Veteran-Owned • Built in Public

Isleforge

Forge your path.

I'm Yan. Army veteran, cybersecurity engineer, CISSP. Isleforge is where I document the real path into and through a cyber career: the certs, the pivots, the mistakes, and everything I build along the way. If you work in IT or want to, this is for you.

On the forge:Cyber CareersCertificationsVeteran TransitionHands-On LabsBuilding in Public
isleforge — career.log
> whoami: yan.carrion
> service: u.s. army HONORABLE
> degrees: b.s. + m.s. computer science
> certs: cissp / security+ / ccna ACTIVE
> next: documenting the path
> status: FORGING
CISSP
Plus Security+ and CCNA
M.S. CS
And a summa cum laude B.S.
ARMY
Combat veteran
90 DAYS
Zero to launched brand
My Story

Forged from Islands.
Sharing the Path.

Nobody handed me a map. This is the route I found, and the reason Isleforge exists is so your version of it is faster.

2017 — Enlisted

U.S. Army, Signal Support (25U)

Joined at Fort Carson. Learned that networks matter most when everything else is going wrong.

2019 — Deployed

Combat deployment, Afghanistan

Kept comms alive in places where a dropped link was more than an inconvenience.

2021 — Retired, Restarted

Medically retired. Enrolled in computer science.

Left the Army with a disability rating and a decision: rebuild around what I could do, not what I lost. Went all in on school.

2022 — Broke In

First rung: satellite communications operations

Started in 24/7 satellite broadcast operations, then defense network infrastructure. Not glamorous, but it was the door. I climbed from telecom to network engineering to systems engineering while carrying a full course load.

2024 — Degree One

B.S. Computer Science, summa cum laude

Finished the bachelor's with a 3.95 while working full time. Schedule, not talent.

2025 — The Cyber Seat

Cybersecurity engineer / ISSO, defense sector

Three years after starting at the bottom rung, the actual cyber role: RMF, continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, incident response for Department of Defense systems.

2026 — Compounding

CISSP in January. M.S. Computer Science in April.

The cert everyone says to wait on, and a master's with a 3.94, stacked in the same year. There is a story and a study system behind both.

2026 — Isleforge

Built a company brand in 90 days, in public

Founded Isleforge Solutions LLC and took it from nothing to a full brand, website, and content engine in one quarter, solo, using AI-assisted systems. Now I am documenting all of it, and everything that comes next, on YouTube.

Resume

The Credentials

EDU-CERT

Education & Certifications

  • M.S. Computer Science — 3.94 GPA, 2026
  • B.S. Computer Science — Summa Cum Laude, 3.95 GPA, 2024
  • CISSP — ISC2, DoD 8570 IAM Level II
  • Security+ CE and Cisco CCNA
  • Currently studying — cloud security certification (documented on the channel)
EXP

Experience

  • Cybersecurity Engineer / ISSO — RMF, continuous monitoring, and incident response for U.S. Department of Defense systems (2025 to present)
  • Network & Systems Engineering — secure infrastructure for DoD space communications (2022 to 2025)
  • Satellite Communications Operations — 24/7 broadcast operations support (2022)
  • U.S. Army, 25U Signal Support — 2017 to 2021, combat deployment, honorably retired
  • Founder, Isleforge Solutions LLC — brand, systems, and content built solo (2026)

// full detail on LinkedIn — link in the footer

Videos

On the Channel

First videos are in production. Here is what is coming to the forge.

IN PRODUCTION
EP-001

From Army 25U to Cyber Engineer

The whole path: enlistment, deployment, medical retirement, school, and breaking into defense cyber. No shortcuts edited in.

IN PRODUCTION
EP-002

CISSP While Working Full Time

The study system, the timeline, what I would skip, and whether the cert is worth it depending on where you are.

IN PRODUCTION
EP-003

90 Days to a Brand, Solo

How one person built a company identity, website, and content engine in a quarter with AI-assisted systems. Receipts included.

Come Along

The Forge Is Lit

Subscribe on YouTube and follow Isleforge on LinkedIn to catch the first videos. Want to collaborate, suggest a topic, or bring something to the channel? Say hello.

// first episodes in production