Cybersecurity Women of the World Awards 2024

"Behind every great woman ... is another great woman." 

― Kate Hodges

This past week I had the honor of representing World Wide Technology at the Cybersecurity Woman of the World Edition awards, honoring the finalists along with a host of amazing women and advocates from all over the world. 

I must admit that I am still reflecting on and processing the event. I have never in my career been at an event with such a diverse representation of nations and women in cyber leadership.  Women from Colombia, Peru, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, South Africa, Lichtenstein, Sweden, Argentina, Kenya, the United Kingdom and the US, just to name a few countries represented, all coming together was, in a word, magic.

Why events like this are important

We say often, but I think forget the meaning of frequently, that cybersecurity is borderless. While attacks can be politically or geographically motivated, how we defend against cyber threats, whether malicious in nature, mistake-driven or born from a new type of AI malfunction, does not often discern or care about origin, nationality or culture amid remediation and recovery. 

The mix of talent, including CISOs of international banks and oil companies, top government cyber researchers, new cyber sales associates, lawyers and entrepreneurs, represented almost every facet of our industry at the event, and it was awe-inspiring. This unique combination of amazing women led to deep conversations about how we could address some of the key risk areas we are collectively facing today. And more importantly, how we carry forward the collaboration started during these few days. 

At the awards ceremony, we celebrated the 20 finalists for the Women of the World Edition Award. When each was called up, what struck me was their unique but oddly similar stories of overcoming adversity to achieve the success in cyber. For some, it was peer pressure and isolationism, being, as we often hear, the only woman in the room. For others, it was cultural or a lack of support for women just being in cyber roles. Many were the first woman in their country ever recognized for any type of cyber award, much less an international one. Others had never traveled outside their country for any type of professional event, much less cyber-related. 

Some challenges were stark and almost otherworldly from an American set of eyes. Others were all too common and frustrating to hear that we are still addressing after all these years. 

Yet, the culmination was a better understanding of the unique bonds we have as women in cyber and the commitment we need to make to each other to raise up and support each other for the collective good it will bring.

The event for me was made even more special, as one of our youngest (career-wise) team members, Caitlin Ryan, was able to attend with me. Just starting her journey in cyber, I found it almost magical to see our amazing cyber world and leaders through her eyes. Many attendees were so impressed with not only her questions and feedback to the group but also the way she embraced the community and the positive reflection she made of World Wide Technology's commitment to bringing new, diverse talent into cybersecurity. She left with many offers of collaboration and mentorship, which I will be excited to see blossom over the coming years. Her insights and fresh perspectives reminded me of the importance of being mentored by colleagues at the beginning of your career, and her openness and willingness to learn from those around us was inspiring. 

Caitlin's perspective

Attending the Cybersecurity Women of the World Awards was not only a career highlight but also an incredibly personal experience for me. As someone still early in my cybersecurity journey, working at a company that has given me the opportunity to step into a room full of such diverse and accomplished women is both humbling and inspiring. I had the privilege of meeting trailblazers who have all encountered a wide array of challenges that I could only imagine to get to where they are today. I was struck by their openness, warmth and willingness to share their stories. What resonated with me the most was how these women, despite the differences in their paths, were all united by a shared commitment to lifting each other up. The amount of mentorship and support I received in just those few days, even in casual conversations, was truly invaluable and it made me realize how powerful our collective voices are in shaping the future of cybersecurity. 

This event was not only about celebrating the achievements of these incredible women but also about building a community that spans across borders, cultures and career stages. I left feeling energized and deeply motivated to contribute to this global sisterhood, not only by learning from those ahead of me but also by sharing my perspective as a newcomer. The bonds I formed over those few days are ones I know will last, and they have reinforced the importance of continuous learning and collaboration. This experience has ignited even more of my passion for the field, and I am excited to see where this journey takes me - both individually and as part of this incredible global community. 

Paying it forward

My closing keynote centered around the need for collective cyber cultural understanding. Too often we address risk from the lens and the regulatory pressures we are looking through and not looking wider at the global ramifications of the choices we make and lessons we learn. The only way forward to a more secure world is through a broader understanding made possible by our larger cyber collective or "family." The "cyber sisterhood" that was created over these few days, I am confident will last our entire careers, if not longer. How do we expand it? How do we keep the collaboration going? How do we make sure we keep our newly found more global view? I think our 2024 Cyber Woman of the Year, Bianca Lins, said it best. 

"As I look ahead, I'm reminded that true success lies not in the accolades we receive, but in the lives we touch and the positive change we create together."

I can't wait for next year.