paris

the steps to choosing a cybersecurity vendor

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(by Oana)

If you think working in cybersecurity is cool then working in cybersecurity in a company with 140,000 employees is even better. Hackers never sleep and they are targeting everybody 24/7. By everybody I mean also, of course, you.

Yes, if there is something I learned while working in the awesome cybersecurity team at Engie, is the fact that hackers are not considering the color of your hair, your height or your religious beliefs. If you are connected to the internet or use devices that have been connected to other computers (like a USB stick) you are a target. I am not trying to be pessimistic here, there are also many ways to protect yourself, ways about which I have also learned from the Engie cyber threat squad.

Other than that, I have already started working on the main internship subject. Doing a market research on a competitive sector like cyberthreat intelligence products and services is not an easy task. Besides having to really know the company and the tools used, you also have to understand the current and future needs.

“Communication is a key aspect since different answers are known by many different people.”

After setting the requirements, the next step is creating a needs and a wants list.
The needs list should be very brief and should consist only of the features absolutely necessary in the product.
The list of wants should be much broader and be ordered according to the importance.

After the budget is set, the next step is researching through many potential vendors and their products, while always having in mind the selection criteria previously set. Besides the many technical aspects, the credentials of vendors, certificates and previous performance also need to be taken into consideration. All the vendors and criteria must be evaluated into a scoring matrix which will result into finding the semifinalists.

The next stage is the most interesting since you get to have direct contact with the providers: interviews are set, free trials are offered, products are tested in order to eventually select the winner.

That is more or less the process when selecting new products in a cybersecurity department. Besides having to interact with other cybersecurity professionals like incident response or forensics, you also have to assess needs, research, analyse and contact vendors for a first-hand experience with the product. And if you ask me, it can't be done better than within a company this big. That is all for now, à la prochaine!

Engie team-selfie at Fontainebleau 

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Cyber security, football and macarons - Paris is a world

(by Oana)

"Oops!"

Bonjour la France!

Almost a month ago, life and Blind Applying brought me to the city of light!  I arrived like a force of nature only to find that here, nature was doing a bit of a brute force attack. The weather was pretty bad, raining 24/7, storms were taking over the city and the Seine eventually got a bit out of its banks. A small cold and several metro strikes didn’t manage to get my spirits low so I arrived to La Defense and was ready to start the internship at Engie!

“The “bad luck” went away and only interesting and exciting things have happened ever since”

The team I’m working with is just great! Besides answering any questions I have, they are also set on helping me improve my French to the max. We have a big lunch together every day and they are making sure I am integrating in the company culture and into the French way of life.

Actually my first task included spending a bit of time with each of the team members in order to see what their main tasks are and what tools they are using. The most exciting part was a trip in Paris to one of the company’s operation center, which is basically the front line when fighting with threat actors. Currently I am also testing some of the cyber threat intelligence tools in order to get a more practical insight and to be able to correctly cover the company’s needs with my market research. Moreover, my knowledge in cyber security is growing exponentially every day. I was very interested in the topic way before the internship but now I feel caught by the information, from the technical aspects to the strategic level of cyber crime.

“My knowledge in cyber security is growing every day!”

Another thing that I am very than excited about is the location of the internship. La Defense is a business district that reminds me a lot of Tokyo. Business people are roaming around all day long, skyscrapers are making your neck hurt and awesome shopping malls are there in case you want to relax after work. As you can see, my favorite after work activity is of course eating giant macarons between the skyscrapers. Yes, life outside work is a bit overwhelming. Following Euro 2016 and also visiting museums, cathedrals and palaces is not easy. I hope that soon I won’t be such a tourist buff (visited the Louvre 4 times and basically all the other major museum and tourist attraction) and I will start enjoying this amazing city more like a local. Indeed “Paris isn't a city, it's a world"!

All in all, I am holding to my initial thought about the whole experience (and maybe expand it a bit). Getting the internship at Engie was not only the best professional move at the moment, but also the best personal development move possible. The people I have met have already inspired me to do so much more and to evolve as much as possible. We will see in a few months how the world will look then! Until next time!

Bonne journée!
Oana

From Paris to Shanghai and back. The tale of two cities.

(by Erran Yang)

After another month of working in Stora Enso, I am in the last month of my internship and I start to feel a little bit gloomy. On the other side, I feel excited that I will soon be back to Paris. It is really different to live and work in Paris and Shanghai.

Paris and Shanghai are both international cities, with branches of first-class enterprises in fancy buildings, top fashion, women elegantly dressed up and fast-speed daily life. They are hosts to different cultures and people from different countries.

Balanced Paris

Paris is a beautiful city with a lot of classical buildings and beautiful small gardens. Life in Paris can be a perfect combination of stress and relaxation. In the morning, there are plenty of commuters walking in a rush through subways and on the streets. They are efficient when working, but rest in time to have a cup of coffee and chat with colleagues and friends. They clearly separate working and daily life. When it's sunny, they always invite friends for a drink or to chat the whole day in a beautiful park.

Exciting Shanghai

Shanghai is more of a “junior” city compared to Paris, partly because there are more new buildings and modern skyscrapers recently established. All the megacities share the same characteristic: crowded transportations. It is the same in Shanghai! I feel it is more crowded here, or it just depends on the line I choose.

Shanghai-es are dedicated to work. There are less chats in the office and everyone volunteers to overtime if they haven’t finished their work. Some even bring their laptops home when they are on vacation. 

If you ask me which city I love better, unfortunately, it is hard for me to answer. I have been living in Shanghai since I was born so I definitely love my hometown. However, Paris has many elements that I am interested in; for example historical buildings and fashion design. Shanghai can be a warm harbor always calling me back and Paris can be extremely attractive with its charm.

Which city would you prefer to live in?

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