Cristine Gollayan
I got into cyber through…I started out as a Software Engineer coding COBOL to prepare for Y2K. I learned about the entire software development lifecycle in a very large company and I believe it was this technical foundation that allowed me to enter a small private cybersecurity firm and understand the security concepts and foundation […]
Debora A. Plunkett
I got into cyber…while working at the National Security Agency, where I worked on both the intelligence and the defensive (cyber) missions for over 30 years. For me, a positive cyber mindset is…curious, collaborative, probing, innovative, hopeful but realistic. The work experience that helped me transition to a career in cyber was…two-fold. First, a tour […]
Lynsey Caldwell
I got into cyber…because of my passion for criminal justice and solving mysteries. I wanted to fuse that passion with technology. Early in my career, I worked in IT and systems engineering roles, where I learned how pivotal people are in protecting systems. Over time, I realized that while technology is critical, it’s the human […]
Dr. Diana B. Allen
I got into cyber…because I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of technology and how it can be used to solve business problems. Early in my career, I realized how critical cybersecurity is in protecting the systems that power our daily lives. That realization inspired me to explore the field more deeply, and now I […]
Jesse Peoples
I got into cyber…by embracing stretch assignments and leveraging upskilling opportunities. My academic foundation includes a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Systems Engineering, with a focus on technology management. My cyber journey began in Enterprise IT Management at a large civilian federal agency, where I led digital transformation initiatives; introducing novel tools, […]
Kiersten Todt
I got interested in cyber… when I was working on Senator Lieberman’s personal staff in the summer of 2001, when the Senate flipped from being a Republican majority to a Democratic majority because Senator Jeffords became an independent. Senator Lieberman became Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee and asked me to join his committee staff. […]
Robert Broadney
I got into cyber through… a horrible customer service experience while working my retail job at a high end shoe store! At the time I had dropped out of college and was trying to find what I was going to do next. There I was, putting the 5th pair of shoes back into the box […]
Matt Schumacher
As a VET, I got into cyber through… a military assignment as an Army Signals Intelligence Officer, which turned out to be a case of being in the right place at the right time. I was fortunate to work in real-world collection operations leveraging highly advanced technologies against a variety of foreign targets of interest. […]
Grace Llojaj
I got into cyber by… constantly raising my hand. Early in my career, I worked in project management for an aerospace/defense manufacturing company. While I was there, we started getting more defined customer requirements around business continuity, supply chain risk management, and internal governance procedures. I raised my hand to figure out what was being […]
Fiona McCrae
I got into cyber… while I was in high school and volunteered at a local organization offering coding lessons and camps for kids. At the time, I just needed the volunteer hours – so I helped with cleaning up and made sure the kids weren’t spending the whole day on Roblox. By the end of […]