BOTS Lessons for Real-World SecOps

Competitions can change careers. Katie Brown is proof.

At .conf2025 I sat with Katie Brown, Director of Platform Security at Splunk. We talked about her path from winning Boss of the SOC to joining Splunk, how she still supports the competition, and what her day to day looks like now. She shared a memorable challenge from BOTS that shaped how she works, practical advice for anyone thinking about capture the flag events, and why hands on contests help close the cybersecurity talent gap.

Highlights

• From BOTS champion to leading platform security, a clear example of skills turning into opportunity

• Staying close to BOTS as a mentor and builder so more people can learn by doing

• Lessons that stick, pressure testing analysis, teamwork, and clear thinking under time limits

• Simple advice for newcomers, start small, practice often, document what you learn, share your work

• Why competitions matter, real signals of skill, faster hiring signals for teams, confidence for candidates

If you want a grounded view of how hands on learning opens doors in security, this will help.

#splunkconf25 #SplunkSponsored #data #ai #theravitshow