E17 - Andrew Jenkins at Senda Systems

On today’s episode of the Security Vendor spin-off series, we are joined by Matt Ayres, Head of Cloud Security here at Hamilton Barnes and Andrew Jenkins, Principal at Sedna Systems. During this episode, they discuss where it all began for Andrew and the journey he took to get to where he is today. Andrew also shares some valuable advice to anyone who is looking to get into the industry alongside the advice he would give to his 16-year-old self if he could go back.

Andrew Jenkins started his career in graduate school, where he researched wireless sensor networks. The concept was to measure various things like ice flow, migration patterns, vehicle movements, and more. Through this research, Andrew learned about all the infrastructure and the organisation called CCDS (Collaborative Committee for Space Data Systems). This committee agreed to use a common radio format/packet format and eventually a space networking format. Andrew had the opportunity to see how Japanese ground stations worked, how they differed from USA stations, and how they were similar.

Transitioning to F5…

Andrew’s transition to F5 wasn’t easy, but it was his determination that got him there. One significant challenge with space science projects is that they have long life cycles, and it’s easy to get discouraged along the way. Therefore, the kind of determination that is present in people who work in this industry involves being able to look at the long game, having patience, and putting in the hard work in the meantime.

Andrew transitioned to F5 through a start-up that they acquired. Starting as a software developer, he developed software for line rate systems and eventually moved into a more architectural role across products and cloudification.

Currently, Andrew is excited about a technology called eBPF. It’s a program that can be inserted into the Linux kernel safely, allowing programmers to control the operating system kernel. eBPF is a powerful tool that enables developers to write efficient and flexible programs that can analyse network traffic, monitor system performance, and much more. Andrew’s passion for eBPF highlights his ongoing curiosity and willingness to learn new technologies that can help improve security and performance in the industry.

Andrew shares his thoughts about the technology that will have a big impact on the industry. While it’s hard to predict exactly which technology will be the next big thing, Andrew believes that there is a motion happening within the cloud that will be significant. One of the key things with the cloud is that many domain experts are trying to package up their expertise. This trend will lead to the development of more specialised services that are tailored to specific industries or use cases.

Advice?

Andrew’s advice to anyone looking to get into the security industry is to stay curious. There are a lot of hard problems lurking underneath, which potentially contain really important things to work on and problems to solve. Andrew believes that curiosity is essential to be successful in the industry, as it drives individuals to dig deeper and uncover new solutions. Andrew rarely regretted spending time digging into something, even if it didn’t lead to immediate results, as he believes that every experience and bit of knowledge can be valuable in the long run.

Tune in on the 25/04/2023 to hear the full episode!