Author: Charley Nash

The nominations for the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber awards are out! It’s always wonderful to read about the incredible women in our industry, who are making fantastic contributions and paving the way for others. This year we had so many exceptional nominees.

MIWIC24 is sponsored by ThinkCyber, BT and Plexal, in partnership with WiCyS UK & Ireland Affiliate, Assured Intelligence, and the IT Security Guru. It is hosted by Eskenzi PR.

In no particular order, here is PART I of the 2024 shortlist along with snippets of what their nominators had to say about them!

Katie Shanahan, Associate Director of Consulting at Crossword Cybersecurity 

After working in Germany as part of ING’s Communications team and being involved in a migration project, Katie finished her degree and worked at a PropTech start-up, managing numerous responsibilities. Despite being one of the most junior people in the organisation, Katie set up and led the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. After leaving the start-up, Katie moved into Information Security where she has been ever since – supporting clients and delivering value across people, process, and technology. Katie is the youngest ever Associate Director at Crossword Cybersecurity, delivering transformation programmes for clients from start-ups to FTSE 100s. Katie has founded Authentically Me in Cyber Security, a community to enable women and non-binary folks in cyber, information security, and data protection to bring their full selves to work.

“Katie is constantly finding ways to empower people in the cyber security community. Her enthusiasm is infectious and she has led to a ripple effect of other people improving this industry.”

 

Julie Osborne, Director of Security Control Frameworks at Barclays

Julie is an experienced cybersecurity leader, with demonstrated success in leading teams through change and complexity. She is passionately leading on Diversity & Inclusion and focused on youth and talent progression. Julie has been a long-standing member of a mentor program at UTC Reading, guiding students in preparation for a career in the tech sector. She also led the development of a Cyber-based part of the computer science curriculum at UTC Reading, engaging students in creating innovative cyber solutions. Externally, she has just become an affiliate member and ambassador of WiCyS, and is an avid supporter of InClusive inCyber, actively supporting initiatives for diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity. 

“From my very first time speaking to Julie, I could feel the passion, energy and care radiate off her. She is a true inspiration to all, and one of the warmest, loveliest individuals you could ever hope to meet. Everything about her is inspirational. Her capacity for love, care and empathy, her ability to put herself out there, her exceptional talents with people, her fantastic leadership and mentorship capacities, her cyber talents, her career path to date… it’s hard to choose just one thing. The world truly needs more people like her.”

 

Roselle Safran, CEO and Founder of KeyCaliber

Roselle spent a decade as a cybersecurity practitioner and leader before becoming an entrepreneur. She led cybersecurity operations at the Executive Office of the President during the Obama Administration, directing tactical measures and strategic initiatives for protecting and defending the White House’s network.

Prior she managed the computer forensics and malware analysis teams at the Department of Homeland Security’s US-CERT. With an understanding of the needs and technology gaps in the industry, she switched gears to cybersecurity entrepreneurship. The first cybersecurity company she founded was Uplevel Security, which was acquired by McAfee. KeyCaliber is the second cybersecurity start-up she has founded.

“Roselle is a trailblazer as one of very few female entrepreneurs in cybersecurity, and even fewer female serial entrepreneurs. She has come up through the ranks and persevered in many challenging environments. She uses her experience to give back to the community and encourage other women to enter and excel in the industry.”

 

Madihah Mohd Saudi, Professor, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM)

As a Professor in the Information Security & Assurance Programme at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), she drives innovation in both realms. Her tenure as USIM’s former Chief Information Officer(CIO) and USIM’s Board of Committee Member,  underscores her visionary integration of technology, strategic plan, education and cybersecurity. Her interests are in malware, computer security, machine learning and artificial immune system (AIS). She has produced numerous papers at international level. She is currently actively involved with building cybersecurity solutions for children’s cyber-criminal sexual abuse, with the cooperation of Royal Police Malaysia and CyberSecurity Group, Bristol,UK. 

“Prof. Madihah’s influence resonates across borders, shaping a brighter future in cybersecurity and education. Her legacy of knowledge, mentorship, and global collaboration continues to guide aspiring minds and professionals alike.”

 

Meera Sarma, Founder/CTO at Cystel Limited

Meera has a background in both physics and cybersecurity, Dr. Sarma is a pioneer in the field of cybersecurity and quantum computing. Her career has included producing groundbreaking research on hackers, contributing to the UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, consulting with the EU Commission and supervising over 15 doctoral researchers in cybersecurity and related areas, demonstrating her technical expertise. In 2023, Dr.Sarma represented the UK on the LATM trade mission, showcasing her leadership on the global stage, in the new field of cybersecurity and quantum computing.

“She is a role model for BAME women in STEM. Her achievements in physics and cybersecurity demonstrate technical excellence in fields where women are still underrepresented, particularly in the BAME community.”

 

Neha Mehta, Assistant Manager at Deloitte LLP

Neha is an experienced PAM professional with strong focus on CyberArk, Delinea, Arcos, Okta, MicroFocus NetIQ, BeyondTrust, and other IAM/PAM products. Neha has a proven track record in leading PAM and IAM teams establishing business requirements, developing processes, designing and implementing IAM/PAM solutions and delivering successful projects across a range of industries. Highly skilled in collaborating with cross-functional teams to understand business needs and develop effective IAM/PAM strategies. Not only this, but Neha moved from India during the pandemic, securing an exceptional role in an industry she was fairly new to.

“Overcoming geographical and educational barriers, she not only attained a reputable position but also embraced the chance to contribute significantly to a field initially unfamiliar to her.”

 

Anne-Marie O’Donnell, Cybersecurity Consultant BH Consulting

Anne-Marie completed a Masters degree in Applied Cyber Security and is passionate about computer security, working in the industry for the past 3 years. She is a keen participant in capture the flag hacking events and a regular attendee at security conferences nationally and internationally. Anne-Marie has an extensive administrative background but is now pursuing a career as a Cybersecurity Consultant.

“She is a wonderful role model for anyone considering a move into cyber and for anyone returning to the workplace after an extended break.”

 

Arati Chavan, VP, Information Security  at McKesson

Arati is an accomplished technology executive renowned for her visionary leadership in the security and technology space. With a proven track record, she drives strategic technology initiatives that harmonise with organisational objectives, ensuring impeccable risk management and regulatory compliance. She is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and nurturing talent, a key driver for achieving high-performance outcomes. Arati has been active contributor to CSA, ISACA, and the Cloud Security Alliance.

“She is an inspiring leader that has impacted and inspired people around her for performance excellence and always instilled the feeling of community.”

 

Emma (Yuan) Fang, senior security architect, EPAM Systems

Emma is a seasoned cloud security professional with a track record of over 10 years of experience in security architecture & strategies, application security, cloud security and incident response domains. She is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and an active member of the security community (ISC2, OWASP and Cloud Security Alliance). She has previously delivered public seminars/technical talks at security meetups and UK university. She’s also joined WiCyS as an Ambassador.

“Based on my experience in the industry, I’ve observed my male peers confidently highlight their skills and stepping forward for recognition. This is a trend that I believe should be replicated among all genders. My decision to self-nominate serves an act of self-advocacy, and through this act, I hope to inspire others in the field.”

 

Sue Eggers, Cybersecurity at Nationwide Building Society 

Sue has worked for Nationwide since 1978, first joining as a legal assistant. She now works within the SOC team. She is passionate about ensuring colleagues are supported and is highly knowledgeable in cybersecurity.

“Sues endlessly positive attitude. The fact she is hugely supportive of her colleagues but never seeking recognition for her efforts. Her true commitment to Nationwide (she knows the location and branch code for every single Nationwide Branch and we have the most on the UK high street – over 600!)”

 

Vivian Dufour, CEO and Co-Founder of Meterian

Vivian has extensive experience in product management and development. Vivian began her career in 1998 as a Technical Yahoo at Yahoo, where she internationalised US Yahoo! Finance intraday charts C/C++ code for 8 European exchanges and built and launched location-based websites. In 2005, Vivian moved to a Senior Product Manager role at Yahoo!, where they defined digital video experience in hybrid web and mobile app ecosystems and co-led the redesign of LOVEFiLM in the UK and DE. In 2012, they became a Senior Product Manager at LOVEFiLM/Amazon. In 2014, Vivian took on the role of Head of Digital at MINERVA Research Labs, and in 2016, they became Product Manager of Language Learning Solutions for Schools at EF Education First. Most recently, in 2018, they became CEO of Meterian, where they work to automatically identify software security, stability and licence risks.

“Vivian is hugely busy leading Meterian’s investment round and bringing on clients but still invests time in considering what more the company can do to make its recruitment and culture inclusive.” 

 

Jean Mcleod, Founder of Abri CS

Jean is a cybersecurity specialist with a strong foundation in Healthcare Solutions, honoured as a recipient of the ‘Woman in Tech’ Scholarship. Her career journey led her to excel as a Full-Stack Software Engineer, culminating in her Unicorn position. Her professional achievements include spearheading pivotal projects such as ‘Scoping the digital landscape at UHB NHSFT’ and driving a ‘diversity in digital’ initiative to bridge the Tech skills gap. She’s the Founder of three Social Enterprises. 

“Jean is an inspiration for her grit and determination to forge a career in cyber.”

 

Lianne Potter, Head of SecOps, Asda

As the Head of SecOps for the largest greenfield technology transformation project in Europe, Lianne is building a leading edge security team from scratch to meet the needs of a modern retail organisation while empowering her team to think innovatively to create new standards in best practices.

“Lianne has grown a team at Asda that has a 50/50 gender balance, which is notable in cybersecurity. This team is high-performing and award winning, being invited to speak at international conferences. She is at the forefront of looking at how modern SecOps can be leveraged within a huge organisation while still being a key community contributor.”

 

Debby Briggs, CISO of NETSCOUT

Debby has more than two decades of experience in cybersecurity and celebrates her 20th year at NETSCOUT in 2024. Before joining NETSCOUT, Briggs held various roles within IT security departments, including network administration and IT infrastructure positions at leading companies including HealthSource and RSA. Briggs is also a patent owner for technology using trust profiles for network breach detection.

“She not only does her job extremely well, she also inspires by spreading the knowledge she has gained to other women. She is also involved in numerous charities that help the underprivileged.”

 

Stephanie Luangraj, CEO and Founder of WomenWhoSecure

Stephanie is an innovative cybersecurity professional driven by a passion for safeguarding digital landscapes and mitigating emerging threats. Stephanie’s expertise extends beyond traditional cybersecurity roles, as she is fascinated by the intricate process of software sales and is dedicated to staying at the forefront of new threats and ransomware developments. Beyond being a great practitioner, Stephanie is the Founder and CEO of WomenWhoSecure, a platform dedicated to empowering and advocating for diversity within the cybersecurity industry. She’s also host of the popular WomenWhoSecure podcast.

“Stephanie’s advocacy for diversity and inclusion goes beyond rhetoric—it’s a celebration.”

 

Jaspreet Kaur, Academic and Scholar

Jaspreet is a security professional with experience in a variety of roles, including an academic, researcher, consultant, writer, bug hunter, reviewer, and keen learner. She believes in continuous learning and knowledge sharing. 

 

Nurit Bielorai, Product Manager at Aqua Security

Nurit is an expert in supply chain security, having been in security her entire career. Nurit is motivated by working with her peers and is unafraid of experiencing new things (she moved from Panama to Israel by herself at age 17). She has created and presented talks to numerous industries and companies regarding the difficulties facing companies in the cloud native security journey.

“Her dedication to customer needs and understanding the threat landscape in order to educate the community is second to none.”

 

Rebecca Taylor, Threat Intelligence Knowledge Manager, Secureworks

Rebecca Taylor is Threat Intelligence Knowledge Manager for Secureworks®, and an ambitious champion for women and diversity in cybersecurity. Her passion to support diversity in the workplace is evidenced in her own career path. Having studied creative writing alongside psychology and business, Rebecca worked a few roles before joining Secureworks in 2014 as an executive administrative assistant. She quickly realised that cyber security was an industry she not only wanted to work for, but one she wanted to work in. 

“Rebecca cares. She will always help anyone and finds time to be there personally and professionally.”

 

Grace Hulse, Senior Manager of Incident Response at KPMG 

Before entering the cybersecurity industry, Grace worked for Greater Manchester Police for nearly two decades. Now, she’s vowed, both professionally (through work in the private sector) and personally, to help and support the local community with knowledge and advice on being cyber secure. During the pandemic, she worked with small businesses to provide support to be more resilient. Grace has also worked with students and universities to support and create the next generation of cybersecurity talents in the northwest. 

“Grace has consistently demonstrated exemplary leadership in the field, placing a strong emphasis on fostering a people-centric approach to management. Her dedication to developing and mentoring others within the team is truly commendable, as she routinely goes above and beyond to ensure the growth and success of her colleagues.”

 

Nikki Webb, Global Channel Manager at Custodian360

Nikki, as the founder of the Cyber House Party and part of The Beer Farmers, passionately commits to community building in cybersecurity. Alongside her day job, she ensures these events cater to all industry members, strongly advocating the message that “no one is left behind.” Her dual roles significantly contribute to the cybersecurity community by fostering inclusivity, support, and collaboration, enhancing the industry’s collective strength and diversity. 

“Nikki embodies the spirit of inspiration through her selfless contributions, impactful mentorship, and unwavering advocacy for inclusivity and advancement.”

 

Illyana Mullins, Founder, WiTCH (Women in Tech and Cyber Hub) 

Since being crowned ‘one to watch’ in 2022, Illyana has founded WiTCH, a not-for-profit group that supports women reskilling into cybersecurity and encourages retention and keeping women in cyber. She is also the founder of BSides Cheltenham, a not-for-profit cyber security conference. The event is a day of networking, development and talks (completely free of charge for attendees). 

Additionally, she is also the new Bristol and Bath Cyber Community Lead working with TechSpark to help grow the cyber security community in the South West hosting events, and working closely with other cyber clusters through the UKC3 in order to create a more unified cyber security community. 

“Nothing ever seems to get her down and despite adversity always seems to come back with more passion and energy.” 

 

Chiedza Kambasha, Senior Partner & Lead Crisis Consultant, AKG Global

For more than 15 years, Chiedza has counselled presidents and world leaders through global crises, advised Fortune 50 CEOs through complex challenges across the diverse African market, and helped manage the reputations of some of the world’s highest-profile individuals. She is also a multi-award winning entrepreneur, international businesswoman and speaker . When Chiedza is not fixing international crises she’s overseeing the development of her multifaceted business interests at The Chiedza Kambasha Group (CKG) whose interests and operations are across retail, agri-business, mining, healthcare, education and real estate.

“Chiedza Kambasha has contributed immensely through her personal development skills fund and the use of technology as a catalyst to unlock potential across all communities, in the cyber security community space. She is a visionary and trailblazer in the field of innovation and cybersecurity, whose unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence have transformed the landscape of cybersecurity -based strategy and innovation in across West and Central Africa.”

 

Ebony Steventon, Cyber Crime Support Officer, Regional Cyber Crime Unit (RCCU)

Ebony entered the industry fresh from her forensic undergraduates degree, with no prior technical knowledge or experience. In her role at the RCCU, Ebony is responsible for increasing awareness of the current cyber threat landscape and empowering organisations in increasing their digital awareness.

“Ebony is always willing to go the extra mile and do what hasn’t been done before. Recently, she delivered cyber advice to a group of adults with learning disabilities, as she felt this was a group that received limited support in regard to cyber. I admire Ebony because she is never afraid of a challenge, and is always eager to help everyone. I also find the way she has immersed herself into this industry admirable, as she conducts herself as if she has been in cyber for years! Her confidence and knowledge is a true testament to her attitude towards cyber.”

 

Patricia Schouker, Vice President Alliances & Strategic Partnerships, PolySwarm

Patricia is leading PolySwarm’s business development efforts and strategic initiatives. With her extensive background in cyber and energy security, she brings a wealth of experience from her work in Fortune 500 and Public sector environments. Beyond her work in business development and strategy, Patricia is dedicated to advancing the OT/ICS security community. She actively shares her insights and expertise through various channels, including presenting at webinars and podcasts, authoring articles and publications on OT/IIoT security topics, and engaging in online forums and groups centred on IT/OT security. Additionally, Patricia is an esteemed member of Future Congress, actively promoting science and technology expertise in the U.S. legislative branch.

“Patricia is a visionary who is actively helping to improve global threat detection by building a global network of security experts utilising PolySwarm’s decentralised & crowdsourced threat detection platform that is replacing VirusTotal.”

 

Amy Stokes-Waters, CEO, Esc. (The Cyber Escape Room Co.)

With over a decade of experience in the IT sector, Amy’s built a reputation as a force of nature, disrupting the industry with her no nonsense approach. Her past roles cover sales, marketing and project management, and with a network that’s tough to rival, she knows how to make things happen.  An advocate for bringing more women and minorities into cyber, Amy speaks about diversity and inclusion regularly, both at events and on social media.

“I am inspired by her thirst to always do better and keep pushing the business forward.”

 

Dr Andrea Cullen, CEO and Co-Founder, CAPSLOCK

Andrea is not only Co-Founder and CEO of CAPSLOCK, but also a tutor at the reskilling company. Andrea has experience in people, technology and process related cybersecurity. Andrea was a computer science lecturer and has a PhD in Ops Management which is all about process development and people.

“Andrea is opening up the world of cyber to people who would have not considered this as a career path before by making reskilling accessible. She is changing people’s lives for the better.”

 

Lorna Armitage, COO & Co-Founder CAPSLOCK 

Lorna is Co-Founder, COO and Lead Tutor at CAPSLOCK. Lorna has an extensive background in education and cybersecurity. Lorna was a senior lecturer in computer science and cybersecurity at a university for many years. However, she’s also been a cybersecurity consultant. She’s passionate about tech, especially the human side of technology. 

“Her leadership has seen CAPSLOCK change lives through giving them practical cyber skills that lead to jobs. She is passionate about making the UK more fair and making sure those from disadvantaged backgrounds have a fair choice. She has also been vocal about bias amongst investors in the media, campaigning for investors to be more conscious about their bias.”

 

Lisa Ventura MBE, Founder of Cyber Security Unity Limited 

Lisa’s career in cybersecurity has been wide and varied, spanning over two decades. Lisa entered cybersecurity in 2009 when she worked in an operations/marketing role at Titania Ltd. Her passion is the human aspect of cybersecurity and, as a result, aims to raise awareness of growing cyber threats that impact the lives of many people worldwide. Lisa has also founded Cyber Security Unity, a global community of cybersecurity professionals that aims to unite the industry worldwide. She’s also host of an InfoSec Lunch Hour and was honoured with an MBE for her work in cybersecurity and diversity. 

“Lisa has a tremendous amount of resilience, tenacity and kindness. She will help anyone who needs it without question.”

 

Laure Lydon Senior Director, Security Governance & Assurance – Babylon

Laure Lydon is Senior Director of Security Governance and Assurance at Babylon. An expert in information security transformation, cyber risk management and security governance, Laure helps organisations to maximise the effectiveness and value of their security resources. Her career spans two decades, having held international, senior security management roles within healthcare, technology, communications and logistics. Laure is an active advocate on international security policy, including cyber risk management regulation and secure software development, and a passionate champion of diversity and inclusion in security. 

“Laure is a driving force in the cyber security industry and women in cybersecurity initiatives. She’s often the one putting in a ton of effort behind the scenes but rarely gets the public credit she deserves. Personally, she has been my mentor whilst building up the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) UKI Affiliate and without her we wouldn’t have grown to where we are today.”

 

Sonakshi Kashkari, Senior Manager of Cyber Partnerships, at Standard Chartered Bank 

An experienced Cyber security advisory consultant with a passion for exploring and solving complex information security challenges. Sonakshi has experience in providing guidance and subject matter expertise in cyber, technology and third-party risk governance and strategy for business and risk owners across industries.

“Sonakshi is an up and coming cyber professional whose passion and dedication for the industry is mirrored the work and initiatives she’s involved with. In her professional life she has accelerated her career and within 5 years of working in the industry she’s now a Senior Manager. Having worked with Sonakshi in her volunteering with the WiCyS UKI Team it’s clear why she has accelerated in this manner. She’s passionate, driven and just gets on with it! I’m happy to say she’s now working in an interim Board role at WiCyS UKI and I look forward to seeing where she progresses in the future.”

 

Hazel McPherson, CISO of ALD Automotive and Director of 4FOX Security 

Hazel is a senior Information Security expert with over 20 years of experience in technology and security. As the Chief Information Security Officer at ALD Automotive in the UK, she is responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of the organisation’s information and cyber security initiatives, ensuring the protection of people, critical assets and customer data. Throughout her extensive career Hazel has demonstrated a relentless commitment to enhancing the security posture of all organisations she has worked with, but also building the on the industry body of knowledge in a number of domains. 

“Hazel is one of the less public stars of security. She quietly just gets on with helping people and growing the community. She always has time for people who need help and support, and appreciates people for who they. She sees the strengths in us all, and has a unique way of helping us shine.”

 

The post Meet This Year’s Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Nominees: Part 1 first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post Meet This Year’s Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Nominees: Part 1 appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Eskenzi PR are proud to announce that ThinkCyber, the innovators of measurable secure behaviour change with their Redflags® software, and Plexal, the innovation company solving society’s challenges through collaboration with government, start-ups and industry, have joined BT as sponsors for this year’s Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards. The event, held at the iconic BT Tower on the 27th February 2024, aims to celebrate trailblazers from across the cybersecurity industry. Previously announced media partners include the IT Security Guru, Assured Intelligence, and Women in Cybersecurity UK & Ireland Affiliate (WiCyS).

In a year when budgets are getting tighter and reports are suggesting that Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives are falling by the wayside, events like the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber are more vital than ever. Without supporters, such events would be unable to happen. With so much appetite for such events, yet a reluctance to fund them, Eskenzi PR is excited to reveal this year’s panel discussion: Active Allyship: Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. The discussion aims to shape the conversation around accessibility for women in cybersecurity and creating an industry that works for all, not just some.

So far, speakers on the panel include:

  • Stephanie Itimi, Founder and Chair at Seidea CIC
  • Aurorah Cheney, Security Strategy and Growth Director at BT
  • Lucy Finlay, Client Delivery Director, Secure Behaviour and Analytics, at ThinkCyber
  • Diane Gilbert, Innovation Ecosystem Lead at Plexal

The panel will be chaired by Eskenzi PR’s Co-Founder, Yvonne Eskenzi.

Tim Ward, CEO and Co-Founder of ThinkCyber, says: “At ThinkCyber we have the pleasure of seeing first hand, in the more people centric side of cyber, the significant value of diversity in the industry. We have previously found ways to support WiCyS in their great work and now I’m genuinely excited to be part of this hugely important event celebrating women in cyber. The event creates a high-profile forum for women in cyber and their allies to come together and network. But even more importantly it offers us a chance to recognise and celebrate some incredible people and their inspiring achievements.”

Diane Gilbert, Innovation Ecosystem Lead at Plexal, says: “A key element of my role requires relationship building, closing the opportunity gap between founders from across the UK-wide cyber ecosystem for them to equitably make the right connections to achieve growth.

“Ensuring our talent pool is diverse is important to me personally and professionally and it’s a core focus through Cyber Runway, which we deliver on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Therefore, I’m proud that a third of the more than 200 companies to join the programme have been female-led and I’m incredibly excited to extend our support to women in the cyber security space even further through the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards, an event that’s sure to be a celebration to remember. I look forward to talking all things allyship with my fellow panellists on the night and wish the nominees all the best!”

On the night, 20 inspiring women and 5 ones to watch will be honoured. A special award, The Paula Brici: Cyber Marketeer of the Year, will be given to an exceptional in-house cybersecurity marketeer, in honour of Eskenzi PR colleague, Paula Brici.

After the panel discussion and subsequent awards ceremony, guests will be invited up to the top of the BT Tower for networking and refreshments. Nominees are encouraged to bring someone with them who they feel may benefit from networking at such an esteemed event.

The post ThinkCyber and Plexal Join BT as Sponsors of The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards 2024 first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post ThinkCyber and Plexal Join BT as Sponsors of The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards 2024 appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Over the last four years, The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards have celebrated some of most inspirational women from across the cybersecurity industry. From CISOs to students, the awards aim to celebrate everyone, no matter what stage of their career they may be at. In previous years, notable winners have included SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4, Anna Collard (who has gone on to champion wellbeing in cybersecurity), Anne Woodley, Senior Security Specialist at Microsoft, and 2022 ‘One to Watch’ Illyana Mullins, who went on to found WiTCH  (Women in Tech & Cyber Hub).

With nominations open for this year’s awards, we spoke to two very inspiring previous winners: Paula Page, Director of Operations at Cyndicate Labs, and 2022 One to Watch Tamzin Greenfield, Cyber Security Analyst at Cyber Security Associates.

What have you been up to since being named as one of the top 20 Most Inspiring Women in Cyber 2022?

PAULA: Since being named one of the top 20 Most Inspiring Women in Cyber 2022, quite a lot has changed for me. Having been in my previous role for 5 years, and having thoroughly enjoyed it, I was already thinking about what I wanted long term career wise but that all too common enemy of a lot of women that we know and love, imposter syndrome, was sitting on my shoulder, not so quietly chanting away. This award was really appreciated and genuinely helped to give me a bit of a push to listen to myself and to believe that I would know when the time was right to make the change.  During the Summer of 2023, after lots of thought and consideration, I took a deep breath and started the ball rolling.

I was pleased to have a number of really interesting offers to join businesses of varying type & sizes, but one really stood out, not least due to the fact I knew the guys really well having worked together previously. More importantly, I believed that we were aligned in what we wanted to build and how we wanted to be different.  So, in November I joined Cyndicate Labs as the third Director and have the most exciting opportunity ahead of me, working with people I admire and trust, with a very real work life balance that is at the top of the list of importance for me & my family.

It has been the perfect move for me both career wise and personally and am enjoying every moment of the journey.

TAMZIN: The biggest thing has definitely been my graduation from my apprenticeship. I sat my EPA exams in July and passed with a merit, and had my graduation ceremony in November, so it was a long couple of months waiting for the day I could officially take off my “apprentice” label! I also started working with groups such as the Cyber Helpline and was chosen to be Chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s apprenticeship panel for the last quarter of my apprenticeship. Once I graduated, I was promoted into a Senior and Shift Lead role in the SOC where I’ve worked, and it’s been great to take such a significant step forward in my career.

I’ve been taking a little break from being quite as active in the community just to get back in touch with the hobbies I put aside during the apprenticeship, and to make some space for myself, but I’m excited to sink my teeth back into all the community has to offer and use my new role to give back to younger people in the form of mentorship and support!

What did winning the award mean to you?

PAULA: The award really did mean a lot. I’m approached fairly often with ‘You’ve Been Shortlisted’ emails and you read them and there is always a pound sign attached. I don’t want to be recognised because I have paid, so the fact that my first award in my career was one which was via a real and genuine nomination process, followed by shortlisting, meant a great deal.  I have the award on a shelf by my desk and it genuinely makes me smile when I see it.  It may not be much in the eyes of some, but for me, it’ll always be quite special.  Especially as our daughter was so excited by it and asked if she could take it to school for a project they were working on about female representation – this is why it matters.

TAMZIN: I was so surprised to be awarded One to Watch, it didn’t quite hit me until I was on the train home! It really was such an honour, and it reminded me that I’m surrounded by such a wonderful, uplifting community of women in cyber. Sometimes it can be hard for me to let other people in, and I like to be the one fixing and supporting, which can feel isolating. Just being in that room made me realise how much community action has changed the face of cyber, and that it isn’t something that one person can fix alone.

What do you think should happen in 2024 to further support women in the industry?

PAULA: I think there’s unfortunately a lot of talk and a lot less action around this topic.  It’s like flexible working, it feels like it’s become somewhat of a ‘buzz word (phrase)’ which companies are happy to put on their marketing and shout about but don’t then actually put into play.

For me, promoting education and training is right at the heart. We shouldn’t just be looking at supporting women already in the industry, we should be looking to engage students during their education. I do a lot of work with local schools around this and have supported teams of girls through Cyber Centurion and ran Cyber Awareness Career days where students have genuinely gone on to choose subjects which will help them progress into a career in the industry. With a show of hands, it’s painfully clear how many girls aren’t aware of the options open to them in the Cyber world, so I think that’s a huge step we need to take.

For the women already in the industry, visibility and representation really matters. Keynote speakers and panel members, subject matter experts talking about their passion.  But can it please not always be about being a women in cyber?! I get asked to speak on this subject so often I now barely even reply to them requests. Talk to us about our experience, our love of the industry, what we have done in our careers, don’t try and tick a box by wheeling us out like the token female show pony, it’s insulting.

Finally, although I could go on and on, the one closest to my heart is real, genuine, and supported flexible working opportunities. Again, it’s an easy win when you’re putting your job description together but think about how it actually pans out in reality within your business.  Is it genuinely flexible? The number one thing I focus on when building a team is this, no matter the make up of the team, but given that such a huge number of women are still the ones which take on the vast majority of the unpaid labour that is done, be it childcare or housework or caring for a family member or friend, we are disproportionately affected by the traditional Monday – Friday 9 -5 working pattern.  Culture is at the heart of everything for me, both for my teams and my clients, and the most repeated feedback I ever receive is just how life changing that freedom and flexibility can be for people. It’s not difficult to do if you’re committed to it and all too easy to complicate and define as impossible if flexibility is just a buzz word you throw around. Be honest, be open, trust the people you have hired to deliver quality work and have a personal life at the same time and you will see everyone benefit.

TAMZIN: I would love to see greater recognition from national figureheads about the importance of awards that highlight underrepresented groups, just like the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber awards. Many award groups (such as the fantastic National Cyber Security Awards) are recognised by important leaders and people such as Cyber Crime Leaders and the Prime Minister – it would be fantastic to see this reflected for awards and groups that are primarily composed of or support marginalised and underrepresented groups. Women have worked hard to make space in this male dominated industry, and I think it’s time that this effort is rewarded; especially with regards to women who spend so much of their time uplifting other women in the industry, such as everyone in Eskenzi PR!

Know an inspirational woman? This year’s awards are still open for nominations! Deadline: 31st January 2024, 5pm GMT. Nominations open worldwide.

Nominations form for this year’s Most Inspiring Women in Cyber: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeys7cYAH66ZGKtajMJ2p7SsDFZrNBdKJHZP7gxFyoHXqCsug/viewform

Nominations form for The Paula Brici Cyber Marketeer of the Year Award can be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemylBi6TrrPkoBFKEaawD0_ep2e7erZNv9nlUggDkSJ6oJOA/viewform

 

The post Previous Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Winners: Where Are They Now? first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post Previous Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Winners: Where Are They Now? appeared first on IT Security Guru.

According to Gartner’s projections, by the close of 2024, more than 40% of enterprises are expected to have well-defined strategies for Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) adoption. This is a substantial leap from the mere 1% reported in 2018. Cato, recognized as the “poster child” of SASE by Forrester Research, has seen the extraordinary surge in SASE’s popularity. This surge is evident not only in its adoption by organizations of all sizes but also in the increasing number of requests from third-party vendors eager to integrate SASE into their software solutions.

This is where Cato API comes into play, seamlessly delivering the Cato SASE Experience to third parties through a planned approach. The convergence of security and networking information within a singular API not only reduces costs but also streamlines data retrieval. It is this same blend of elegance, agility, and intelligence that characterizes the Cato SASE Experience. In the past year, nearly a dozen technology vendors, including Artic Wolf, Axonius, Google, Rapid7, Sekoia, and Sumo Logic, have unveiled Cato integrations. Cato’s channel partners, such as UK-based Wavenet, have independently executed internal integrations, reporting substantial improvements in return on investment (ROI).

“So many of vendors who didn’t give us the time-of-day are now approaching and telling us that their customers are demanding they integrate with Cato,” says Peter Lee, worldwide strategic sales engineer and Cato’s subject matter expert on the Cato API. 

One single API 

Cato delivers a one API that retrieves worldwide security, networking, and access data for any site, user, or cloud resource in a single converged platform. Developers can make a single request to obtain information on a specific object, class of events, or timeframe—whether pertaining to any location, user, or cloud entity, or encompassing all objects within their Cato SASE Cloud account.

This singular “window into the Cato world” stands as a distinctive hallmark of a genuine SASE platform. Cato’s commitment to convergence is evident in the creation of a unified API, enabling access to events related to SD-WAN and networking, as well as security events from our SWG, CASB, DLP, RBI, ZTNA/SDP, IPS, NGAM, and FWaaS capabilities. All delivered in a consistent format and structure for immediate processing.

In contrast, approaches centered around individual products require developers to submit multiple requests for each product and every location. Separate requests would be made for firewall events, IPS events, and connectivity events for each enterprise location. Managing multiple locations entails initiating distinct requests. Additionally, each product provides data in a varied format and structure, demanding additional investment to standardize them prior to processing.

Better ROI

The difference between the two is more than semantic; it reflects on the bottom line. Just ask Charlie Riddle. Riddle heads up product integration for Wavenet, a UK-based MSP offering a converged managed SOC service based on Microsoft and Cato SASE Cloud.  

He had a customer who switched from ingesting data from legacy firewalls to ingesting data from Cato. “Cato’s security logs are so efficient that when ingested into our 24/7 Managed Security Operations Centre (SOC), a 500-user business with 20+ sites saved £2,000 (about $2,500) per month, about 30% of the total SOC cost, just in Sentinel log ingestion charges,” he says.

For Cato customers, Wavenet found it sufficient to feed the SIEM with log data rather than the complete network telemetry data, ensuring precise event correlation. Since Wavenet oversees both the Cato network and the SOC, its SOC team can directly leverage Cato’s security tools for investigating and responding to alerts, rather than depending solely on EDR software or the SIEM. This integrated management of network and security not only enhances threat detection and response but also leads to cost savings.

Addressing a range of use cases

Delivering security, networking, and access data via one interface has resulted in a variety of third-party integrations. SIEMs rely on incorporating Cato data for comprehensive incident and event management, while detection and response mechanisms leverage Cato data to pinpoint threats. Asset management systems utilize Cato data to monitor network assets effectively.

Sekoia.io XDR, for example, ingests and enriches Cato SASE Cloud log and alerts to fuel their detection engines. “The one-click “cloud to cloud” integration between Cato SASE Cloud and Sekoia.io XDR allows our customers to leverage the valuable data produced by their Cato solutions and drastically improve their detection and orchestration capabilities within a modern SOC platform,” Georges Bossert, CTO of Sekoia.io, a European cybersecurity company. 

Another vendor, Sumo Logic, ingests Cato’s security and audit events, making it easy for users to add mission-critical context about their SASE deployment to existing security analytics, automatically correlate Cato security alerts with other signals in Sumo Logic’s Cloud SIEM, and simplify audit and compliance workflows.

“Capabilities delivered via a SASE leader like Cato Networks has become a critical part of modern organizations’ response to remote work, cloud migration initiatives, and the overall continued growth of SaaS applications required to run businesses efficiently,” said Drew Horn, Senior Director of Technology Alliances, Sumo Logic. “We’re excited to partner with Cato Networks and enable our joint customers the ability to effectively ensure compliance and more quickly investigate potential threats across their applications, infrastructure and digital workforce.”

The post Expanding Reach and Reducing Costs: Cato Enhances Capabilities with Latest Third-Party Integrations first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post Expanding Reach and Reducing Costs: Cato Enhances Capabilities with Latest Third-Party Integrations appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Today, BT and Netskope have announced a partnership to bring Netskope’s Security Service Edge (SSE) capabilities to BT’s global customers. The partnership follows a number of large customer implementations where the two companies have already collaborated to successfully meet the security and access needs of large enterprises.

BT’s data shows that hybrid working is now a requirement for 76% of global workers, which is driving a requirement for more agile, secure connectivity. SSE helps deliver an excellent user experience by keeping workers productive while providing increased visibility and control of network, applications, and data.

The partnership will leverage Netskope’s SSE leadership and global security private cloud footprint NewEdge, along with BT’s global footprint and deep, established relationships with some of the world’s largest organisations. BT provides managed telecommunications, security and network and IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries. Netskope Intelligent SSE provides granular visibility and real-time data and threat protection for cloud services, websites, and private apps accessed from anywhere, on any device.

This news comes after Netskope recently unveiled their Next Gen SASE Branch, a major step forward in infrastructure that uses Netskope’s award-winning Borderless SD-WAN to transform how organisations manage their most critical networking and security functions and optimise enterprise branches everywhere. Additionally, Netskope already integrates with many of BT’s strategic vendors and technology integration partners including Microsoft, AWS, and CrowdStrike, enabling it to easily become a part of customers’ technology stack.

Tristan Morgan, MD Security at BT added, “Security transformation is high on the priority list for organisations globally, as they look to address the challenges of the fast evolving modern enterprise. We pride ourselves on partnering with the best technology innovators globally, to ensure our customers stay ahead of the threat landscape, and so we are very pleased to be adding a leader in SSE to our portfolio.”

Tausif Awan, Global Solution Sales Director at BT commented, “BT’s focus is always on providing strong connectivity with the best possible experiences for our customers. Increasingly, for our business customers that means helping them navigate the access needs of a hybrid workforce while ensuring the safety of corporate systems and data. We are always working to ensure we are partnered with the market leading technology innovators to be able to meet our customers’ needs, and Netskope will be an important partner for us moving forward.”

Dave Rogers, SVP Alliances and Global Channel Sales at Netskope commented, “We’re excited to strengthen our collaboration with BT, addressing a key concern for global CIOs and CISOs: security transformation. BT clients will benefit from robust security measures to minimize the risk of cyber threats while aiding in meeting compliance standards, and employees will see a boost in productivity via excellent user experiences.”

The post Netskope and BT Partner to Provide Secure Managed Services to the Modern Hybrid Enterprise first appeared on IT Security Guru.

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According to research by the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec), cybersecurity professionals report that the industry is “booming”, but 22% of staff report to work unsafe hours. This research, revealed in the Security Profession Survey 2022-2023, gives an insight into the state of the industry at present.

In times of economic turmoil, it’s natural to worry. Recent statistics have shown that around 1 in 10 members of the general public are considering turning to ‘illegal or illicit online behaviour’ in order to help manage the fallout from the cost of living crisis. This indicates that many may resort to cybercrime if things got too bad financially, which is bad news for already overstretched cyber professionals. The CIISec report backs this up. According to the report, cybersecurity professionals are concerned, especially, around an increased risk from fraud (identified by 78%) and insider threats (58%).

But who will suffer most in the case of increased threats? The report suggests that smaller businesses will be impacted most. Given that those will less funds may have less resources to protect against threats and are, ultimately, less able to withstand and recover from an attack.

Worry seems to go hand-in-hand with the role of a security professional, extra worry around economic situations doesn’t help. Fortunately, the CIISec survey found that almost 80% of professions say that they have ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ career prospects, and over 84% say the industry is ‘growing’ or ‘booming’. The report claims that professionals believe security function is largely “recession-proof”.

Despite optimism around economic uncertainty, the report continues to highlight that the industry is still plagued by issues including stress and overwork. 22% of respondents work more than the 48 hours per week mandated by the UK Government, and 8% work more than 55 hours which, according to the World Health Organisation, marks the boundary between safe and unsafe working hours.

Additionally, recent research by Centripetal found that 90% of cybersecurity professionals work while on holiday. Only 9% of professionals said that they never checked their communications (Slack, email, other work comms) whilst on leave.

We often accept cybersecurity to be a round the clock exercise that professionals feel great responsibility for. The Centripetal survey found that Almost a third (32%) of the cybersecurity professionals we surveyed said their personal lives are interrupted by work every night. This number rises to 70% when asked if they are impacted at least once a week. Evidently, professionals can’t switch off. With questions of personal responsibility rising again (see the Solar Winds CISO SEC case), it’s no wonder that professionals continue to be burnt out.

Earlier this year, Cato Networks released an eBook on how CIOs can tackle IT burnout head on. Demetris Booth, Product Marketing Director at Cato Networks in APAC, in a blog on the topic, suggested that the “cycle of mundane activities” can leave professionals feeling “unchallenged.”

“Instead of having IT teams fill the time with endless maintenance and monitoring, CIOs can focus their IT teams on work that achieves larger business objectives. SASE automates repetitive tasks, which frees up IT to focus on strategic business objectives. In addition, the repetitive tasks become less prone to manual errors.”

Booth also suggests that worry, for the c-suite, can often come from talent retention concerns. He says:

“Providing training and professional development helps IT professionals succeed, which in turn, may motivate them to remain in their roles longer, according to a recent LinkedIn survey. These benefits are felt everywhere and by everyone from the IT professional who receives more at-work satisfaction, to CIOs who don’t have to backfill the skills gaps externally. This enables the organisation to achieve ambitious plans for growth and business continuity through technology.”

This is something that is echoed by the CIISec report, which suggests that the industry is suffering from a lack of skills, rather than people.

Additionally, celebrating professionals may be an easy way for bosses to keep staff happy. Cybersecurity, after all, is often deemed a thankless task. Booth advises: “If your IT team is receiving negative feedback from users, they might be feeling stressed out. Poor network performance, security false positives and constant user complaints can leave them feeling dread and anxiety about that next “emergency” phone call.” Booth advises that tools can be used to reduce this burden.

Finally, ‘people’ are the industry’s biggest weapons and challenge. Cybersecurity professionals are doing great things, but there’s a concern around accidental insider threats and mistakes being made as a result of burnout. In the CIISec report, 71% of respondents say “people” are the biggest challenge they face in security, as the industry continues to both battle a skills shortage and educate their colleagues. This is compared to process (21%) – where organisations are struggling to implement best practices that will reduce risk. Only 8% of cyber security professionals believe technology is a challenge.

The post Half of Cybersecurity Professionals Kept Awake By Workload Worries first appeared on IT Security Guru.

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At the IT Security Guru we’re showcasing organisations that are passionate about making cybersecurity a healthier, more mindful industry. This week, Gemma Gilderdale, Head of People at Pentest People, spoke to the Gurus about Pentest People’s innovative wellbeing support, the future of cybersecurity, and why nurturing new talent is key.

Many organisation’s view wellbeing as a tick-box exercise at most, if specifically considered at all. Budgets are tight, resources are stretched, so naturally wellbeing (often deemed a ‘luxury’) is pushed down the pecking order of priorities – for better or worse. However, for Pentest People wellbeing initiatives are seen as a vital part of their work culture. According to Gilderdale: “Proactively prioritising the wellbeing of our staff and creating a healthy and happy team is essential for achieving success in the cybersecurity industry.”

Putting People First

The Pentest People wellbeing initiative heavily focuses on people. They truly put people first. For employees, free gym memberships are available to support physical and mental health. Cybersecurity is often deemed a thankless industry, with little thought spared for the people who keep us all safe until it’s too late and an incident happens. At Pentest People, recognising talent and thanking staff is ingrained in the culture, from the top down.

“Recognising and rewarding our team’s hard work and dedication is another key aspect of our approach to employee well-being. Based on feedback from our staff, we have implemented initiatives to acknowledge and celebrate their achievements more frequently. This not only boosts morale but also reinforces a culture of appreciation and recognition within the company.”

But Pentest People are open to changing their policies for the better, if necessary. Gilderdale explains: “We’ve also collaborated with Investors in People which has provided us with valuable insights, highlighting areas for improvement and affirming our strengths in supporting employee wellbeing. Regular one-on-one sessions have also played a crucial role in fostering stronger connections and open communication among our team members.”

Investors in People is a standard for people management. They offer accreditation to organisations who fulfil various requirements and show active commitment to bettering the workplace.

Mindfully Curating The Workspace

Pentest People’s commitment to wellbeing extends to the workspace – physical and digital. As Gilderdale explains: “We understand the importance of a positive and interactive work environment. That’s why we have implemented an ‘open dog policy’ to create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. This policy not only allows for a more relaxed and enjoyable workspace but also helps to reduce stress levels and foster a sense of community among our team members.”

When it comes to working with a remote team, Gilderdale adds: “As our business continues to grow, we recognise the importance of maintaining transparent communication and unity, especially in a digitally connected world where a significant portion of our team works remotely. To bridge the geographical gap and bring our teams together, we host an annual conference at our head office. This event covers all travel and accommodation expenses for every team member, allowing them to participate in talks, celebrate achievements, and honour exceptional growth, passion, and dedication. Thanks to valuable feedback, we’ve expanded this conference into a biannual event, which now includes dedicated training days.”

What’s more, this passion extends to finding new talent. Gilderdale continues: “We’re passionate about nurturing cybersecurity expertise and supporting new talent in the field. Our team actively collaborates with local colleges and universities to provide opportunities for aspiring cybersecurity professionals. This includes engaging workshops, presentations, and a dedicated apprenticeship scheme. These initiatives empower people, not just our staff, with practical skills in areas such as ethical hacking, penetration testing, network security, and risk assessment.”

On The Burnout Crisis

The conversation around burnout in cybersecurity is ongoing, with no one quick and easy fix. What Gilderdale recognises is that when it comes to cybercriminal tactics, the human element of cybersecurity is often exploited. They know that security staff are stressed, overworked, and overwhelmed. She says it’s time for leaders to “acknowledge the industry’s skills gap, but we must also recognise that investing more time and resources is crucial in building a larger workforce capable of combating cybercrime on a massive scale, rather than relying on a few individuals who risk burnout. Equally important is ensuring that our teams receive proper training to feel fully equipped with the skills required to tackle the challenges ahead.”

So how can organisation’s support their staff effectively? Gemma’s advice is to be proactive, allow professionals to share or outsource less critical tasks, and implement proper structured break schedules and shift patterns. Evidently, balance is key.

Gilderdale also says a strong security posture is important when it comes to taking the strain away from employees: “The constant state of alertness that comes with cybersecurity work can take a toll on mental well-being. To counteract this, creating a comprehensive security plan is crucial. Such a plan offers a clear and concise roadmap for safeguarding data and systems. It not only helps streamline operations but also provides a sense of direction and purpose, which can be invaluable in preventing burnout.”

The Future of Cybersecurity?

In times of crisis, we must change, adapt and evolve. All cybersecurity professionals know that we must stay one step ahead of cybercriminals, but what about the burnout crisis? Gemma notes: “If nothing changes, the future looks concerning. The relentless pace and high-stakes nature of cyber defence work can lead to severe consequences for both individuals and organisations.”

“Burnout leads to decreased cognitive function, reduced attention to detail, and increased likelihood of mistakes. This translates to a decrease in the overall effectiveness of cybersecurity efforts. Critical vulnerabilities may go unnoticed, and response times to incidents may be compromised.”

Pertaining to her earlier point about the importance of personnel, Gilderdale expresses concern when it comes to talent retention.

“Constant burnout can result in high turnover rates within the industry. Cybersecurity professionals, feeling overwhelmed and undervalued, may seek less demanding roles or leave the field altogether. This will exacerbate the existing skills gap and make it even harder for organisations to find and retain qualified talent.”

Evidently, the ‘People’ of Pentest People are highly valued and prioritised by leaders, for longevity and a securer future for all.

Do you know an organisation that’s doing incredible things for employee wellbeing? Email us at info@itsecurityguru.org.

The post Cyber Mindfulness Corner Company Spotlight: Pentest People first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post Cyber Mindfulness Corner Company Spotlight: Pentest People appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Let’s talk about women – and money.

Today (22nd November 2023) marks the day that women effectively stop being paid for the year. Stop being paid against their male counterparts for the same work that they do – for the rest of the year. Yes, the rest of the year, for the same roles. Happy Equal Pay Day, I guess? What’s worse is that the tech industry’s gender pay gap is 16% higher than the national average – yikes.

Shockingly (or perhaps not), 91% of tech companies pay their male employees more than their female staff. However, promisingly, more women are working in tech roles than ever before, including in cybersecurity. In fact, women now make up a quarter of the cyber workforce, up from 10% in 2013. A sizable improvement over the last 10 years, but we can do better. At this rate, it would take at least 15 more years to reach equality in industry roles. However, retention and skills shortages continue to be a cause of concern for leaders.

It may not be as bad as it seems. Optimistically, things certainly are changing. It appears, in the US, that younger women face less pay discrepancy than older women. Though 21% of Millennial women earn between $50,000 and $99,999 compared to 29% of men of the same generation. Meanwhile only 10% of women Baby Boomers earn this much compared to 30% of Baby Boomer men. Hopefully this indicates that as younger generations enter the workforce, this gap will close further.

But how can we make cybersecurity an appealing and viable career option for women when the pay gap is so huge, there’s a lack of role models and many women report experiencing discrimination? As with most things, there’s no easy or quick fix but I believe that there’s three things we can do now to safeguard, bolster and empower women in cyber.

Visibility: Women in Leadership Roles

I worry that the conversation around women in cyber is becoming tiresome, but I am continually reminded of its necessity. As I keep saying, you can’t be what you can’t see.

The 2023 Eskenzi State of Leadership Equality in Cybersecurity report found that currently only 21% of leadership roles in cybersecurity are held by women and only 17% of board member positions in cybersecurity are held by women. However small it is, women do have a seat at the senior leadership table in a fifth of cyber companies. They have influence – and many use that for good.

In my experience, women are great at creating communities to uplift each other. We’re shaking off the sexist stereotypes of the past that women are territorial and catty when it comes to power. In recent years, we’ve seen lots of influential businesses across cyber and tech use their position to empower women entering and rising up the ranks in the industry. For example, female founded cybersecurity training company CAPSLOCK recently partnered with BAE Systems to provide learners from all backgrounds with the knowledge and hands-on experience they need to join the UK cybersecurity sector. BAE Systems itself has its own Women in Cyber arm.

Change must come from the top. Which brings me to ‘active allyship’…

Active Allyship

We cannot forget men in the quest for equality. I read a LinkedIn post earlier this week about the Women in Tech Forum’s discussion on Active Allyship. It’s worth a read! Evidently, what we need are male leaders to take a stand proactively, in the fight for equality. We need conscious and proactive allies.

It’s a no brainer, really. With a diverse team comes a breadth of views and experiences that can be invaluable to fighting cybercrime.

What does Active Allyship look like? According to the Harvard Business Review, Active Allyship involves:

  • Deep curiosity
  • Honest introspection
  • Humble acknowledgement
  • Empathetic engagement
  • Authentic conversations
  • Vulnerable interactions
  • Courageous responsibilities

Let’s open up the conversation!

Mentorship

One way to empower women in the industry is through mentorship. Mentorship is about supporting and connecting people. It’s a way for, in this case, women (or men) in leadership or senior positions to impart their knowledge on those less experienced (which in no way means entry level exclusively). The relationship should be beneficial for both parties and help both people grow.

It’s important to provide women in cybersecurity with spaces to connect and network. A lack of role models and networking opportunities can often make cybersecurity appear inaccessible for women entering the industry (at whatever age, cybersecurity benefits from a wealth of cross-industry transferable skills). The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber event (by Eskenzi PR in partnership with the IT Security Guru) has connected many women over the years. It’s an event focused on forging career-spanning connections. Nominees are encouraged to bring someone who would benefit from networking with industry leaders and inspiring women in cybersecurity. It’s also held at the top of the incredible BT Tower!

So, about money… The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards are looking for sponsors for 2024. We want to work with organisations who are truly passionate about change and supporting women in cybersecurity. This comes with lots of exciting opportunities that I’d love to discuss.

Think you can help? Let’s chat! Email me at charley@itsecurityguru.org

The post Equal Pay Day: Women, Cybersecurity, and Money first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post Equal Pay Day: Women, Cybersecurity, and Money appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Earlier this year, the Gurus caught up with Ilona Simpson, CIO EMEA at Netskope, to talk all things wellbeing in cybersecurity for The Cyber Mindfulness Corner. What transpired during our short Infosecurity Europe interview was that Ilona had a wealth of valuable industry knowledge and insight to share. So, we caught up with Ilona again to discuss her journey to the top, diversity in cybersecurity, and banishing the boy’s club.

On Herself and Her Rise to the Top

When Ilona describes herself, she says: “I’ve been in IT for 20 years. I’ve been in executive teams of very famous and admirable companies. I have two kids and a lovely husband… I’m a mother, I’m a wife, I’m a chef, I’m a cleaner… That’s it, you’re not going to get a façade.”

When it comes to family, Simpson notes that she once felt “awkward” telling people she was a mother. But it gave her the will to take a risk and try different jobs that hadn’t fitted into her career progression until then.

Simpson was born and raised “in the slums of the Soviet Union”. She emigrated to Germany at 21, without knowing the language, but with a “desire and longing to connect, to be part of something, and to succeed.” She gained a degree in psychology and then did a masters. And succeed she did.

As Simpson moved up the ranks in various corporate companies she realised that she was doing increasingly more but being taken away from tech: “it’s strategy, it’s people, it’s stakeholder management, it’s influencing, it’s having a vision – but you move away from tech.” And tech, she notes, is something that interests her a lot. She came to Netskope to “be where the magic is happening,” so that she could “influence many organisations, not just one.”

On Authenticity, the Key to Success

The key to her successful career? Authenticity, especially as you make your career as an “odd one out”.

“As someone who wanted to change the culture, and also with the psychology background, [I’ve learnt] that if you’re respectful of the other people you talk to and interact with, you mirror them. That’s active listening in psychology. I genuinely wanted people to listen to what I had to say and not look at what I look like. Be prepared that people will judge.”

She also notes her work with start-ups as integral to her career, from mentoring to investing. “Education is a bit of a passion. I love learning and teaching.” Not only this, Simpson credits being mentored by others as a big part of her success: “If you reach out to people, chances are they will not say no.”

One piece of advice she offers is that she would “be more intentional about picking [her] bosses. Are they someone who would be helping you grow? Because we need to go into the unknown sooner or later.”

“I have a love/hate relationship with the topic of women in tech,” Simpson notes. Given that Simpson’s credentials are far more impressive than her gender, I wondered if the very topic of being a woman in cybersecurity was growing tiresome. Naturally, you don’t want your gender to define a job that you’re clearly more than capable of and equipped to do. “I’m shifting the discussion,” she replied. “We need to smarten up as women.”

On Community

Ilona has recently joined the board of the Forte Group. The Forte Group is an advocacy and education non-profit organisation, started out of RSA security conference as a networking group for women in cybersecurity. Over time, the community has grown and become, according to their website, a ‘source for sharing, inspiration, learning and celebration.’

Simpson says: “there’s not a mention of a woman, the mission is to step-up cybersecurity. Let’s get more of us in front of an audience. Let’s amplify our voices. It’s amplifying speaking opportunities, job opportunities.”

Community, for Simpson, is key. She’s also created a WhatsApp group for female CIOs: “we are here for each other.”

On Victimhood and Cybersecurity Myth Busting

“Can we stop telling ourselves those stories that perpetuate victimhood, that perpetuate inequality. Let’s get in front of people. If I don’t talk, people don’t hear.”

She says that we need to move away our focus from STEM when it comes to getting more women into cybersecurity. “I have a masters in psychology and I was CIO of the world’s most desirable companies. We must stop the narrative that we have to study certain things. We need to be curious. You have to have the wheel inside of you, that insatiable thirst for knowledge. Be curious of how things work. How can they work better? Be driven to have an impact. People do what they do.”

On Quotas

For many organisations, tick-box board rooms and quotas have become the norm – for better or worse. About quotas, Simpson notes: “The dream is that we are genderless. The thing with quotas is, is it giving women the opportunities to rise and shine where they wouldn’t have otherwise? Yes. Are there cases where utterly incompetent women get to the top and it actually perpetuates the the wrong belief that we are less capable? Yes. As a woman, make the most out of it for yourself. As an organisation, be careful who you pick. Never fall for the quota. Make sure make sure you go for the best person for the job.”

Is there still a boy’s club attitude? “Oh yeah, but there’s also a girl’s club.”

Finally, I asked Ilona, If you were to start again, what would you say to yourself? “Pick your own boardroom. Pick the people and seek out the mentors. For organisations, take mentorship further, make it sponsorship.”

“Everything happens for a reason.”

The post In Conversation With Ilona Simpson, CIO EMEA at Netskope first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post In Conversation With Ilona Simpson, CIO EMEA at Netskope appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Let’s talk about presenteeism.

Simply put, presenteeism is when an employee is constantly showing up at work, despite being unwell. In today’s hybrid world, this could mean either physically showing up at the office or logging on at home. As well as accounting for showing up when you’re physically or mentally unwell, symptoms also include not taking holidays, being ‘contactable’ outside of work hours, and so much more. In the long run, presenteeism isn’t good for organisations – or their security postures.

Presenteeism and Cybersecurity: How to Recognise Symptoms When They’ve Become Part of the Job

Many cybersecurity professionals wouldn’t think twice about showing up to work when they were feeling under the weather. Many of the symptoms of presenteeism (showing up regardless, answering phone calls outside of work, being contactable 24/7/365 etc.) have become in and of themselves part and parcel of the role of a cybersecurity professional. Adversaries don’t stop and neither do the people who protect them.

Andy Robertson, Head of Enterprise and Cybersecurity Business, Fujitsu UK&I, further explains the toll that responsibility takes on cybersecurity professionals: “There can be a feeling that there is always another storm brewing that will need to be addressed, and that can be really taxing on the mental health of workers.”

“The confidentiality of the role adds challenges, too: people can’t always go home and debrief with their loved ones about their day without worrying that they will let something slip. So even if they have a support network around them, they can’t always use it.”

We all know the statistics. Cybersecurity professionals are burnout, overwhelmed, and vastly under resourced/funded/staffed. We are also aware of the ever increasing skills gap and talent acquisition and retention crisis. All of these systemic problems put a strain on the industry, forcing many to feel responsible for showing up.

The impact of presenteeism isn’t good for anyone. For the individual, long-term illnesses can develop and burnout can hit pretty quickly. For organisation’s there’s often a significant productivity loss. But where does presenteeism leave an organisation’s security posture?

How Presenteeism Impacts Security Postures

Robertson continues: “A good security posture needs three elements – people, processes, and technology – and when the people factor takes a hit, so does overall security.”

Paul Baird, Chief Technical Security Officer, Qualys, adds: “From a security perspective, [presenteeism] is a significant risk because it can lead to less care being taken or more mistakes creeping into work when, at the same time, someone feels they have to work harder and harder in order to keep up. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and that increases the risk of a mistake over time.”

Evidently, when an employee is under significant stress they cannot perform at their best, which can lead to mistakes. In the realm of cybersecurity, mistakes can be costly in a number of ways, from financially to reputationally. If employees are showing up when they shouldn’t, it’s possible that they become accidental threats themselves.

But it can be hard to know when to not show up, especially with evolving threats, the cost-of-living crisis making stable jobs critical and many organisations being already short staffed. So how can organisation’s support employees who feel the need to show up when they really shouldn’t?

How can organisations stop presenteeism in the first place?

Baird suggests that embracing new technologies may be one way to ease the burden of ever-evolving threats on cybersecurity professionals: “With so many technical eyes watching and so many security alerts being generated, allowing AI and automation to take that noise away from security teams will relieve the pressure.”

According to Ciaran Luttrell, Senior Director, EMEA SOC Operations, eSentire, another way to reduce burnout and presenteeism in employees is to, as organisations, have processes in place to make employees feel like they can take time off: “To manage this kind of pressure, it is essential to let your team know that they can take time away rather than feeling they need to be there for every event – you should have backup people and processes in place to cover, and full handover processes that can ensure everyone is up to speed. Likewise, you should also have battle hardened operating procedures for managing personnel and ensuring their needs are always a priority.”

Succinctly, Luttrell says: “Avoiding presenteeism is about making it clear that security is a marathon, not a sprint.”

As with most things in the sphere of wellbeing and cybersecurity, this change must come from the top down. In a similar way to the approach to blame culture, business leaders must take a proactive stance on battling issues like presenteeism in the workplace. Cliché as it may be, prevention is, as always, better than cure.

 

 

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