From Help Desk to SOC: How KevTech Broke Into Cybersecurity Without Certs

What happens when you go from fixing executives’ laptops at Goldman Sachs to defending against cyber threats in a SOC?

In this episode of Simply Defensive, hosts Josh Mason and Wade Wells sit down with Kevin Apolinario — better known as KevTech — to unpack his journey from IT support to cybersecurity analyst, all without a single certification.

Kev gets real about what it’s actually like to land your first SOC role: the flood of alerts, the burnout, learning Excel the hard way, and relying on ChatGPT to survive scripting. He also shares how TryHackMe, Hack The Box, and constant hands-on practice built the foundation for his success.

If you’ve ever wondered what breaking into cybersecurity really looks like, this conversation pulls back the curtain — no fluff, no spin, just honest talk from the trenches.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:29 Guest Introduction: Kev Apolinario

00:51 Transition to SOC Analyst Role

01:53 Challenges and Learning in Cybersecurity

06:43 Handling Alerts and Fatigue

10:26 Importance of Teamwork and Asking for Help

19:56 Executive Support Experience