From the launch of Cyber Security Tribe, we were committed to covering three pillars: people, process and technology. People, had often been an area that was overlooked for those focusing on how they can improve their organization's cybersecurity. However, the benefits to organizations that harness a diverse workforce are well documented. As we approach International Women's Day it's important to recognize challenges that women have faced in the industry, as well as the support they were met with - highlighting their champions, and what they would tell their younger self.
Below, we profile seven notable women in the industry who share their journey. One commonality that comes from all of them is the lesson that you don't have to be the best at everything and confidence is key.
- Zuzanna Banach - Global Cybersecurity Governance, Danone
- Dd Budiharto, Founder & CEO, Cyber Point Advisory
- Heather Ceylan, Deputy CISO, Zoom
- Mea Clift, Principal Cyber Risk Engineer, Liberty Mutual Insurance
- Mignona Coté, CISO, NetApp
- Jennifer Raiford, Deputy CISO and Head BISO, Unisys
- Bezawit Sumner, CISO, CRISP Shared Services
Zuzanna Banach, Global Cybersecurity Governance, Danone
Please tell us about your journey specifically as a female in cybersecurity. Any obstacles you had to overcome; support you were met with.
Being among the 2% of female students in my computer science faculty, for most of my early years, I struggled with a sense of belonging and even questioned myself at times if this was the right place for me. Throughout my career, I saw representation improve significantly, but still, very often, 'Why did you choose cyber?' is one of the first questions I receive when I meet someone.
Did you have any champions along the way and if so, can you share names and specifics?
Fortunately, the amount of support within the female cyber community was uplifting—from the university where I had the chance to participate in coaching sessions for females, to the support I received from my current CISO, Naina, who inspires me every day. Today, I know that Cyber is where I want to be.
What would you tell your younger self looking back as you started this journey?
If I had the chance to speak with my younger self, I would tell her: network as much as possible and cultivate meaningful connections throughout your career, learn to rely on others and don’t hesitate to ask for help, but most of all, steadfastly believe in your abilities and be your biggest supporter.
Dd Budiharto, Founder & CEO, Cyber Point Advisory
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Please tell us about your journey specifically as a female in cybersecurity. Any obstacles you had to overcome; support you were met with.
My journey as a female in cybersecurity has been exhilarating with peaks and valleys. The valleys range from “being thought of as an admin on day1 as an analyst; therefore, I didn’t need a laptop” to having a boss who initiated disinformation about me because I uncovered their unethical behavior/act.
I have always believed in maintaining my integrity and in being forgiving; otherwise, those unpleasant experiences would add so much weight for me to climb to the peaks. My mom always reminds me that a sword can withstand the rigors of battle, maintain its form, and fulfill its purpose only through the process of being subjected to the flames, hammered, beaten, shaped, and repeatedly exposed to the fire—repeatedly, over and over. My family (husband, mother and children) have been my anchor throughout my journey.
Did you have any champions along the way and if so, can you share names and specifics?
I have met and encountered people along my journey who provided and still do, unwavering support without expecting anything back. I have had bosses who believed in me more than I did. For example when I was elected the 1st female chair of the American Petroleum Institute (API) IT security committee, I almost turned it down because of not having the confidence that I could lead such an esteemed group. But my boss then (Andy Flowers, currently with ConocoPhillips) convinced me that there was a reason I was elected, and that people appreciated my leadership style, and he would support me anyway he could. I am grateful for his support. The outcome of my leadership has paved the way for other females to have held the position subsequently.
The following are my champions who helped remove obstacles and/or elevated me during my journey: Mark Johnson (retired CISO from Halliburton), Thom Sneed (retired CIO from Marathon Oil), Chris Price (CIO at Southwestern Energy), Deanna Farmer (former CAO of Enable Midstream), Kim Holder (CIO of Cargill Food & Bio), Kelly Yoshitake (auditor at Marathon Oil). In my current journey as a Fractional CISO my champions are Annessa McKenzie (CISO at ConocoPhillips), Stephanie Franklin-Thomas (CISO at Medtronic), Sherry Hunyadi (Chief Security Architect at Chevron), Harshul Joshi (Partner at PwC), Al Lindseth (Principal CI5O)
What would you tell your younger self looking back as you started this journey?
You don’t have to be the best of everything. Be the best combo meal.
Heather Ceylan, Deputy CISO, Zoom
Please tell us about your journey specifically as a female in cybersecurity. Any obstacles you had to overcome; support you were met with.
My journey in cybersecurity began when I was in college. I had always wanted to go into a technical field so I studied computer science and information systems, but I did not fit the typical profile of a computer science major at that time. I was very outgoing and social on campus and preferred working in a group setting rather than solo in the computer lab. I would consistently get told by my peers and professors that I should go into marketing - it would be a much better fit for someone with my personality. The push was so significant that I constantly doubted that I had what it takes to be successful in a technical field and I almost changed my major to marketing at least three different times in four years.
Thanks to the encouragement from a wonderful female computer science professor at my university, I pushed through and managed to start my career in cybersecurity and privacy consulting. This brought a great deal of learning and opportunity for me, but also many of the same obstacles, fears, and doubts. Though I often had as much or more technical knowledge than my male counterparts in the room, I found I had to spend a significant amount of time building up my technical credibility, whereas for my male colleagues, the technical knowledge was just assumed. This meant I often spent double or triple the amount of time preparing for important meetings and technical discussions - I could not afford to make a mistake and risk losing all of the credibility I had spent so much time building.
Flash forward to recent years and I’ve finally come to realize and accept that my differences are my strengths. A great cybersecurity leader is not the most technical person in a room, but someone who can lead with empathy, understand, and distill complex technical concepts, communicate security risks in the context of broader business objectives, and influence and collaborate effectively towards common goals. The world of cybersecurity has changed, and our workforce needs to adapt to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats.
Did you have any champions along the way and if so, can you share names and specifics?
I am very fortunate to have had several male and female mentors throughout my career that have given me the confidence, platform, and development I need to get where I am today. It’s important that we mentor and champion the next generation of female cybersecurity leaders to bring more diverse skillsets to the industry. Today, women hold only 16% of all CISO roles. Elevating women to these leadership roles will allow other women to see themselves grow a career in cybersecurity.
What would you tell your younger self looking back as you started this journey?
Looking back, I would tell myself to have confidence in pursuing your passions and not to be swayed when others doubt your capabilities. You might have to spend more time than others establishing your credibility and overcoming obstacles, but it will make you stronger and make you a better, more empathetic leader. It’s ok to not fit the mold of a ‘typical’ cybersecurity professional - embrace your strengths and change the mold.
Mea Clift, Principal Cyber Risk Engineer, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Please tell us about your journey specifically as a female in cybersecurity. Any obstacles you had to overcome; support you were met with.
The journey of my career starts in June 1998, with an internship with the National Cancer Institute at Fort Detrick, MD. I had been the President of our computer club in high school, and repairing computers came easy to me. But working on that scale, with over 2,000 computers to support, was a huge deal, and I learned so much in that time. In those early days of the internet’s burgeoning popularity and use, every system had its own public IP address (I wouldn’t learn about DHCP until later), there were open licenses for every piece of software we could even take home and put on our personal devices, and I was the only woman on a team of men.
Continuing my path, I worked across different organizations and industries, from Frame Relay/T1 and Bulletin Board System (BBS) providers, credit card processors, tugboat companies to application service providers, managed service providers, cloud services and more. Many times, through my career, I was one of the only women on my team. My dedication to my role, my clothing, my attitude, my appearance was all considered on many occasions, not my knowledge or ability. While that felt like an isolating experience, I’m grateful for the mentors and advocates that were there cheering me on. They helped me persevere and continue blazing a new trail.
Moving into the GRC space allowed me to excel in a way I hadn’t before- using my experience and technical knowledge to help improve the security posture of an organization and translate complex security terms across business units, the boardroom and within the greater cybersecurity community. While there is still much work to do to elevate women in this space, I’m inspired by those who are continuing to shine and shape the industry today and for future generations. Helping to elevate women in the space is a passion which inspires and drives me to mentor. I want to continue to see more women in cybersecurity thrive.
Did you have any champions along the way and if so can you share names and specifics?
Throughout my career, there have been pivotal mentors who have helped me grow. From my band director growing up to folks from each of my roles throughout my career to my current manager, Gabriel Bassett, they all continue to help me be a better leader, a better cyber professional, and a better person.
What would you tell your younger self looking back as you started this journey?
If I were to reach out to my past self, I would remind her what a strong, smart, powerful woman she is and will be. In the face of challenges many women in our field experience, we must continue to cultivate that inner strength and remember the line from South Pacific, “Anything you can do, I can do better.”
Mignona Coté, CISO, NetApp
Please tell us about your journey specifically as a female in cybersecurity. Any obstacles you had to overcome; support you were met with.
My journey has certainly been an exciting one and includes continuous learning, new technologies, and an ever-changing landscape. I started when the Web was in its early stage and worked across many industries. My start in security was when I happened upon a file with three character, clear-text passwords, and realized there was an urgent need to protect data. Along each step of my journey I learned many new skills and techniques for getting things done and working in industries ranging from telecommunications to financial services, healthcare, and high tech.
The main obstacle I had to overcome was learning that I did not need to know everything. I had put enormous pressure on myself to really understand as much as I could about the technologies and products within my purview. And then strive to be able to answer all questions in regard to what I was working on. I had to learn that I was enough based on my experiences and that it was OK to go back and get help.
My greatest support came from those who really believe in me. I have had leaders that trust my delivery and they foster my growth. To this day, I am in touch with three of my past leaders as mentors and having them as advisors have been instrumental in my overall influence with my colleagues and industry peers.
Did you have any champions along the way and if so can you share names and specifics?
Early on in my career, my champion was Newton Bruce, Chief Auditor, City of Shreveport. He gave me my first opportunity.
Jim Routh, former boss, CISO CVS/ Aetna, gave me the opportunity to be a CISO for four different companies (all at once) and he was the one that instilled in me the problem solving and troubleshooting techniques I needed to be successful. He taught me his approach to security leadership, which was stressed the need to be forward thinking. He also championed my visibility and growth in ways that acted as a springboard for my career.
Mike Brady, CTO Wells Fargo, hired me into AIG and fostered my growth across multiple entities and continues to act as my champion with other leaders expanding beyond security. Mike introduced me to effective methods for collaboration and showcased my work with our global senior leaders.
Hart Rossman, former boss at AWS (Amazon), saw my creative and eclectic attributes and, to this day, shares with others that I am one of his favorite CISOs. He championed my adaptability and relevance in the fast growth, fast moving world of the cloud. His championship led to me building an AWS practice and returning a profit in year one.
What would you tell your younger self looking back as you started this journey?
I would tell my younger self to not be so hard on myself. It is ok to make mistakes and the most important thing is to pick myself up and move forward. The other big lesson I have learned is to be true to me. I am enough and I had to learn to stand up for me being me. I always wondered how I could be better but realized I can offer a lot just with what I have.
Jennifer Raiford, Deputy CISO and Head BISO, Unisys
Please tell us about your journey specifically as a female in cybersecurity. Any obstacles you had to overcome; support you were met with.
As a trailblazer in cybersecurity, often I walked into rooms, looked to my left and my right, and did not see myself, I always told myself I belong, and believed it. My commitment to excellence allowed my work to speak for itself. My learning agility, memory, mindset, confidence, diverse background, tenacity, integrity and work ethic fueled by passion and purpose became my superpowers. What could have been obstacles became opportunities to be the 1st CISO CPO of InComm. The 1st BISO and Head BISO at Unisys, 1st Woman Deputy CISO at Unisys, first woman and minority nominated and appointed to serve as Unisys’ Chief Executive Officer’s point of contact (POC) for the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). The first woman and minority to represent Unisys with two NSTAC sub-committee appointments. The 1st Black person to serve on the Alpha Kappa Psi, Professional Business Fraternity Board of Directors. I have worked with Kellogg’s, Grant Thornton, InComm, FIS, Siemens Energy & Automation Corporate Headquarters, Price Waterhouse Coopers PWCes, GE, American Red Cross World Headquarters-Armed Forces, HomeBanc, Ford Motor Company, Radio One, and Ricoh. Taking me around the world across all industries, from plants to data centers, boardrooms to the White House. My call to protect companies led me to cybersecurity, earning the nickname “Corporate Stealth”. Cybersecurity called me, my love for business and expertise set me apart as a successful CISO.
Did you have any champions along the way and if so, can you share names and specifics?
I would not be here today if it were not for all the Champions that supported me throughout my journey. These leaders recognized my potential, advocated for me, and helped me overcome obstacles. I am grateful to everyone, but to name a few like, Garland E. Raiford II my father, Peter Altabef, Mat Newfield, and Emery Kohut at Unisys. Matt Watson and Scott Meyerhoff at Incomm Payments. Ken Diekroger at Siemens. They did not care that I was a mixed minority woman. They believed in me, respected my intelligence and expertise.
What would you tell your younger self looking back as you started this journey?
Absolutely, reflecting on my journey, I would share the following heartfelt advice with my younger self:
Believe in Your Dreams: Everything you imagined as a little girl can indeed come true. Trust your aspirations and work diligently toward them. Dreams are the seeds of reality.
Human Connections Matter Most: In the vast world of technology and cybersecurity, remember that it’s the human connections that truly count. Lead with empathy, kindness, and compassion. Your ability to connect with others will define your success.
Embrace Your Superpowers: From day one, lean into your unique strengths. Your skills, talents, and perspectives are your superpowers. Use them boldly and unapologetically.
Confidence Is Key: Your mindset and self-confidence are powerful allies. Believe in your abilities, even when faced with challenges. You are capable of remarkable things.
Shine Bright: Like a diamond, let your brilliance shine. Don’t dim your light to fit in—instead, illuminate the path for others. Your authenticity is your greatest asset.
Challenge the Status Quo: Just because something doesn’t exist yet doesn’t mean it shouldn’t. Be a trailblazer. Innovate, create, and push boundaries. You belong in spaces where you can make a difference.
Self-Care Matters: Take time to recharge and rejuvenate. Burnout is real, and you deserve moments of rest. Prioritize self-care—it’s not selfish; it’s essential.
Mentorship Is Priceless: Seek mentors who inspire you. Learn from their experiences and pay it forward by mentoring others. Mentorship creates a cycle of growth and empowerment.
Give Back: Always find ways to give back to your community, whether through knowledge sharing, volunteering, or supporting others. Your impact extends beyond yourself.
Open Doors for Others: When you see a crack in the door, kick it open wide. Pave the way for those who come after you. Lift as you climb and create opportunities for others.
Remember, your journey is not just about personal achievement—it’s about leaving a positive legacy. Keep shining, Jennifer!
Bezawit Sumner, CISO, CRISP Shared Services
Please tell us about your journey specifically as a female in cybersecurity. Any obstacles you had to overcome; support you were met with.
My journey as a female in cybersecurity began in an ideal way. The obstacles came later when I was promoted to become a director. I started as a compliance project manager and was very lucky to have a great boss and teammate who was very helpful. My background is in Biology (B.Sc. and M.Sc.) and I never thought about getting in to an IT related field until I started leading HIPAA and SOC-2 audits based on skills I learned on the job. When I took the compliance project manager role, I was lucky to have had a good friend who helped me understand the value of audits from an auditor’s perspective, which helped me understand the “why” behind controls, policies, and procedures.
I gained valuable foundational knowledge by starting in compliance because I had to learn the business rules of each team/vertical within our organization and built strong relationships with all teams across the organization. I believe my success in my role as a compliance manager to director and now a CISO, ties back to using the scientific method and applying it into cybersecurity. I have an innate curiosity of how things work and why we do what we do, I love finding the intersection of theories from other disciplines and how they are applied in cybersecurity, and I respect the role we (humans) play in being the strength of the cybersecurity programs we build.
The obstacles I have had to overcome are around individuals who didn’t believe in me to serve in the roles I was promoted to. I overcame those and continue to overcome by seeking guidance, coaching, and mentorship to find a strategy and mental models to ensure my strategy could win them over versus letting my emotions get in the way of me doing my best work. One obstacle is my non-technical background, but my strength is in building a team who are experts in their respective domains and letting them lead in their domains.
Did you have any champions along the way and if so, can you share names and specifics?
I have many champions. It would be hard for me to name names and specifics, but I have a council of champions ranging from my parents and brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, bosses, advisors, mentors, coach, and colleagues. I have more champions than challengers and I am grateful for that.
What would you tell your younger self looking back as you started this journey?
I would say keep doing what you are doing. The lessons you are learning are going to serve you well. Also, a great decision to quit your Ph.D. program and for not choosing to stay for the wrong reasons. Quitting is not a weakness. You are a late bloomer in finding your passion and career but my God, you are going to love the career you build as a cybersecurity professional.
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