SC UK's 50 women of influence 2019 announced

Once again SC is delighted to honour and recognise some of the fantastic talent among women in the cyber-security industry with our annual list (below) of 50 women having the most influence in the UK cyber-security sector as role models or campaigners. Our initial long list is drawn up by leading cyber-security writer Kate O’Flaherty, and that is then added to by the SC editorial team and members of the editorial board, then adjudicated by senior women in the industry who we already had no doubts, deserved to be on the list (so they didn’t put themselves on - they were there already). The easy part was finding talented women who either act as role models by virtue of their seniority and achievements in the industry, or are prominent due to their campaigning on behalf of women in the sector.The tough part was reducing the list to just 50.Not everyone will agree with our choices. Why was Elizabeth Denham, who featured last year and with the ICO won an SC Award for steering GDPR implementation not included, some may ask? (Precisely because she was separately recognised). And how come there are women not based in the UK on a UK recognition list? (because of their impact in the UK). And I am sure a few readers will ask, why aren’t I on there? No excuses, no empiric data was used in the compilation of this list. Its entirely based on a consensus of some of those whose opinion the SC editorial team trusts, so if you are achieving great stuff in a classified intelligence or defence department and we just don't know your story, sorry. And if you simply disagree, likewise. But we are sure you will agree, every one of the women listed below - not in any particular order - deserves their place and is worthy of wider recognition. The top 50 - not in any orderJane Frankland, founder of Cyber Security Capital and the INSecurity MovementA mentor, speaker and writer, Frankland is considered a key voice in the battle to attract and retain women in security. Among her achievements in 2019, she launched an online branding programme to help women raise their visibility and create more role models in the industry. In addition, she has conducted a first of its kind study into women’s experiences at cyber security conferences following her IN Security Code of Conduct – an initiative to help event organisers develop and maintain a standard of conduct at conferences. She is also building a subscription-based mentoring platform for women in security called The Secret Code.Dr Jessica Barker, co-founder, Cygenta A leader in the human nature of cyber-security and co-founder of Cygenta, Barker became the chair of industry forum ClubCISO this year, which now has over 300 members. Over the last year, she’s delivered face to face cyber-security outreach sessions to more than 6,000 young people in the UK through initiatives including the NCSC Cyber Schools Hub, TeenTech and the Scottish Cyber Christmas lectures. A highly sought-after public speaker who has appeared on numerous TV and radio programmes, Barker is due to have two books published over the coming year. Deshini Newman, managing director EMEA, (ISC)2As managing director for EMEA, Newman leads the (ISC)² team across the region. Her responsibilities include developing and implementing strategy for the EMEA region and supporting the (ISC)² global vision and mission to inspire a safe and secure cyber-world. Before Joining (ISC)2, she held several education leadership roles, at Edexcel International, Pearson Group, and most recently at Cambridge Assessment English, part of Cambridge Assessment Group, Cambridge University (UK). Newman is an advocate for women in security and attends and speaks at numerous cyber-security conferences. Nicola Whiting, COO, TitaniaCOO of cyber-security firm Titania, Whiting is a speaker, author and mentor who is passionate about issues including gender and neurodiversity. Over the past year, she’s spoken at events across the world to raise awareness of the risk to the future success of AI and the improvements needed. Whiting also recently received the prestigious "Sparky Baird" award in recognition of her work in defence and AI. She’s one of the few women to receive this award and the first non-US recipient. Alison Dyer, CISO, URENCOCritical infrastructure is a topic of great concern in cyber-security, due to the damage that could be caused by a cyber-attack on this sector. As CISO of URENCO, which operates in a pivotal area of the nuclear fuel supply chain, Dyer sits at the heart of this battle. But it’s something she’s well prepared for, having previously spent 16 years at GSK, where she also held the CISO position.Mary Jo de Leeuw, executive director at Internet of ToysA long-time advocate for the importance of diversity in cyber-security, De Leeuw is currently executive director at Dutch ‘think and do tank’ Internet of Toys. The invitation-only platform enables scientists, toy manufacturers and politicians to meet and discuss breaches within connected toys and the lack of privacy and legislation loops within the area. She’s also a multi-advisory board member working on projects such as such as CyberTrust EU and Women Leaders @Digital. Sarah Armstrong-Smith, group head, business continuity and crisis management, London Stock Exchange An energetic and tenacious leader, Armstrong-Smith has over 20 years’ experience delivering large scale business and ICT continuity, cyber-security and resilience programmes. In 2019, Armstrong-Smith joined the London Stock Exchange Group after several years at Fujitsu and is now tasked with driving business resilience and operational excellence. In addition to sharing thought leadership and speaking at conferences, she actively promotes the need for more diversity and inclusion within the tech and cyber-security industries and acts as a positive role model across the sector. Michele Hanson, group CISO at Micro Focus Hanson has an impressive CV, having previously held the CISO role at Transport for London for nearly four years. Soon after that, she was appointed CISO at Gatwick Airport, where she was responsible for the development and implementation of the major airport’s cyber-security strategy aligned with business goals and risk appetite. Now, Hanson has moved to software provider Micro Focus as group CISO. Saher Naumaan - BAE Systems’ threat intelligence analyst Naumaan currently researches state-sponsored cyber-espionage with a focus on threat groups and activity in the Middle East. Specialising in analysis covering the intersection of geopolitics and cyber-operations, Naumaan regularly speaks at public and private conferences around the world, including SAS, Virus Bulletin, FIRST, and Bsides. She also launched and ran Europe’s only all-female cyber-security conference, RESET in 2018, which she has managed for a second time in 2019. Jenny Radcliffe (The People Hacker), founder, Human Factor Security - JennyRadcliffe.comA social engineering expert and master of deception also known as ‘the people hacker’, Radcliffe runs an acclaimed and award-winning podcast called Human Factor Security. Radcliffe is a talented investigator whose expertise in the psychological side of security has led her to take part in multiple Ted talks and TV shows including Channel 4’s Hunted. A highly sought-after speaker, her talks focus on all aspects of human-based attacks, scams, cons and frauds. Emma Smith, global cyber security director, VodafoneAs group technology security director at telecoms firm Vodafone for over four years, Smith is held in high regard by her industry peers. Smith is responsible for information and cyber-security globally at the telecoms operator including ensuring the security of networks related to the roll-out and expansion of 5G. Her team sets policy and delivers security solutions as well as operating a global cyber-defence centre. Becky Pinkard CISO at Aldermore Bank PLC A well-known industry expert, Pinkard is passionate about diversity in the sector and recently developed a programme called We Empower Diversity in Startups (WEDS). Pinkard is continuing to climb the career ladder and this year left Digital Shadows to take the CISO job at Aldermore Bank. She also takes part in mentoring with CyLon as well as the Ladies of London Hacking Society. On top of presenting, appearing on panels and delivering keynotes, Pinkard runs the Cyber Warrior Princess podcast with Dr Victoria Baines.Sian John, EMEA and APAC director, cyber-security strategy at MicrosoftJohn, who is currently director of cyber-security strategy leading a team of advisors, has recently received an MBE for services to cyber-security. She was always technically talented: Her father, a maths lecturer, encouraged her abilities from a young age. After taking a computing degree at university, John moved to London working for the government and then security vendor Symantec before securing her current position at Microsoft. John also launched the 'Queue for the Loo' group for women in cyber-security.Dee Deu, CISO, XoserveWith 13 plus years of experience, Deu prides herself on a holistic and people-centric approach to elevate the importance of information security and privacy within organisations. Currently CISO of Xoserve, serving the UK’s gas industry, Deu was previously the first CISO of British Land, the UK’s largest property development and investment company, where she built, established and led the security and privacy function. She was recognised in the PrivSec200 for her contributions to the privacy and security sectors.Neira Jones, consultant, speaker and NEDWell-known and highly respected across the industry, Jones continues to be the first choice as an advisor to firms and as a conference keynote speaker on issues including payment security, cyber-crime and regulation such as GDPR. As convergence between cyber-security and fraud prevention increases with the introduction of the 2nd Payment Services Directive (PSD2), her current work focuses heavily on authentication. She is a non-executive director for cyber-security firm Cognosec and payments innovator Comcarde. Lisa Forte, founder, Red Goat Cyber SecurityA social engineering and insider threat expert, Forte focuses on helping organisations build resilience and prepare for a cyber-attack. A regular speaker on BBC radio programmes, Forte devotes her spare time to offering Red Goat Cyber Security’s services on a pro-bono basis to charities around the UK. Among her achievements, Forte has built and launched the first GCHQ certified social engineering course and published an insider threat research study that received international praise. She is a speaker in high demand, having already amassed an impressive 58 conference talks this year.Dr Alison Wakefield, Chairman of the Security Institute. Dr Wakefield FSyI is chairman of the Security Institute and an academic criminologist at the University of Portsmouth. In early 2020, she will be moving to the University of West London as professor of Criminology and Security Studies. An associate fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, Dr Wakefield recently joined the steering group for a new RUSI/GCHQ project on AI and national security policy. Dr Wakefield is an author and public speaker on security topics such as the security implications of fake news, security for the fourth industrial revolution and UK security co-operation after Brexit.Cath Goulding, CISO at NominetCISO at Nominet and board member of the Women’s Security Society, Goulding has over 15 years’ experience in cyber-security having worked for the UK Government and the private sector. She has led initiatives that have directly contributed to Nominet’s success in the IT security field, including Domain Watch, which is helping to fight phishing and combat malicious activity. In addition, Goulding is involved in programmes such as CyberFirst in collaboration with the NCSC, which helps to bring young talent into cyber-roles through bursaries and competitions.Amanda Finch, CEO, CIISec Having begun her career as an information security manager at Marks & Spencer in 1980, Finch has carried over three decades of experience into her current role as CEO of the not-for-profit Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec, formerly IISP). Since being founded over a decade ago, Finch has worked with other members of CIISec to develop unique frameworks that can be used to set standards for skills, experience and roles across the security profession with the aim of tackling the skills gap. Seeing these processes validated by Charter incorporation has been a recent milestone in Finch’s career.Dr Victoria Baines, visiting fellow, Oxford Internet Institute A regular contributor to broadcast media, Dr Baines has had a busy year that’s seen her join Oxford University's Department for International Development as a visiting research fellow. Her research focuses on the language of cyber-security, how people construct it as a threat, and the war of words between governments and tech companies. She runs an acclaimed podcast with Becky Pinkard and has also started teaching at the Stanford Internet Observatory on a course, led by former Facebook CSO Alex Stamos, that is preparing the next generation of tech company engineers to counter issues on their platforms. Helen Rabe, global CISO, AbCamPreviously head of information security at Costa Coffee, Rabe is now head of global security information and operations at AbCam, responsible for the firm’s security posture, covering the physical, cyber and information security functions. In her role, Rabe manages a global team and is responsible for developing, communicating, executing and sustaining Abcam’s corporate security initiatives. Poppy Gustafsson, CEO, DarktraceGustafsson’s firm Darktrace has seen its valuation climb to £1.28 billion, while the company headcount now exceeds 750 employees worldwide. It’s no surprise: the firm’s AI-enabled Enterprise Immune System was able to detect WannaCry as it unfolded. Previously Darktrace’s CFO, Gustafsson is a qualified chartered accountant who has held financial controller positions in the technology and venture capital sector.Rowenna Fielding, head of individual rights and ethics, Protecture Self-professed ‘data protection anorak’ Fielding continues to be one of the leading voices in the UK on all matters related to the EU Update to Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This year, her highlights included winning IRMS Author of the Year, educating businesses and individuals on data protection by design, and celebrating two years at Protecture. As of 1 November 2019, Fielding’s job title is ‘head of individual rights and ethics’.Mivy James, head of consulting, national security and technical consultant at BAE Systems Applied Intelligence A highly sought after conference speaker, James is part of the TechUK skills & diversity council and also supported a STEMETTES event earlier in the year for girls interested in STEM. James’ is an advocate for women in security and founded a gender balance network at BAE, which has more than 150 members globally. As well as her work on the strategy side, James is a talented coder and a keen writer, covering subjects such digital transformation, bias in machine learning and gender equality. Jacqui Chard, deputy director for defence and national security, NCSCFormer GCHQ executive Chard is responsible for ensuring that the UK has the sovereign capability to secure information and communications transfer nationally. With Brexit at the top of the agenda and as foreign adversaries develop more ways to attack the UK while staying hidden, Chard’s influence is still being felt across the country. Emma Philpott, director and CEO of the IASME Consortium Awarded an MBE this year for services to cyber-security, Philpott is CEO of the IASME Consortium, a company that focuses on information assurance for small companies and the supply chain. IASME was appointed as NCSC’s Cyber Essentials partner in September 2019 and will take over the running and further development of the national scheme from April 2020. Philpott is an advocate for the importance of neurodiversity in cyber-security and is leading an initiative to train unemployed neurodiverse adults in cyber-security and support them into employment. This has seen 44 individuals trained over the last year, with 26 now in employment.Christine Maxwell, director, cyber-defence and chief information security officer, MODA cyber-security leader who has worked across multiple industries, Maxwell joined the cyber-security team at the MoD in April 2019 as director cyber-defence and risk (CISO) accountable for driving defensive cyber-strategy, capability development and defining policy and defensive cyber-requirements including DCPP and awareness, behaviours and culture. Prior to joining the MoD, she was at KPMG, responsible for leading the cyber-security relationships for several global organisations and a UK government department. Sharon Conheady, director of First Defence Information Security and founding member of The Risk Avengers An information security professional specialising in social engineering, security awareness and penetration testing, Conheady is a founding member of security consultancy The Risk Avengers. A talented pen tester, Conheady has also worked at Ernst & Young and Deloitte. Specialising in the human side of security, she’s social engineered her way into multiple organisations. She is a published author and regular conference speaker having presented at Black Hat Europe, DEFCON and Recon. Paula Kershaw, regional CISO, UK & Europe HSBC The financial sector is an increasing target for cyber-attacks and it’s no surprise given that it represents an important part of the UK’s critical infrastructure. A regular speaker on the conference circuit, Kershaw is responsible for driving cyber-security strategy and technology delivery at HSBC, ensuring alignment with business strategy and local legal and regulatory requirements. She’s highly experienced in the financial sector, having worked in this industry for over 20 years. Carmina Lees, managing director, financial services, Accenture UK and Ireland An active supporter and ambassador for promoting the presence of women in IT and security throughout her career, Lees has served as managing director at Accenture since 2017. Prior to joining Accenture, Lees spent 19 years at IBM in various client-facing roles, and she was the vice president of IBM’s cyber-security business for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Lees now leads and participates in numerous networking and collaboration forums and drives the Accenture Security inclusion and diversity agenda globally. Chrissy Morgan, independent security researcher Heading up IT security operations by day and a security researcher by night, Morgan is an advocate of practical learning. Morgan has carried out research in topics including steganography, RFID, physical cyber-systems security and is actively involved within the information security community. She regularly takes part in live bug bounty hacking events and has found vulnerabilities in many top-level domains.Zoe Rose, ethical hacker Rose is a highly regarded hands-on cyber-security specialist who helps her clients better identify and manage vulnerabilities and embed effective cyber-resilience across their organisation. While retaining deep technical expertise, Rose has extensive experience in designing and executing programmes to help people become more aware of cyber-threats and improve critical cyber-security processes and ways of working. A Cisco Champion and certified Splunk Architect who frequently speaks at conferences, Rose is soon relocating to Ireland to start her own business - Rose Security.Holly Graceful (Holly Grace Williams), technical director of Secarma With 12 years’ security experience, a master’s degree and CREST CCT-App certification, Williams currently manages a team of penetration testers. A technical expert and mentor, Williams has recently been involved in helping start-ups and entry level engineers to build up cyber-security capabilities. She regularly engages in public speaking on a range of topics such as driving security improvements through testing and was this year promoted from penetration tester to technical director in recognition of her work. Sharon Barber, chief security officer, Lloyds Banking GroupAn increasingly complex cyber-security landscape seeing banks as a target will have made 2019 a major challenge for Barber, a technical expert with a systems programmer background. An active voice in the cyber-security community, Barber runs all the security networks at Lloyds and is involved in information sharing initiatives across the industry.Bridget Kenyon, global CISO Thales eSecurity An experienced CISO with 20 years in the industry, Kenyon is a member of BSI Panel 1, for development of ISO/IEC 27001 and related standards. Kenyon has co-authored three information security textbooks and is a CISSP and is an associate member of CIISec. She strongly believes that security is fundamental to reliable business operations and is not just "nice to have".Limor Kessem, executive security advisor, IBMOne of the top cyber-intelligence experts at IBM Security, Kessem is a seasoned security advocate, public speaker, and a prolific author of cyber-security thought leadership. Helping security professionals understand and manage business risk, Limor is considered an authority on emerging cyber-crime threats. With her unique position at the intersection of multiple research teams at IBM, and her fingers on the pulse of current day threats, Limor covers the full spectrum of information security trends affecting consumers, corporations and the industry as a whole. Steph Aldridge, vendor manager for Global Processing Services UK and ideas and people connector at NeuroCyber With a day job as vendor manager for fintech company Global Processing Services UK and multiple other initiatives on the go, Aldridge has had a busy year so far. She is building content for CyberPathways, a careers event aimed at inclusion and innovation. This is in addition to her work as ideas and people connector at the NeuroCyber UK Group where she manages questions from cyber-companies wanting to better take advantage of and manage neurodiverse employees. DCI Kirsty Goldsmith, head of the Met Police's Cyber Crime unit The boundaries are increasingly blurring between physical crime and cyber-crime, which is a continuous challenge for Goldsmith, who heads up the Met Police's Cyber Crime unit. Launched in 2014, the unit has already been pretty successful, having taken down criminals such a cyber-crime gang that targeted UK businesses this year. Goldsmith maintains a strong presence in the unit and is often seen quoted in the press about fraud and cyber-crime issues. Chris Kubecka, CEO at HypaSec A CEO, hacker, security researcher and public speaker, Kubecka is currently based in Amsterdam. She was previously group leader for AOC, where she set up digital security after what she calls the world’s most devastating cyber-warfare attack so far: The Shamoon attacks. Kubecka worked for the US Air Force as a loadmaster and is a subject matter expert panellist and advisor for the European Council of Foreign Relations on post Brexit digital security and cyber-warfare. Eliza May-Austin, founder of Ladies of London Hacking Society (LLHS) May-Austin is founder and director of Ladies of London Hacking Society (LLHS), one of the largest technical cyber-security groups in Europe, and the only one of its kind in the world. This is in addition to her role as CEO and co-founder of th4ts3cur1ty.company, which specialises in delivering intelligence-led adversary emulation purple teaming and the bespoke building of security operations centres. An advocate for accessible education and a driver of the women in cyber security movement, she champions neurodiversity and is an international technical speaker.Lynn Studd, director, BT Security. As director, global secure solutions at BT Security, Studd leads a team of over 700 specialists helping organisations to protect their operations and securely adopt new digital transformation technologies. Studd has responsibility for the delivery of security solutions to nation state-level customers, and for ensuring BT’s international compliance and security requirements. She is a strong advocate of women in security, working with industry partners across multiple sectors to attract women to roles in security and support their career progression. Lisa Ventura, CEO and founder of the UK Cyber Security AssociationAward-winning cyber security consultant Ventura is the CEO and founder of the UK Cyber Security Association (UKCSA), a membership association that is dedicated to individuals and companies who actively work in cyber-security in the UK. She has over 10 years’ experience in the industry and is passionate about raising awareness of being more cyber-aware in business to help prevent cyber-attacks and cyber-fraud. She is an author and keynote speaker and advocate for women in cyber security, closing the cyber-skills gap and neurodiversity in cyber-security, and is currently writing a book called ‘The Rise of the Cyber Women’.Chani Simms, managing director of Meta Defence Labs, founder of SHe CISO ExecChani is an award winning cyber-security leader and keynote speaker with over 17 years experience in the IT industry. She gained her extensive knowledge by implementing and securing IT infrastructure solutions for multinational companies. Chani advises at C-level and is a cyber-security specialist in helping organisations to understand, implement and manage information security and privacy requirements. Chani is also the founder of the SHe CISO Exec. global platform with a five-day boot camp and mentoring platform on cyber-security, leadership and empowerment of emotionally intelligent cyber-security leaders.Holly Foxcroft, neurodiversity consultant Alongside full time studying for her BSc (Hons) in criminology and cybercrime, Foxcroft continues to study and research the social science of cyber-crime in greater depth. Meanwhile, Foxcroft has been working closely with Chichester College to include cyber and information security. She’s currently teaching a blend of technical and non-technical cyber-related topics and has been working with businesses to help guide best practice on neurodiversity, as well as delivering cyber-safe talks to schools and colleges. Meanwhile, Foxcroft has also become a member of the stakeholder intelligence group for the police to assist and guide on cyber-crime.Karla Reffold, MD, Beecher MaddenIt’s no secret that the cyber-security industry is having a recruitment crisis, with the skills gap widening by the day and a need to ensure more women are attracted to cyber security roles. A sought after and engaging speaker, Reffold is a passionate recruiter and founder at cyber-security recruitment agency Beecher Madden. She is experienced and adept in building teams in cyber-security up to CXO level and across a variety of industries.Helena Fearon, director of risk and compliance, Auto Trader With over 15 years of experience working in the cyber and customer security space, Fearon is focused on ensuring Auto Trader UK remains one of the most trusted UK brands. Over 10 years ago Helena founded the Vehicle Safe Trading Advisory Group (VSTAG), a partnership organisation comprising the UK’s leading online car sales companies, police and trading standards, working together to reduce online vehicle crime.Gemma Moore, director at CyberisMoore’s company Cyberis, which she co-founded in 2011, has seen 50 percent growth in the last 12 months. A technical cyber-security expert who specialises in penetration testing and simulated targeted attack, Moore holds CREST certifications in infrastructure, applications and simulated attack. Moore is also an engaging presenter and trainer who delivers training and workshops to industry professionals, developers, operational teams and end users.Elisabetta Zaccaria, chairman at Secure Chorus Zaccaria is founder and chairman of the board of Secure Chorus, a private organisation serving as a platform for the public-private sector cooperation for the development of cyber-security standards and capabilities for the ICT industry. Keynote speaker at major conferences, author and contributor writer to international information technology and business publications, she has also featured in the book ‘Women Know Cyber: 100 Fascinating Females Fighting Cybercrime’. Rashmi Knowles, CISSP, Virtual CISOPreviously field CTO for RSA in EMEA, Knowles is currently self-employed working as a virtual CISO for various organisations. A prominent evangelist and spokesperson at professional and industry conferences, Knowles has appeared on the BBC and Sky News on a number of occasions as a subject matter expert. Passionate about getting more women into cyber-security, Knowles currently volunteers at local schools to encourage teenage girls to consider a career in cyber security.Anouk Vos, founding partner at Revnext, founder at CyberworkplaceNetherlands-based Vos has so far had a varied and high-profile career, advising government bodies, multinationals and NGOs on cyber-security. In her role at RevNext, she aims to help organisations think about cyber-security before the process, rather than as an afterthought. She also regularly campaigns to raise awareness of gender diversity and is president of the Women in Cyber Security Foundation, a worldwide network of women fighting for a digitally safer world.

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