Over the past five years, The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards have celebrated some of the most exceptional women from across the cybersecurity industry. From new starters and students to CEOs and CISOs, the awards aim to celebrate outstanding individuals at every level of the industry. No deed is too small for recognition and every single woman nominated is a shining example of the talent permeating throughout the industry.
With nominations open for this year’s awards, we caught up with some of 2024’s esteemed winners. We caught up with Lisa Ventura, Founder of Cyber Security Unity, Dr. Andrea Cullen, Co-Founder of CAPSLOCK, Zinet Kemal, Cloud Security Engineer at Best Buy, Rosie Anderson, Head of Strategic Solutions at Th4ts3cur1ty.Company, Stephanie Luangraj, Founder and CEO of WomenWhoSecure, and esteemed CISO Hazel McPherson.
What have you been up to since being named a Most Inspiring Women in Cyber in 2024?
Lisa Ventura: “Since being named a Most Inspiring Woman in Cyber in 2024 I’ve been focused on developing Cyber Security Unity to help unite the industry through greater collaboration in the industry. I’m also preparing to launch Neuro Unity and AI Unity to bring everything together for neurodiversity and AI all under one roof, just as I have done with Cyber Security Unity. I’ve been commissioned by Kogan Page Publishers to write a book on AI and Cyber Security which is due for release in February 2026, I’ve been a speaker at numerous events, been published in many cyber security and Infosec trade publications and the national press, and I’ve been focused on the Generation Cyber Campaign that I launched last year aimed at getting more people into careers in cyber security. My book “The Rise of the Cyber Women: Volume 3” was published via Security Blend Books last year on 8 March, and I’m also preparing to launch Generation AI and Generation Neurodiversity as separate campaigns. As always, I am very busy on various initiatives and projects in cyber security which is how I like to be.”
Dr. Andrea Cullen: “[Since winning I have been] continued to grow the business and focused on our B2B growth within the sector. I have also made a real point to get out to events and focus on how I might be a role model to others who are looking to develop their careers.”
Zinet Kemal: “Since receiving this incredible recognition, I’ve continued my mission to empower the next generation in cybersecurity. I launched new initiatives focused on online safety for children, expanded my work as a multi-award-winning author of cybersecurity-themed children’s books publishing “See Yourself in Cybersecurity” in Spanish language & “Oh, No… Hacked Again!” In audio book format. More formats means creating more alternative and access for readers. I also created and released my 2nd LinkedIn learning course as a cloud security engineer on how to Securely Migrating to AWS. I won multiple other awards since then such as the 2024 Visionary Community Leader Award by cybersecurity summit, the 40 Under 40 Georgia Tech alumni award, Women of Influence – One to Watch Honoree by Executive Women Forum, and Women in Security Honoree by Security Magazine.”
Rosie Anderson: “Since winning the award, I have pushed myself into public speaking and helped to share cyber security awareness and thought leadership at events such as a PA Conference helping the audience become better Guardians of Confidentiality, to speaking at Defcon on a panel to inspire the next generation of talent. Defcon is one of the largest cyber security conferences worldwide – so I seem to have shaken off the nerves! In total, I have spoken at 14 events so far! It’s safe to say that my comfort zone is now a tiny dot in the rearview mirror!”
Hazel McPherson: Where to start? She:
- Grew BSides Bristol to a 2 day event with 52% speakers being women
- Launched a new networking brunch for women in the South West (Firewalls and French Toast)
- Won two CSO30 UK awards, one being the judges choice for recruitment and retention
- Was part of ‘Hackers in the House’ a select group of cyber individuals that were invited to collaborate on industry policy within the UK government
- A judge for the SW Awards (and again for 2025)
- A board advisor for The Hacking Games
- A senior advisor for the keynote stages for InfoSecurity Europe Conference 2025
- Headline speaker for the new Rebel Element conference Oh FFS!
- Spoke a lot about my ‘journey to CISO’ to audiences around the UK
She’s also “still being an awesome CISO for the same company, but twice the size as we bought our biggest global competitor.”
Stephanie Luangraj: “Since being honored with the Most Inspiring Woman in Cyber award in 2024, I’ve focused on growing WomenWhoSecure globally. This has included forming meaningful partnerships with organizations like Astro Information Security Podcast and noHack LLC and their Career Services to expand opportunities for women in cybersecurity. I’ve also participated in speaking engagements, collaborated with experts to elevate awareness of women in cyber, and brought more inspiring guests onto the WomenWhoSecure podcast. My mission is to continue creating impactful opportunities and fostering inclusivity within the cybersecurity space.
WomenWhoSecure remains committed to being an inclusive community for anyone seeking a place in the cyber industry. Our interactive Discord server is filled with resources, discussions, and networking opportunities, open for everyone to join and grow together.”
What did winning the award mean to you?
Lisa: “Winning the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber 2024 award was a deeply humbling and empowering experience, I was just so very sorry I couldn’t be there in person to receive it as my husband was very ill with sepsis and in and out of hospital at the time. It signified not only recognition of the things I do in the cyber security space but also acknowledgment of the collective strides women are making in the industry. This award was a validation of the years of hard work, perseverance, and commitment I have to the cyber security industry, inclusion, and resilience. It also reaffirmed my belief that inspiring others isn’t just about achieving professional success but about lifting others up along the way—encouraging women to enter and thrive in cyber security despite the challenges they may face. Winning the award reignited my strong passion to continue advocating for equitable opportunities in cyber security and to serve as a role model for the next generation of talent.”
Andrea: “Genuinely thrilled to be recognised in this way. I heard some of the nominations and was blown away by the quality of them. It spurred me on to do more to inspire other women to join the sector.”
Zinet: “Winning this award was deeply meaningful. It validated the hard work I’ve put into breaking barriers as a woman, immigrant, career changer and mother in cybersecurity. It also amplified my platform to inspire others—especially women and underrepresented groups—to pursue careers in cybersecurity. The recognition motivated me to continue advocating for children’s online safety, women in cybersecurity and to create more educational resources for youth.”
Rosie: “I was super surprised to be nominated and this has spurred me on to keep being visible as a woman in cyber security, representing career changers and also working mums, as well as continuing with my development. I also met so so many inspiring women in the industry as other nominees and award winners, and it helped showcase just how many amazing women are working in this industry, at all stages in their careers.”
Hazel: “I was so incredibly proud and humbled to have won my first award, and it be this one. I have always hoped that working hard and keeping going would be enough to inspire other women that they can make it in this industry too. It’s hard work, and being a woman often makes it incredibly frustrating, but being recognised by winning this award gave me the boost I needed after 25yrs to keep doing it!”
Stephanie: “Winning this award was an incredible honor because it signified that my work and dedication were noticed, celebrated, and deeply appreciated by the cybersecurity community. To me, it wasn’t just a personal achievement—it was validation of the importance of creating spaces like WomenWhoSecure, where inclusion, empowerment, and collaboration can thrive. It serves as a reminder that the effort to elevate women in cyber truly matters and is making an impact.”
So, what are you waiting for? Get your nominations in for the 2025 Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards now! This year’s awards are sponsored by KnowBe4, BT, Bridewell, Mimecast, Varonis, Certes, Pentest-Tools. The awards, hosted by Eskenzi PR, are also supported by community partners WiTCH, WiCyS UK & Ireland Affiliate, InClusive InCyber and CyBlack.
Nominations close at 5pm on 22nd January 2025. Nominate here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYSY6YZhZmIYbx-0aT__3XYzWvRXrWozlh-FbfNfvB-0FShg/viewform