Meet Our Data Scientists: Ryan Heitsmith
Want to know what it’s like to be a data analyst? Check out this Q&A with a member of Bitsight’s data science team to learn about what he does at Bitsight, his experience, and more.
Name: Ryan Heitsmith
Job Title: Data Analyst
Location: Cambridge
What do you do at Bitsight?
Manage the team tasked with the collection, processing and display of data breach events. Run analysis and present insights on the breach dataset.
How long have you worked at Bitsight?
2+ years
What is your background? How did you get into data science?
I have a BS in Criminal Justice, with an interest in leveraging data science tools to improve law enforcement practices and predict crime. I became interested in Bitsight because we deal with similar questions in the context of cybersecurity.
What challenges you the most at Bitsight?
Picking up new programming languages and data science tools quickly enough to apply them on the job.
What advice do you have for someone first getting into this field?
Never let questions go unasked.
What are some other companies you admire from a data science perspective and why?
Companies like Amazon that make themselves indispensable to an entire ecosystem.
Who is your favorite quote? 
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” — Teddy Roosevelt
What do you like to do for fun?
Spend as much time as possible outside in beautiful New England, whether it be biking, hiking, camping, skiing or climbing.
What is the last place you traveled and what did you do there?
Lake Tahoe, CA for a backcountry skiing trip.