Introducing women with a deep interest in cybersecurity

I am currently working as a Security Operations Center(SOC) Analyst at Acronis. Together with the Security team, we work closely to protect the company’s infrastructure, networks and data. SOC analysts monitors for and investigates suspicious events, by analyzing logs from various sources for signs of malicious activities. We also maintain and continuously update our security tools to keep up with the latest attacks.

What brought you to the cybersecurity industry?

I was studying EEE in my university days, and I had a Final Year Project that was related to cybersecurity. At that time, it was quite a foreign topic for me, and I did a lot of research for it. That sparked my curiosity in this field as I realized how versatile and interesting it was. So I started my job search with that in mind, got my first role in this industry and never looked back!

What were your defining moments in this industry, and factors or guidance that helped you achieve them?

Cybersecurity is such an ever-changing field, threat landscapes are always evolving, and as such, we have to constantly evolve and upgrade ourselves to keep up with them. I am still in the early years of my career, and there are definitely lots more to learn, so I am very thankful for all the mentors and colleagues I have met along the way, they have provided many useful insights and advice, which were instrumental to carving out my journey in the industry.

What is it that you love most about your role?

One thing I love most is the fact that there is always something new to learn, since attacks are always changing, so you will never have to worry about feeling stagnant at work. Since the field is so varied, there are also lots of areas that you could choose to focus on, and that brings on new challenges as well, which I like a lot.

Prominent Cybersecurity trends:

What are some of the trends you have seen in the market lately, and what do you think will emerge in the future?

Ransomware is definitely something we will still see quite often, and the rise in Ransomware as a service(RaaS) makes it much easier for criminals that have little technical expertise to use and distribute them. Attackers are also constantly improving their ransomware. The costs of ransomware damage to organisations worldwide is expected to grow from $20 billion to over $265 billion by 2031. Having proper backup solutions is important to tackle them, and there are also solutions in the market which incorporates Artificial Intelligence, to actively detect ransomware attacks and help stop it before it deals further damage. Phishing emails, whether targeted or not, are also one of the top common causes of cyber-attacks, since it is a relatively easy and effective method for attackers. As such we will likely see more user-awareness trainings conducted by companies, and anti-phishing solutions in the market, as organisations start to place more importance on them.

Females in Cyber Security

What can we do to encourage more women to join the cybersecurity sector?

I guess cybersecurity is still quite a male-dominated field currently, but I would say that although the ratio of males in this field are larger, it is definitely changing, and I am very glad to be seeing many more capable and intelligent female professionals joining the industry. Having more awareness about the field and a safe space for supporting women or aspiring women wanting to join this industry is important, an example being Ladies in Cyber. I’m pleased to see more of such initiatives to help create more diversity in this field. In addition to that, generally people I have encountered in this field, regardless of their gender, have been very nice and supportive as well, so that also helps in establishing more confidence and feeling of inclusion while working in the industry.

Final thoughts

What would you say to someone who wishes to join the industry?

Cybersecurity is a very interesting and highly rewarding industry, and I am always excited to see like-minded individuals joining in. I think it is important to have an open mind and be willing to learn new things and adapt to changes. Don’t be worried if there are things you don’t know, understand that it’s normal, and you are not alone as there is always constant learning in this industry. As long as you have the right attitude and are willing to learn, anything is possible 😊