Organised by Eskenzi PR in media partnership with the IT Security Guru, the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards aim to shed light on the remarkable women in our industry. The following is a feature on one of 2024’s Top 20 women selected by an esteemed panel of judges. Presented in a Q&A format, the nominee’s answers are written in their own words.
In 2025, the awards were sponsored by BT, KnowBe4, Mimecast, Varonis, Bridewell, Certes, Pentest Tools and AI Dionic. Community partners included WiCyS UK & Ireland Affiliate, Women in Tech and Cybersecurity Hub (WiTCH), CyBlack and Inclusive InCyber (LT Harper).
What does your job role entail?
As a cybersecurity consultant, my job entails performing security assessments for different businesses, and trying to find vulnerabilities in web applications, mobile applications or a client’s network estate, in order to provide recommendations on how to secure themselves further. It’s quite a technical role and it involves a fair bit of report writing and working with clients. There’s also a little bit of travel, depending on where the client is based. The best part of my role is starting a different project each week, working with loads of different technologies, and not knowing what we’re going to find- the possibilities are endless!
How did you get into the cybersecurity industry?
Like so many others, I had a bit of a different route into the industry, as I studied Pharmacology at university but decided not to pursue a career in the scientific field. I knew I wanted to work in tech, but I had no experience and no technical skills, and I also didn’t know what area I was interested in. Eventually, I landed a project management role at a cyber security firm, and over time I realised how much I enjoyed learning about the technical side of cyber security. Then, with the help of so many others, I slowly and painstakingly learnt how to hack. After quite a few years growing with the company, I managed to make the switch to the security consultancy team, full time.
What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a woman in the tech/cyber industry and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges I have faced is undervaluing myself and not believing in my own skills and abilities. As women, we are often less likely to “brag” about our achievements, or consider ourselves qualified for certain job positions if we don’t tick every single box. This was definitely the case in my experience and I let it affect my confidence and belief in myself. But it turns out that imposter syndrome is extremely prevalent in cyber, and reaching out to like-minded people helped foster a sense community which really helped reframe my thoughts. Also, I made sure to lean on my strengths and to celebrate any achievement; there’s always something if you look hard enough!
Secondly, I’ve faced the same challenges as so many women in the workplace, including not getting taken seriously, being overlooked in favour of more junior male colleagues when in meetings, inappropriate comments and an even longer list of microaggressions! Luckily, I was able rely on my mentors who were in my corner when these things happen. And better yet, being involved with communities like WiCyS, Ladies of London Hacking Society and Inclusive InCyber has helped me greatly. They have helped me grow my network with women who face the same issues and provided a space where we can support each other.
What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a woman in the tech/cyber industry and how did you overcome it?
As mentioned, I’m a firm supporter of women in cyber communities and will always advocate for these spaces to exist, since I know so many of us rely on them. Additionally, I run the scholarship initiative for the fwd:cloudsec Europe conference, which gives a number of students or career changers a chance to attend the conference and elevate their careers. I made a conscious effort to ensure this opportunity reached a diverse audience, and that was reflected in the applicant pool. I’m proud to say that 3 out of 4 scholarship recipients were female, which is fantastic, considering that the gender discrepancy in cyber security is already so large. The scholarships were selected by the wider committee, so for them to agree that some of the best applicants were women, just shows that with the right support and the right visibility, we can slowly start to close that gap.
Who has inspired you in your life/career?
I’ve had so many role models and mentors that have done so much for me over the years, and I’m so lucky to have learned from so many intelligent, strong and respected women from a young age, who have shaped who I am today. I have way too many to list, so to keep it simple, I will credit older sister Nenna as the prime example. My older sister is a software developer and all round genius, who continues to inspire me and my younger sisters with her intellect and her passion for teaching others. She was previously a Code First Girls Instructor, which is a free web development course for women looking to break into tech. I was so proud to be an attendee in her class, and since then I’ve always wanted to do something similar and make an impact for other women, the same way she did.
