Joshua Mykitta · Secure Software Engineer

Position before submission

A game plan borrowed from the mat: secure the application first, build the tooling that improves position, then finish. Secure software engineer; Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Joshua Mykitta in sunglasses and a tuxedo, looking to the right with a subtle, pensive smile
Joshua Mykitta, on the left, being promoted to Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt by Rodney Souza, on the right
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  1. Guard Secure the positionAuth, secrets, boundaries. Get the position first.
  2. Pass Improve the positionDeveloper tooling that makes the next move easier.
  3. Mount Keep controlTests, reviews, boring deploys.
  4. Submit FinishShip it, then write it up.
Black belt · Championship Mixed Martial Arts, Daphne, AL · promoted December 9, 2025 by Rodney Souza

About

I am a passionate builder that loves seeing minor details sparkle and complex machina run smoothly and securely.

I have been building software applications for 6 years and have completed a BASc degree in Cyber Operations focusing on engineering. I currently work at Acentra Health where I build healthcare software that integrates care management, utilization management, and prior authorization requests into a single system. Before this, I worked in aviation for just over 10 years, 9 of which were spent directly in or in support of the US Army.

Outside of my professional life, I like to tinker with my home lab where I build and break various home and software automations, and I practice picking apart malware or investigating new / current security practices. I am a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt instructor with over 20 years of experience in the martial art and I love training as much as I can fit into my busy schedule. I have an amazing and supportive wife whom I raise 5 kids and 6 dogs with!

  • C#
  • ASP.NET Core
  • Application Security
  • Cybersecurity
  • Generative AI
  • Ninja Chokes
  • Side Control
  • ...and More!

Principles

Position before submission.

Security before features. Lock the position down, then attack the problem.

Tap early, tap often.

Roll back early. A revert costs nothing; an outage does.

Leave your ego at the door.

Code review is not a fight. The best idea wins, not the loudest.

The road

Two ladders, one clock

Date Belt Gym Location Role
White Tamaso's MMA Fairhope, AL High school junior, working at Baumhower's Wings.
Blue Bagram BJJ Bagram, Afghanistan Veteran and contractor in Afghanistan, keeping Army helicopters in top shape as an aviation backshop mechanic.
Purple Bagram BJJ Bagram, Afghanistan Backshop manager leading multiple shops and 20+ personnel, and teaching BJJ to base personnel at night.
Brown Iron Grip BJJ Fairhope, AL Transitioning into tech through a University of Arizona Cyber Operations degree and the Coding Dojo coding bootcamp.
Black Championship Mixed Martial Arts Daphne, AL Software Engineer at Acentra Health, building healthcare software that integrates care management, utilization management, and prior authorization requests into a single system.

Now

Teaches
Adult no-gi, Tuesday and Thursday mornings, at Championship Mixed Martial Arts
Building
CalCrony: a self-hosted Discord bot for events and RSVPs, with reminders, ICS feeds and Google Calendar free/busy checks. The .NET 10 API is the product; the bot is just a client.
Home lab
Containerized, locked down, and built for high availability. Multiple production-grade sites run on it.
Household
Filled with my patient and loving wife, 5 excitable kids, and 6 fluffy-woofballs (aka dogs)!
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