As a woman in cybersecurity, I am often asked what sparked my interest in the field. My answer is simply – curiosity.
I won’t reveal my exact age, but I will tell you that I was born before Google. I recall my father getting an early IBM desktop and learning to insert floppy disks correctly to boot it up. And I did my fair share of time waiting on AOL dial up once home internet access became a thing. But back then, I wasn’t too concerned with understanding how a computer worked; I was just focused on what I could do when using it – i.e. pulling up results from a search engine and trying not to die of dysentery on the Oregon Trail.
As I got older, my curiosity was piqued by the constant news of security breaches and cyber threats, especially in critical fields. The idea that sensitive medical data and essential services could be jeopardized really got my attention.
“Another breach,” I’d think. “How does that even happen?”
I began to wonder how hackers managed to manipulate computers and what tricks they used to make them behave “maliciously?” I wanted to be on the other side, learning how to stop cyberattacks and protect vulnerable systems from malicious threats.
My passion intensified when a close family member became the victim of a Business Email Compromise attack, making the need for cybersecurity even more personal.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, I was laid off from my previous career and I decided to use the upside-down status of the world to make a change. I learned everything I could about computers, starting with the basics of bits and bytes and moving into networking.
As I started studying, I was put in touch with some other women who were already established in their cybersecurity careers who served as my mentors. They helped me navigate my learning path and answered countless questions. Where I saw my background in corporate communications as a hinderance and barrier to entering cybersecurity, they saw it as an advantage and saw my potential.
The support and guidance provided by these women mentors—who reached out without knowing me previously—were crucial in my entry into the cybersecurity field.
As I continued to make connections in the field, I met other experienced mentors who believed in my skills and capability. They provided additional resources they believed would be beneficial for me and recommended professional associations for women in the field. As I joined Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) and Women in Security and Privacy (WISP), I became part of an even broader network of women in cybersecurity and I felt excited about finding even more technology leaders to learn from.
I was also fortunate enough to find an employer who truly supports diversity and inclusion in the workplace and values the unique contributions women bring to cybersecurity. In March, RKON hosted activities as part of Women’s History Month. We participated in a roundtable discussion where we shared what inspires us as women in the workplace, discussed career barriers we’ve experienced in the technology industry, and exchanged our perspectives with the entire organization.
This sense of community and collaboration among women in tech is essential for driving innovation and breaking down barriers in a traditionally male-dominated field.
During the roundtable, I was asked “What keeps you interested in cybersecurity?”
For me, it’s still curiosity. There’s so much more that I want to learn in this industry that is always changing, but it’s also the network of women that I’ve connected with during my career journey. The percentage of women in cybersecurity is increasing, and I couldn’t have gotten to where I am now without the women leaders before me. I hope to keep paying it forward while elevating women in cybersecurity.
To any woman in tech looking to make a career switch I urge you to do two things: find female mentors and stay curious.
