Wanted: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

Have you ever wanted to know what is involved in a particular Cybersecurity role? If yes then join us at the WSC for a conversation with a Cybersecurity SOC analyst


Host: Connie Blaney

Guest: Afton Bell


The Unconventional Approach Afton Bell is a Cybersecurity Analyst located in Austin, TX. Her path to cybersecurity was a bit unconventional but she’s always had a passion for security. Afton was born and raised in East Orange, NJ. She started flying single-engine aircraft at the age of 12, only a few months before the tragic events of 9/11. She saw the change of the aviation world as they started to enhance security measures across the country’s airports. In 2011, she earned 2 undergraduate degrees in Aviation Technology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. After graduation, Afton followed her drive for security with a focus in IT and earned a Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security from Penn State University in 2014. In 2017, Afton decided to shift from working in physical security management and earned multiple CompTIA certs to pursue her dream career of cybersecurity. She began working as a Configuration Lab Technician in Chicago to gain valuable experience before moving to Austin, TX for an analyst position. She recently started working as a Cybersecurity Security Operations Center Analyst for a large government entity with a focus in SIEM as of February 2020. Afton often volunteers to mentor young women interested in STEM during events in Austin and is very eager to continue to grow and evolve in such an exciting industry.

Description: Join us at our next Career Conversations session. We'll discuss topics such as: what made them decide on IT or Cyber Security, what were some of their work/life challenges, and what skills and education do they see as essential to success?


Host: Elena Steinke, WSC Founding Board Member

Guest: Christina Morillo

Christina is an information security and technology professional with a background in cloud technologies, enterprise security, and identity engineering. By day, she works on all things cloud identity and security as a Senior Technical Program Manager at Microsoft.

In 2015, she co-founded Women of Color in Tech Chat, best known for boosting visual representation across the tech industry by way of an open-source collection of stock photos. Christina advocates and is passionate about empowering women, and the underestimated to follow careers in security and technology, visual representation in tech, and connecting and creating opportunities for others.

When she is not spending time with her family, you can find her co-leading Women in Security and Privacy’s NYC chapter, supporting others as an advisor and mentor, and focusing on her graduate studies. She lives in New York City with her husband and children.

The stream of near constant data breaches has left consumers desensitized to the news their information was lost or stolen. We’ll discuss issues around complacency both in consumers and enterprises such as how long the customer cares after a breach occurs, whether data loss is as negatively impactful to an organization’s reputation as it used to be, and how breach fatigue benefits hackers.

Have you ever wanted to know what is involved in a particular Cybersecurity role? If yes then join us at the WSC for a conversation with a Cyber Threat intelligence analyst

Host: Connie Blaney

Guest: Rikki George
Rikki George is the Cyber Threat Intelligence thought leader responsible for Financial Services, Retail & Hospitality cyber threat expertise and strategic level analysis at iDefense, part of Accenture Security’s Cyber Defense practice. Rikki produces industry-focused content that educates senior decisionmakers on the current and emerging threats that affect the resilience of various critical infrastructure sectors. Rikki earned her B.A. in Communications summa cum laude from Drexel University, completing capstone research on social media-enabled cybercrime. She hold a number of industry certifications, completed the selective Pre-Law program at the University of Pennsylvania and Cybersecurity program at the Washington Center in D.C. In 2019, Rikki was selected as a Rising Star Award finalist for the Women in IT Awards - Silicon Valley

The world needs more people in infosec. There are currently about 2.8 million cybersecurity professionals, but roughly 4 million more are needed to close the skills gap.

So, how are organizations addressing this shortage? What are some of the things organizations are doing when it comes to attracting and retaining cybersecurity talent, but also balancing the workload for the security teams they already have.

Join today's episode to learn more about the challenges and solutions when it comes to balancing the security workforce.
- Security skills shortage: Myth vs. Reality
- Top challenges for security teams
- Addressing burnout and analyst fatigue
- How machine learning can help
- Areas where people are better than AI
- Building a security culture
- Removing obstacles and attracting new talent

This episode is part of The (Security) Balancing Act series with Diana Kelley. Viewers are encouraged to ask questions during the live Q&A.

Panelists:
- Chris Calvert, Co-Founder & VP Strategy at Respond Software
- Larry Whiteside, Jr., Veteran CISO & Cybersecurity Thought Leader; Co-Founder & Interim President - ICMCP
- Gary Hayslip, CISO, Softbank

Tell me if this sounds familiar…
It's another busy week at the office and you’ve got a media interview on Monday, board presentation to prep for on Wednesday, and the following Monday you’re flying off to deliver a keynote at a big industry conference to raise your company’s brand profile.

Meanwhile, you’ve still got to manage your team and all the day-to-day tasks. When are you going to carve out the time to prep for all these upcoming speaking events?

You figure you’re ok just ‘winging it’ like last time but that only left your investors with more questions to answer afterwards…

But what if there were another way?

In this live online demonstration, brought to you by Julia Wojnar, the Founder of Unleash Your Presence, she’s revealing her cutting-edge three step methodology to save you all the time and energy that you’d otherwise spend reinventing the wheel for those speaking events.

Security is becoming an integral part of the M&A decision making process. In this talk, we will discuss what Google Security worries about when we acquire or start a company and how different roles within the security organization work in synchronization to make the overall integration secure and successful.

Ruchi is a Sr Security Engineering Manager at Google where she manages an organization whose mission is to secure Acquisitions and Alphabets. In her role, she leads security engineering and technical program management functions. Prior to joining Google, she spun up the Subsidiary Security Program at Amazon and managed the product roadmap for AWS Identity and Access Management and AWS Key Management services. Ruchi has worked at Deloitte and Touche LLP and Ernst and Young, where she helped clients implement security solutions ranging from Identity and Access Management (IAM), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) to Network Security Products. She has over 13 years of experience in Security.

Security leaders are increasingly basing their decisions on metrics to justify spending, quantifying risk, and demonstrating value to the executive suite. This panel of leaders will discuss how they are awash in dashboards, charts, and KPIs of little to no value and what they’ve done to develop contextual, impactful, actionable metrics.

Self-Talk it’s the gift that either creates or denies your power. It’s either helpful or hindering. Which do you gift yourself most often?

We usually think about and maintain our physical health and wellbeing but so often our mind health and how we speak to ourselves falls to the bottom of the priority list.

“The ancestor to every action is a thought”

Planning, preparing for and feeling good about yourself and your own success involves a number of key elements -

Some of which are:
- Self-Talk
- Skills Audit
- Identifying strengths and areas for development
- Overcoming any ‘Imposterism’ you’re experiencing
- Identifying you Motivation
- Crafting Goals

Nurturing your mindset to support what you want to achieve in life also involves doing what you can to prepare for setbacks, sometimes referred to as resilience or coping strategies.

In this Webinar we will explore what you can do to use your self-talk and inner voice to support a mindset to achieve and celebrate your success alongside identifying and accessing tools and techniques to help you through the times when things don't all seem to be going your way.

We will cover:
- Identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns
- Guiding your inner critic to be your voice of objective reason
- Overcoming ‘Imposter Syndrome’
- Turning kindness and appreciation inwards
- How to tap into your motivation and enjoy your success more

Rosemarie Wilson delivers customised workshops and programs to nurture talent and realise its potential for female professionals, SMEs and Corporates who are committed to investing in and retaining talent within their organisation and also supporting a culture of diversity and belonging. Rosemarie is also an Advocate of 'Women in Tech'.

When you feel aimless or dissatisfied in your career, it’s often because you have no idea what you’re looking for. Without a clear idea of what you want to do, you get antsy about leaving your job, focused on external measures of success and distracted by shiny jobs.

How are you supposed to stop doing what you think is “right” in your career and start doing what’s right for you? If you’re not clear about what you want, there’s no way you can convey it to anyone else.

Come learn how to stop falling into jobs based on circumstances and start making decisions intentionally that are right for you.

Let’s talk Goal Setting, Planning & Values!

On average we spend more time planning our annual holiday than we do our ‘Life Goals’. Having a dream to aspire to is fantastic but without a plan and action steps, dreams rarely turn into ‘goal achieved’.

Most of us know what SMART goals are, but how much time do you spend crafting your goals and nurturing them in a way that allows you to stay focused on attaining them?

What about your values, how often do you pay close attention to your values, what’s important to you and your motivation for achieving your goals?

I imagine values are considered even less than goals.

The combination of setting your goal and achieving it in line with your values is one of the most powerful experiences an individual can have.

Join Rosemarie Wilson for this Webinar where she will explore the power of goal setting and guide you to be able to identify your core values, so you can combine the two and experience the impact it will have for you.

We will cover:
- What is a SMART Goal?
- What exactly are values?
- What is a value based goal?
- How to identify your why and motivational factors
- How to align your success with your values
- The Importance of an Accountability Partner

Success means different things to each of us and when we achieve the things we want in life garnered with values and authenticity we are likely to feel and be more fulfilled.

Rosemarie Wilson delivers customised workshops and programs to nurture talent and realise its potential for female professionals, SMEs and Corporates who are committed to investing in and retaining talent within their organisation and also supporting a culture of diversity and belonging. Rosemarie is also an Advocate of 'Women in Tech'.

What are your career hopes for this year? If you’re not sure where you’re heading or how to get there then you run the risk of not achieving the career success you want. You know you need to be proactively managing your career but sometimes this can be challenging. In this webinar discover:

- How to identify what career success looks like for you
- How you can empower yourself to become a Career Activist and drive your career forward
- How you can identify the career development you need for 2020
- How to integrate your short, medium and long term career goals.

About the Speaker:
Sarah Archer is a career and leadership coach who works with women to develop a positive mindset, be confident and stop playing small. She is committed to enabling women to show up as their best selves and achieve the career success that is right for them.

In our fast-paced, overstimulated world, it’s difficult to be purposeful and intentional about how we manage our careers. When we are not intentional, however, we rely on others to guide our careers, which may not align with our own values and goals. We may also have unrealistic expectations of the support others will provide. While supportive managers and mentors are valuable resources to maximize our success, we must empower ourselves to drive our own careers.

In this webinar, you will learn how to:
* Clarify your strengths, values, and career direction
* Leverage your strengths and expertise to lead from where you are
* Build influential relationships that can help you achieve your goals
* Advocate for yourself in preparation for new opportunities

About Kim Meninger
As a certified executive and leadership development coach, Kim Meninger empowers individuals and organizations to reach their full leadership potential. Kim has coached hundreds of clients and presented on career advancement and leadership topics to corporate, non-profit and academic audiences. She is especially passionate about helping women leaders to develop their confidence, visibility and influence in order to maximize their impact and advance their careers.

You have the ability -- whatever your functional role, title or level -- to become an influential leader within your organization. Unfortunately, many of us have limiting beliefs about our abilities to access and develop power and influence. With greater self-awareness, confidence and strategic relationships, you can expand your power and influence and advance your career.

In this webinar, you will learn:
- What it means to have power and influence
- How to use your influence to more effectively navigate office politics
- Actionable strategies to grow your power and influence at any level

About Kim Meninger
As a certified executive and leadership development coach, Kim Meninger empowers individuals and organizations to reach their full leadership potential. Kim has coached hundreds of clients and presented on career advancement and leadership topics to corporate, non-profit and academic audiences. She is especially passionate about helping women leaders to develop their confidence, visibility and influence in order to maximize their impact and advance their careers.

The dawning of a new decade is the perfect time to reflect on where you've been and decide where you want to go next. In this workshop you'll discover the keys to understanding what worked and what didn't in 2019 and the past decade as a whole.

You'll also discover how to use those learnings to create a vision for 2020 and the decade ahead, as well as how to bring that vision to life. You'll leave armed with the knowledge and tools you need to design and live a life you love in 2020 and beyond.

When was the last time you were shown appreciation, recognition or gratitude in your place of work? How does it make you feel, when you’re acknowledged in this way? When did you last do the same, show appreciation, recognition or gratitude in your workplace?

Gratitude is one of the most important ingredients that makes teamwork and camaraderie possible. Often businesses don't realise how much people care deeply about doing well, so why not recognise and reward your employees as a way to nurture and retain talent and by doing so encouraging employees throughout your organisation to do the same for each other.

Let’s come together to discuss how to take the first step in creating a culture in which sharing appreciation and gratitude in the moment is as natural as showing up for meetings or checking emails.

This webinar will explore the benefits of gratitude and appreciation for one another and how to stop shying away from it.

We will cover:
- Why should we be appreciative?
- Recognition and reward, it’s not all about the money
- Values and feeling valued
- Benefits of a culture of appreciation
- What practical steps can you take, be it employer or employee

About the Speaker
Rosemarie Wilson delivers customised workshops and programs to nurture talent and realise its potential for female professionals, SMEs and Corporates who are committed to investing in and retaining talent within their organisation and supporting a more diverse and inclusive culture. Rosemarie is also an Advocate of 'Women in Tech'.

Join us at our next Career Conversations session on Nov 21st 2019 @7pm EST. Discuss topics such as: what made them decide on IT or Cyber Security, what were some of their work/life challenges, and what skills and education do they see as essential to success?

Whether you are an experienced professional or just contemplating a future in Cyber Security, WSC Career Conversations allows you to have a conversation with women making a difference. Join us and share in Career Conversations with successful women in cyber security!

Guest: Stephanie I. WoSec Leader and Podcast Host

Hosted by Jessica Gulick, MBA | PMP | CISSP

In her day job, InfoSteph serves as a regional information security analyst. Outside of work, however, InfoSteph has filled her life with all kinds of cool activities. She serves as a Lead for WoSEC Houston and a Lead for WISP DEFCON 2019. She has also started speaking at conferences this year. She co-hosts a “happy hour” inspired podcast called Coolest Nerds in the Room, where conversation surrounding the lives of tech people are nurtured. She attends school full time, hoping to obtain her Bachelor’s by the end of the spring. She had the honor of being a delegate for Security Field Day 2. She writes blog posts on her website, StephAndSec.com, which is also her side business. And she is working on a course for LinkedIn Learning on Social Engineering and Security Awareness. Stephanie recognizes those that inspired her or helped her get to where she is today and hopes that everything she does moving forward does the same for others.

Follow Steph on Twitter and LinkedIn, or visit her online at StephAndSec.com.

It’s nearly here, 2020. Yes we have Christmas coming, then the New Year festivities...what next?

Whilst I’m not a fan of wishing my life or yours away, I am a fan of planning and preparing to the best of my ability and then letting go, as there's no such thing as perfect.

Get a handle on your 2020 by preparing and starting with a plan.

Create it now and enjoy the Christmas and New Year celebrations knowing you have your starter kit for 2020 in progress.

Join Rosemarie Wilson for this Webinar where she will provide practical action steps to help you plan and prepare for your success in 2020.

We will cover:
- SMART Goals
- Motivation
- How to turn resolutions into actions
- Using your hindsight for better foresight
- Why celebrating your success is not bragging
- What you can do to plan and then let go

About the Speaker
Rosemarie Wilson delivers customised workshops and programs to nurture talent and realise its potential for female professionals, SMEs and Corporates who are committed to investing in and retaining talent within their organisation and supporting a more diverse and inclusive culture. Rosemarie is also an Advocate of 'Women in Tech'.

The career change process can be demoralizing, especially when you’re struggling with big questions like “How do I find work in line with my strengths?”, “What job role should I pursue?” and “Where do I start?”

Add to this, if you’re struggling with burnout and feeling discouraged, making a transition can take twice as long.

In this class, you’ll learn:
- How to get unstuck and take massive action toward your career change today
- How to break the cycle of highs and lows so you can have more energy in the process
- How to do work you love that makes a difference without burning out (making time for your life outside of work)

This class is for you if you’re in a career transition, stuck in energy-draining jobs and/or struggling with burnout. Your work won’t stop here. At the end of the class, you’ll receive a workbook that will help you put these learnings into practice.