Cybersecurity Intern Anthony Mendiola stands inside the lab’s data center, one of the primary areas for cybersecurity staff. (Jefferson Lab photo/Lindsay Cunningham)
How a car ride led to a formal internship opportunity
This article is part of a series highlighting Jefferson Lab’s internship programs. It offers insights into the experience, opportunities, and growth potential that internships provide students.
What does it take for a college student to find the perfect internship? While it can be a difficult and even fruitless search, sometimes the right opportunity can materialize when you least expect it. Just ask Anthony Mendiola, a cybersecurity intern at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. He’ll tell you it can be as simple as a lucky car ride.
“I was driving past the lab one day and thought ‘Huh, that would be a pretty cool place to work.’ Then I looked it up, and there just happened to be an opening,” he explained.
That quick moment led to multiple interviews, which eventually earned him a spot as an intern in August 2024. Now, as a crucial member of the cybersecurity team in the Computational Sciences and Technology division, Mendiola helps protect Jefferson Lab’s digital assets, ensuring its sensitive information stays secure in the ever-evolving world of cyber threats.
A major part of his work revolves around “monitoring”—a process where he analyzes systems, networks and data to prevent security incidents. To assist him, Mendiola uses professional software to monitor and analyze large volumes of data. One of his first projects was to use the software to demonstrate how small mistakes can lead to big security problems.
For example, a staff member may accidentally type their password into the username field when logging in. While most think it’s fixed once they backspace and enter the correct info, they don’t realize the security risk it could create.
“Entering passwords in one’s username field can pose a cybersecurity threat as that information is essentially transported across cyberspace in clear text,” he explained. “When that happens, we must take the steps to ensure that their credentials stay safe.”
Mendiola was tasked with writing code to detect when lab employees made this mistake. At the time, Mendiola had limited experience using the software, which meant this assignment started as a challenging one. Nevertheless, he appreciated the experience, especially since he had not yet learned about the software in his cybersecurity courses. Now, when his professors bring it up, he gets excited.
“I’m like, wow, I can’t believe I already know about this. I love how my internship has prepared me for my schoolwork,” he said.
But his new skills go beyond software. He also had the chance to learn more about digital forensics, which encompasses analyzing electronic data to find information about potential cyber incidents and crimes. His classes offered a glimpse into the forensics world, but nothing on the scale of what he would learn as an intern.
“We touched on forensics a bit in my classes, but I never got to dive in until I started here. I enjoy working with my coworker Matthew on several forensics projects,” he said.
Being one of three cybersecurity interns means Mendiola gets to collaborate with others in his department, an experience he says inspires him to think bigger.
“I have learned a lot. One of my intern colleagues, Kaelan, is so good at coding. When I watch him work, I’m like ‘wow.’ I’m trying to see what he does and learn from watching him,” he said.
Kaelen Allen is one of the two interns working alongside Mendiola. Having started around the same time, they have developed a strong collaborative partnership. Reflecting on his experience working with Mendiola, Allen shares that he appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with individuals who bring diverse skill sets to the table.
“Anthony has become our Mac expert since nobody else in our team uses a Mac. He is also good with incident monitoring and digital forensics,” Allen said. “I like working with other interns because it allows me to bounce ideas off them and make sure I am understanding everything.”
Interning at the lab has only increased Mendiola’s excitement about establishing a career in cybersecurity. He says his internship has helped him with his confidence and knowledge of cybersecurity in more ways than he could have imagined. He looks forward to his first full-time position in cybersecurity.
“Being here has definitely made me feel more prepared for what is to come after school,” he added. “Everywhere I go, I’m very proud to say I work here. I learn so much here and all of the people here are so awesome.”
By Parish Thompson
Contact: Kandice Carter, Jefferson Lab Communications Office, kcarter@jlab.org