CyberWire Daily Larry Cashdollar: Always learning new technology. [Intelligence response engineer]
Mar 1, 2026
Larry Cashdollar, Principal Security Intelligence Response Engineer at Akamai with decades in Unix admin and vulnerability research. He recounts a lifelong love of computers and the twists that led him into Linux and security. He reflects on long tenure at Akamai, the evolving cloud and edge landscape, and the challenge of staying current while balancing family and learning.
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Early Computer Passion Led To Penetration Testing
- Larry Cashdollar traced his computer interest back to a 1986 yearbook listing computer scientist as his career path.
- He learned programming in Brooklyn schools, moved to Maine, discovered Linux in college, then joined NetMain doing penetration testing.
Roommate's Linux Install Changed Career Trajectory
- A college roommate introduced Larry to Linux and he replaced Windows with Linux, which led him toward security and a Linux club at University of Southern Maine.
- That shift propelled him to leave college and take a job at NetMain doing penetration testing.
Career Move Driven By Network And Opportunity
- Larry left a low-paying job to join Computer Sciences Corporation after a friend encouraged him and an interviewer turned out to know his father’s colleague.
- The move increased pay and gave him broader Unix admin responsibilities.