each semester, he got an email from his students thanking him for his efforts.

Finally, Wright’s key wishes are to make a difference for individuals, close a gap, and do it with love.