author photo
By SecureWorld News Team
Thu | Mar 10, 2022 | 11:04 PM PST

In the SecureWorld Spotlight Series, we learn about the speakers and Advisory Council members that make our events a success. In Q&A format, they share about their professional journeys, unique experiences, and hopes for the future of cybersecurity—along with some personal anecdotes.

In this installment, meet two of the leaders behind the WiCyS Delaware Valley affiliate, which is composed of women trailblazers from academia, government, and industry cybersecurity sectors.

Nancy_HunterNancy Hunter co-founded the Philadelphia Women and Cybersecurity group and currently serves as president and board chair of the Delaware Valley affiliate of Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS). After spending 25 years of her career in IT, including more than 17 years in information security, Nancy considers joining the Federal Reserve Bank in 2017 as the highlight of her career. In her current role as CISO and Data Privacy Officer, she leads a team of Information Security and IT Risk Management professionals in enacting the bank's insider risk management, external service provider, and data privacy programs.

Rosemary_ChristianRosemary Christian is Co-President of WiCyS Critical Infrastructure and a board member for WiCyS Delaware Valley. She has demonstrated passion, knowledge, and proven ability to engage others in the emerging market needs for cybersecurity initiatives. She leverages her experience, communications skills, and interpersonal savvy across all levels to facilitate multiple security control systems, encryption, and authentication protocols. At Comcast as a DevSecOps Transformation Coach, she fosters continuous improvement and sustained adoption of Secure Development Lifecycle practices.

Get to know Nancy Hunter and Rosemary Christian

Question: How would you describe WiCyS Delaware Valley?

Answer: [Nancy Hunter (NH)]  It is an affiliate of the global organization WiCyS (Women in Cyber Security—pronounced We Sis, like we sisters) whose mission is to support women in and interested in cybersecurity. The Delaware Valley affiliate is specifically focused on supporting Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware with the same cause. We provide women interested in and in cybersecurity with free educational events, mentoring, community outreach, networking opportunities, and support. 

 

Question: Why did you decide to pursue cybersecurity as a career path?

Answers:

[RC]  Early in my career in professional services, I decided to specialize in the cybersecurity sector which launched me into partnering with businesses to implement cybersecurity tools. The amount of opportunities I found both in networking groups and conferences continues to support my professional development within the field. The continuous growth in this field makes it exciting to always learn new things and to help others learn more about cyber.

[NH]  I have been in cybersecurity for more than 20 years. When I started, cyber chose me by making me an offer to build a third-party risk program for a large financial institution. It was a great opportunity I could not say no to, but I had no idea what I was getting into or that it would take my career into the cybersecurity field. Cybersecurity is always changing, expanding, and exciting. There are many different roles in cybersecurity—from being a cyber lawyer, to identity and access management, vulnerability management, marketing, education, to name a few areas—and even further within that there are leadership positions. You do not have to be overly technical; you can learn as you go, but you have to be hungry to learn. It remains a great field 20+ years later. Now, I and others bring newcomers into the field.

 

Question: What encouraged you to join WiCyS?

Answer: [NH]  Bringing women and allies together has been at the core of my career in cyber. Upon discovering early on that the field was still very male dominated, I initiated a search to find other women in cyber. That journey led me to be one of the founding members of a local group called Philadelphia Women & Cybersecurity (PWCS). PWCS has since grown and expanded to join the larger non-profit of WiCyS under the WiCyS Delaware Valley affiliate. The support from the national non-profit has been encouraging and aided in the expansion of our outreach throughout neighboring communities and states. The combination of our local leaders and the global WiCyS network has assisted in our evolution and strengthened our mission to continue to support and bring together women in cybersecurity at any stage of their career.

 

Question: How would you describe your feelings about cybersecurity in one word? 

Answers:
[NH]  Impactful. Every day you have a chance to make a difference that matters. That is impactful.

[RC]  Community. This community is all about making a difference. 

 

Question: If you had to choose, what's the one cybersecurity practice people can adopt that would have the greatest impact?

Answers:
[NH]  Not taking the bait and clicking on phishing emails

[RC]  MFA, multi-factor authentication

 

Question: What is an industry-wide change you would like to see happen in 2022?

Answer:
[NH]  Leaders being willing to have true entry-level positions and training people for those positions. I recognize in smaller companies this is not always possible, as they need to fill a specific gap, but in larger, more established companies when there is an opening, you can often promote from within, and then open up a new position for someone to enter the field. It can be a win-win. New people in cybersecurity and new opportunities for those already in the field.

 

Question: What do you wish more people knew about WiCyS Delaware Valley? 

Answers:
[NH]  The Women in Cybersecurity Delaware valley affiliate is open to everyone, and I mean everyone: men, women, LGBTQ, students, early in their career, seasoned in their career, in cyber, interested in cyber, etc. No fee to join our affiliate. You can expand your membership and join WiCyS global and take advantage of the wonderful benefits they have to offer, including career fairs nationwide, mentoring, scholarships, speaking opportunities, an annual conference, and more.

[RC]  It is truly an inclusive community hoping to connect all those willing to learn more.

 

Question: What are you most looking forward to this year at SecureWorld Philadelphia?

Answers:
[NH]  We will be at SecureWorld Philadelphia, and it will be our first opportunity to have a booth. This is like a homecoming to us, as SecureWorld is where we first started our local organization in 2018. WiCyS Delaware Valley members will be contributing throughout the conference in our booth, on panels, speaking, and networking with the attendees. Come see us, and even better, join us to learn, grow, and network with others who support women in cyber.

[RC]  I am looking forward to connecting with the community in person again and hopeful to meet new people.

 

To hear more from Nancy and Rosemary, attend their upcoming panel session, "Cyber Resiliency in Today's Ever-Changing Threat Landscape," by registering here. To learn more about the Women in Cybersecurity national association, visit their website.

If you're interested in presenting at an upcoming SecureWorld conference, please fill out our speaker submission form.

Continue to follow our Spotlight Series for more highlights from industry experts!

Comments