My family and friends even call me the Lady of Cybersecurity! But I love educating my loved ones on basic cybersecurity practices, like helping my relatives and friends to learn how to use their cell phone securely. Technology is ubiquitous in our world – it’s everywhere and you cannot escape from it. So, why not help others to discover this fascinating field?
Meanwhile, I continued to expand my knowledge by taking numerous cybersecurity courses and eventually landed a position in the cybersecurity department of a consulting firm, where I spent approximately five years. At first, it was very challenging to get used to being the first girl in a team composed entirely of men. What’s more, they all focused on penetration testing, simulating potential cyberattacks to find weak spots in systems, and offensive security, while I was one of the few people working in threat intelligence. I had to create many parts of the operation from scratch I had to investigate and analyse an unbelievable amount of information. In the end, I felt so proud of myself. Maybe, I’m really capable of everything, if I put my mind to it?
There were difficult moments, including some in which I had to prove that I had the necessary skills in the face of the prejudice of being the only woman. However, although these situations are hard and unpleasant, my work has always supported me by showing that I have the necessary skills.
In 2023, I was lucky to join Kaspersky – it really changed my perspective on the importance of research. I was charmed by place and priority Kaspersky gives to this task. I’ve always been intrigued by how the world is full of mysteries – and now I knowhow and am able to solve some of them. What I love the most about the world of technology is its vast and diverse nature.
Of course, we cannot be experts in every aspect of cybersecurity, but it is important to know that there is always someone friendly and willing to help you in this area. I found it in Kaspersky. Each person thinks differently and has a unique perspective, and thanks to them I can find new points of view on the tasks. And, of course, they are all so inspiring for me to learn and achieve more.
For instance, we have a practice when other researchers of GReAT team revise our studies before publishing. It is very important to have the perspective of other researchers in an intelligence report, this way we can have interesting feedback with details that we may not have considered. Comments from other team members greatly benefits further research and could spark a new research idea – role models are not always distant and unattainable. They can be found close by and can serve as sources of inspiration. In fact, every woman in STEM I’ve met during my lifepath has inspired me through the way – starting from my mom, working as an engineer, and even now, when I’m finding outstanding examples among my female colleagues.
