Women of influence: 30 top cybersecurity leaders 2021

“My grandmother,” wrote American author Amy Tan. “She's someone I never met, and I would've loved to have met her. She's been a huge influence on our entire family, not just me. She is a mystery.” Influence is a strange and deceptive force. It can be tangible or intangible. Obvious or subtle. It can mean big, public things that touch the lives of everyone, or quieter, smaller things that have a lasting impact. The pandemic has thrown the world into sharp relief. Individuals who have worked away quietly for decades have developed newfound prominence. Outside of our industry, people like Rishi Sunak have catapulted into the public spotlight. Inside our industry, cybersecurity has leapfrogged in importance with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting a fivefold increase in cyberattacks by late April 2020. The individuals who work in cybersecurity have a bigger job than ever. And influence in the age of a pandemic can mean myriad things. It can surround the outstanding individuals who are educating companies – and the public – on cybersecurity. It can radiate from those working to secure our new virtual horizons. It can be the gold dust sparking around those women uniting security communities, educating the next generation and re-training the many workers who now need new worthwhile skills. It can also be a shining light coming off superb cybersecurity professionals donating their time and skill to the horrific fallout of Covid-19. In truth, it is impossible to create a science of security influence. Instead, we’ve taken a long, hard look at our community and isolated those individuals – and the companies they work for – who have been doing what seems to be the most pertinent work at the moment. In part, this has been due diligence from our end – speaking to people and looking at ‘their pandemic’ – but it has also been coupled with a good dose of hunch and opinion. We enlisted the help of the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) to ratify our choices. They put forward their CEO, Amanda Finch as judge – who, as it turned out, was on our list – she immediately suggested removing herself as a conflict of interests. But, we felt her inclusion on the list – and support with the list – were merely an extension of her wide influence within our small community. Finch was a pleasure to work with stressing how inspirational it was to to see each and every name included. She says: “It has been one of the hardest years many of us will ever know, and to witness these women continuing to work so tirelessly to further the industry is remarkable.”The summaries included below focus on individuals’ varied contributions during the pandemic, rather than looking at their wider career, which – needless to say – are often extremely illustrious. To include their perspective, we asked each of our 30 cybersecurity leaders of the pandemic what they’re most proud of, or how they feel they’ve made the most difference, over the last 12 months.Finch says: “Their achievements are worth celebrating at the best of times, but these have been the most difficult of times.” Hopefully, the picture painted provides a view of the incredible influence cybersecurity plays in all our lives today. Women of influence: 30 top cybersecurity leaders 2021 Sarah Armstrong-SmithChief security advisor at Microsoft, formerly with the London Stock Exchange Group and Fujitsu In the age of virtual meetings and the significant rise of usage of Teams among everyone – from office workers to clinicians – any security role at Microsoft has become pivotal. And Sarah Armstrong-Smith, who always advocates a people-first approach to cybersecurity, could not have joined Microsoft at a more significant time. Through the course of the year, she also leant her skill and over 20 years’ experience to board positions at Valtree and Avnos, as well as becoming a company director at Secure Horizons.Armstrong-Smith says: “I joined Microsoft in April 2020, just as the UK went into lockdown. I feel immensely proud and inspired to work for a forward-thinking and innovative company, where I have the opportunity to collaborate with customers and partners to deliver positive change, in a constantly evolving environment.”Sheridan AshTechnology and innovation, and women in technology leader, at PwC UK. Tech She Can founderSheridan Ash was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in recognition for her ongoing services to young girls and women through technology. Humble, genuine and tireless, she was keen to remind us that her work is not entirely focused on cybersecurity although this is, of course, a fundamental component of educating young girls in technology. Through the pandemic Tech She Can ran Tuesday lessons to support parents and carers homeschooling while safety and security have always been a key part of the Tech She Can charter.Ash says: “It has never been more important to inspire girls and young women to get into technology careers. During the first lockdown we launched virtual female-friendly lessons for schools and parents, to date they have been viewed over 4500 times by pupils in the UK and in 25 other countries. The lessons showcase technology, including cybersecurity careers and role models working in the 200 Tech She Can member organisations.”Eliza-May AustinHighlighted Founder and Director of LHS, CEO of PocketSIEM and th4ts3cur1ty.company. The not for profit, Ladies Hacking Society (LHS) started life in 2017, in London. This grassroots community of women has since spread out across the country – with new chapters opening in places like Glasgow and Cheltenham through the pandemic. Co-founder Eliza-May Austin also runs th4ts3cur1ty.company and its service PocketSIEM – which bills itself as “The only pay-per-ticket SIEM solution” – and this new venture has provided much needed support for many companies through difficult circumstances. Austin says: “We had a scary couple of weeks at the beginning of the pandemic, we’d only officially been trading a few months by that point. We very quickly diversified, developed interest-free payment plans, and promoted our remote consultancy services. These changes suited the fears presented by would-be customers and luckily we managed not just to stay afloat but also expand.” Dr Victoria BainesVisiting research fellow at Oxford Department of International DevelopmentDr Victoria Baines is a Visiting Associate with the University of Oxford and has been working with Trend Micro on 2030, the next instalment of their cyber futures scenarios, due to launch at RSA in May. Baines, who has worked with the likes of Facebook and Interpol and has a wide range of research interests including cybercrime, child exploitation and cybersecurity, provides a unique perspective at the crossroads of academia, government and commercial tech companies. This level of qualified expertise has never been more important. Baines says: "To use a buzz phrase of 2020, now more than ever we must take the fear out of cybersecurity. Images of a ‘cyber pandemic’ do nothing to help people already on high alert. We need a new approach that empowers citizens. Increasingly, my work is about calling out threat inflation."Sharon BarberChief resilience and security officer at Lloyds Banking GroupBig banks, like Lloyds, have had the unenviable security task of fielding scams that directly target customers due to the crisis. Sharon Barber has been at Lloyds for 11 years, holding the position of chief security officer since 2017, then moving to chief resilience and security officer in September 2020. This is a crucial role in these times of public concern and financial difficulty. Barber led the Group’s incident response to the Covid-19 crisis. She sees her team’s role as a key enabler for the Group strategy, ensuring the transformation and digitisation of the Group creates a secure and resilient bank. Dr Jessica BarkerCo-CEO and co-founder, Socio-Technical Lead at CygentaCygenta takes a very human approach to cybersecurity as shown through its support of CV-19, the volunteer group set up to aid healthcare organisations through the pandemic. Here, Dr Jessica Barker and her team at Cygenta Team lead an awareness campaign that provides a suite of free-to-downloads resources aimed at the healthcare frontline and back office staff. Barker also launched a new book for the community in September: Confident Cyber Security: How to Get Started in Cyber Security and Futureproof Your Career.Annabel BerryCEO at Sapphire, podcaster at SecuriTea and two sugars The pandemic created a surge in cybersecurity incidents as the world moved fully online. This made the role of specialist community companies, like Sapphire, and the expertise of people who run them more important than ever. Annabel Berry has been involved in various media outreach over the last 12 months and launched SecuriTea and two sugars (a gloriously British title, if ever there was one) in July 2020. This helps unite the community by speaking to notable individuals in the space.Berry says: “The thing I’m most proud of last year was seeing the team at Sapphire pull together and support one another when lockdown happened. When I look at how much we achieved during 2020, it makes me extremely grateful for the people I work alongside and how much they believe in the company.”Lindy CameronCEO of the National Cyber Security CentreThe National Cyber Security Centre – which is part of GCHQ – had a big job on its hands over the last year, with its annual review revealing that it defended the UK against 723 incidents between September 2019 and August 2020, including 200 related to coronavirus. In July, Lindy Cameron took the top job as CEO in a role which includes overseeing the organisation’s response to cyber incidents, improving the cyber resilience of the UK’s critical national infrastructure, identifying the role of emerging technologies and leading the NCSC’s ongoing response to the pandemic.Natalie CoullHead of the cyber security division at Abertay UniversityOne of this year’s Startup Summit finalists, Cybershell, directly credited the foundation of the business on Natalie Coull’s research supervision for her PhD. Inspiring the next generation does not come more directly than this. In fact, Coull has been at Abertay University – an institution which is among the first eight UK universities to be awarded Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education recognition by the National Cyber Security Centre – for 14 years. At the end of 2020 it received an £18m investment to become a new cybersecurity hub for the region and will further promote expertise and create jobs. Dee DeuCISO at XoserveThe role of CISO is a tough one that has had a bumpy journey over the last few years, moving higher up the internal ladder of the enterprise, to become a pivotal position in any organisation. Dee Deu takes a leadership position in the space. And through the pandemic, as well as leading on security at Xoserve, the Central Data Service Provider for Britain’s gas market, Deu has done some important educational work, such as sitting on a Gitex’s post-Covid CISO discussion panel.Jane FranklandCEO at KnewStart, director of women in Cyber Academy, founder InSecurity Movement, global digital ambassador, World Assessment Council, founding member of #Women4CyberJane Frankland is firmly at the centre of the cybersecurity movement in the UK. She launches and supports organisations focused on diversity in the area, sits on boards, is nominated for endless awards and is a real conduit for the industry. Through the pandemic, she produced a Covid-19 survival kit in July, provided mentoring for people in the industry and worked tirelessly to discuss, educate and assimilate a community of women around the most pressing security concerns. Frankland says: “I’m proud to have doubled the numbers of IN Security women’s scholarships, enabling over 50 women to attend one of Infosec’s most prestigious conferences, Black Hat. Additionally, I’m proud to support career women and leaders through the global pandemic with my free Covid-19 crisis kit, masterclasses and turn around consultations.”Didar GeliciSenior technology manager for risk and compliance at Just Eat, chapter leader at Ladies of London Hacking Society, active volunteer at SHe CISO Exec, OWASP Foundation and Open Security Summit Through 2020 Didar Gelici focused her leadership capacity on the Infosec community. She volunteered at the Open Security Summit and The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). While in December she joined Just Eat – a company so synonymous with lockdown eating habits that it got its Christmas single – as the senior technology manager for risk and compliance. Gelici says: “I'm passionate about supporting other people develop in their careers and over the last year, being on furlough really enabled me to do just this through working with the Ladies Hacking Society, SHe CISO Exec, Open Security Summit and OWASP. Being part of such amazing communities has given me a chance to learn from others as well as help a diverse range of people to develop their security knowledge and progress in their careers.”Rowenna FieldingSupreme nerd at Miss IG Geek LtdBetween April and November 2020, Rowenna Fielding was head of individuals' rights and ethics at Protecture, before leaving to become a freelance data-protection consultant. Public facing and “not exactly a shrinking violet” (to use her own phrase), Fielding is an expert in data protection at a time when tracking apps and immunity passports regularly make the headlines. And when WhatsApp privacy settings are generating consumer change in the most unlikely areas.Fielding says: “I’m proud to have contributed to making a difference in people’s attitudes towards data protection; not just its increasing prominence as a corporate risk management topic, but more significantly, recognition of how essential it is to have respect for human rights, people’s welfare and personal ethics in all things ‘data’.” Amanda FinchCEO of the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec)The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) is the only pure play information and cyber security institution to have been granted Royal Charter status, and with over 10,000 members, is dedicated to raising the standard of professionalism in the industry. In time of considerable uncertainty and rising cybercrime, organisations like this have been more important than ever before. As CEO, Amanda Finch leads this organisation and heads crucial independent research, such as a July report which raised a flag on the huge rise of overwork and burnout among professionals, as a direct result of the pandemic.Finch says: “I’m proud of CIISec’s continued support for the cyber security industry in difficult circumstances. For example, we’ve used lockdown positively by increasing the frequency of online development webinars and extending invitations to non-members to attend and learn. These not only add value for attendees but showcase innovation and best practice in the industry.”Lisa FortePartner at Red Goat Cyber Security and co-founder of Cyber Volunteers 19 Europe Cyber Volunteers 19 (CV19), co-founded by Lisa Forte, is a community of cybersecurity volunteers who have united to donate their time to help protect European healthcare organisations from cybercrime. Launched in March 2020, by July it has already amassed 3,330 cybersecurity volunteers. Forte also launched the popular video interview series, Rebooting, in the spring as well as her regular ongoing work at Red Goat Cyber Security.Poppy GustafssonCEO, DarktraceA few weeks after the lockdown began, Darktrace announced that it would be offering its AI security software free to the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic. Darktrace, which was one of the early AI cyber companies, is due to IPO this year and could be valued at £2bn. Poppy Gustafsson is absolutely central to the organisation, moving from joint to sole CEO, over the summer. Under her leadership Darktrace has grown to 1,500 employees with over 40 offices around the world.Gustafsson was named Vodafone’s Woman of the Year for Technology and Innovation in the 2020 Women of the Year Awards. Sian JohnEMEA and APAC director, cyber-security strategy at MicrosoftEMEA and APAC director, cyber-security strategy at MicrosoftSian John is our second inclusion on the list from Microsoft, a company that has formed the gateway to so many people’s working lives, throughout the pandemic. Motivated by the psychological and sociological side of cybersecurity, John’s people-centric approach is central in her work over the last three decades. This has shone through her approach to her current role and has proved an ongoing feature of her market education through the crisis.She was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List for 2018 for services to Cybersecurity.Neira JonesIndependent advisor, chairman of the judges at Merchant Payments Ecosystem, national lead for Payments at FSB, Member of the Board of Advisors for PCI PalThrough the pandemic, the number of payment scams has exploded as cybercriminals attempt to capitalise on public fear and vulnerability. Neira Jones is the tireless advocate for better payment security, particularly during this period, joining a number of boards and associations – such as her inaugural membership of the new PCI Pal advisory committee – as well her regular work, as an independent advisor. This has included plenty of general market education and podcasts as well as starting a new online course for security payments in October. Jones says: “If I can help raise awareness and disseminate knowledge in the community, if I can help make one company more secure, if I can prevent someone from falling for a scam, if I inspire someone to get a cyber security career, then I will consider my small contribution worthwhile.”Indra JoshiDirector of AI for NHSXSince March 2020, the NHS has been the single most important organisation in the UK, and Indra Joshi has the job of overseeing and leading on the creation and formation of its AI Lab. Other responsibilities include heading up digital health initiatives within the health service, with a focus on data, standards, evidence and AI Policy. Joshi is also a founding member of One HealthTech – a network that campaigns for the need and importance of better inclusion of all backgrounds, skillsets and disciplines in health technology.Margarete McGrathChief digital officer at Dell Technologies formerly with EY and PwCOne of the big growth areas through the pandemic has been digital transformation. Suddenly companies that have been beset by organisational complexity – and have been putting off plans for years – realise they must go digital to stay secure. Dell, which runs a suite of services and solutions in the space, sits at the forefront of this and Margarete McGrath leads the charge working with clients to support with their digital and security transformations.McGrath says: “Despite the many lockdowns and periods of isolation, digital tools have kept us going. An area that I am most proud of is the work that we are doing to support small, medium and large customers to survive, grow and thrive in these challenging times. We launched a programme called Work Redefined which is focussed on bringing the best technology solutions to our customers. This is making a real difference to local businesses in helping them adapt digitally.” Deshini Newman Managing director of (ISC)², formerly with Cambridge Assessment and PearsonAccredited professional training has never been more critical and (ISC)² specialises in just that for cybersecurity professionals. This year, Deshini Newman has helped raise the bar on the standard of qualifications, with news in the spring that the (ISC)² CISSP certification is now comparable to a masters degree. Through the pandemic, the organisation has also provided solid independent research into the impact of Covid-19 on enterprise IT security teams, which helps raise awareness around the true professional challenges facing the industry. Newman says: “I am most proud of how the team I lead and colleagues globally came together to serve our members and the industry. I kept diversity at the forefront of our advocacy, introduced new business cadences, sharing challenges but focussing on creative opportunities for collaboration with our members and the industry.”Helen RabeGlobal CISO, AbCamAbcam is one of the quietly important companies, working behind the scenes since the start of the pandemic, to help scientists understand Covid-19. Providing a variety of tools to help accelerate infectious disease research, such as gene detection products, Helen Rabe has a critical security job on her hands as CISO. Rabe is also a big proponent of humanising security and advocating the best, most up-to-date tools, like machine learning and automation, to help make the whole job more effective. Rabe says: “Never before in my career, has a year exemplified the need for collaboration between security and wider stakeholder teams. For me, 2020 was a year defined by reactive projects, from supporting scientists in their Covid research endeavours to continuing to keep our global remote workforce secure. Our key security achievements this past year were the direct result of incredible teamwork and I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful culture here at Abcam." Jenny Radcliffe Social engineer and burglar for hireJenny Radcliffe is a tireless educator, who shares her wit and wisdom on how social engineering works, and what to look out for. This has always been important but, in the fallout from the Covid-19 crisis, it has become vital. This comes in the shape of an award-winning podcast, plenty of media outreach along with a host of services to help companies train staff and improve their security operations. Radcliffe says: "I've been educating on the way malicious social engineers have used the pandemic for fraudulent purposes since the start of this crisis. I've spread the word when I could on the latest scams and cons and how to spot them, as well as those who capitalised on the crisis for their own benefit.“I also tried to lighten the mood with themed podcasts and social-media posts. In the end there is no roadmap of how we all get through this, no silver bullets or single solution that suits us all. I've had a lot of people contact me and say the advice has been useful or the memes have made them laugh – and I am very proud of that."Colleen RoseCISO at Barclays, previously at Unilever In July 2020 Colleen Rose was promoted from infrastructure controls officer and CISO to purely CISO. Barclays, like other major banks, reported a huge spike in scams through the pandemic and this move is clearly a reflection of the importance of security within financial services – the sector that has become the focal point for attacks. Rose is also a big proponent of women in leadership positions. Before Barclays, Rose was at Unilever for 14 years working in a number of senior positions around IT and security. Toni ScullionComputing science teacher, founder of dressCode and Turing’s Testers, co-founder of Ada Scotland Toni Scullion is a schoolteacher from West Lothian who has launched a number of initiatives to promote enthusiasm for technology among children. One of these was the popular online Cyber Treasure Hunts for primary and secondary pupils, which aimed to raise awareness for security as a career option. Through the pandemic, Scullion has also donated her time and educational expertise to the Scottish Tech Army, which provides technical support for the Covid-19 crisis. Scullion says: “I am so proud that over the last year our Cyber Treasure Hunts aimed at schools have reached over 3,300 pupils! I hope our competitions have provided engaging activities for pupils to take part in, but most importantly I hope our work has helped raise awareness of cyber security as a career option and inspired some future cyber stars.”Jill TrebilcockWorkstream leader, UK Cyber Security Council formation project, CIISec directorThe cyber fallout from the Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the need for more strategic professional training in the industry. And the UK Cyber Security Council is being created with exactly this aim – to champion the profession nationally and internationally and assist individuals in navigating the myriad courses available. Due to launch in April, Trebilcock is one of the workstream leads for the project and is integral to shaping a council which will ultimately influence government, industry and academia and grow the UK's cyber security skills base.Trebilcock says: “As a director of CIISec, and CIISec's representative on the Cyber Security Alliance, I've been responsible for two of the 11 workstreams on the UK Cyber Security Council Foundation Project run by the IET for DCMS. After its launch in April 2021 everyone involved is hoping that the Council will ensure that the profession is recognised and clarify entry into and through the various specialisms."Lisa VenturaCEO and founder UK Cyber Security AssociationLisa Ventura has straddled two extremely difficult worlds through the pandemic: that of illness – by caring for her father who has a rare form of encephalitis – and that of cybersecurity. The latter has seen her launch two books – The Rise of the Cyber Women in June and The Varied Origins of the Cyber Men in November – while continuing to run the UK Cyber Security Association. The former has seen her campaigning around her father’s condition, as well as helping his specialist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to join up a number of different NHS IT systems, to deliver quicker test results for her dad and people like him.Ventura says: “Over the course of the pandemic I have worked to educate as many organisations as possible through the UK Cyber Security Association, particularly small businesses and SMEs, as to the importance of being more cyber aware and the importance of cyber security from a home working perspective. The move to working from home so quickly left many organisations vulnerable to the growing cyber threat, and I’m proud to have played a small part in this area.”Alison WakefieldProfessor of criminology and security studies and co-director of the Cybersecurity and Criminology Centre at the University of West London and until recently chair of the Security InstituteSchools have closed, universities have faced a backlash and cybersecurity is a thriving area for change. It is safe to say, the developing role of education has never been more important. Alison Wakefield began her position at the co-director of the Cybersecurity and Criminology Centre at a critical time in January 2020. Her fourth book Security and Crime: Converging Perspectives on a Complex World is published this year. Wakefield says: “My most important contributions during the lockdown have been in the promotion and delivery of online education and development opportunities in security, and widening participation by under-represented groups and nations in these opportunities and the online professional community. Both have been a significant focus of my two organisations and, hopefully, will contribute to a continuing, transformative shift within our profession.” Nicola WhitingCo-owner and non-exec at Titania Recognised on the Queen’s 2020 New Year’s honours list, for services to International Trade and Diversity with an MBE, Nicola Whiting is herself neurodiverse and a massive advocate for diversity in all its many forms. Through the pandemic she has continued to run influential cybersecurity automation company, Titania, as well as working to educate the market in cybersecurity and provide support and wellbeing workshops for the industry. Whiting says: “We’re in the same storm and we need to weather it together. So many people have been in real danger of being shipwrecked during this pandemic, especially in minority groups. Neurodiversity support workshops, contributing to the mental wellbeing of our industry and creating ‘life-rafts’, has been a real driver for me.” Holly Grace WilliamsManaging director at Secarma LtdThis July, Holly Grace Williams, moved from technical director to managing director at ethical hacking company, Secarma. Her work during the pandemic has included plenty of market education, media reach and event speaking, all of which help provide qualified expertise at a time when it is most urgently needed.Williams says: “The thing that I’m the most proud of this year is working in the startup space helping new companies build resilient and secure systems from the ground up, by sharing knowledge on building and breaking systems through public speaking and technical articles.”Kathryn Cave is a journalist and editor with over 15 years’ experience of the technology and cybersecurity industry. With a particular interest in the human side of the space, her work has included research reports on bullying, diversity and introversion. You can find her on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Women of influence: 30 top cybersecurity leaders 2021

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Women of influence: 30 top cybersecurity leaders 2021

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