women in cyber

Dr. Fatou Sankare is an expert in data science and ethical hacking. A woman who is passionate about cybersecurity and education, Dr. Sankare holds her doctorate in cybersecurity and is also the founder of Datacation, a growing organization that prioritizes bringing cybersecurity to marginalized communities.

Dr. Sankare is also passionate about spreading cyber awareness and proving that everybody has a place in the cyber world, regardless of background, technical skills, or access to education.

In this episode of Do We Belong Here, Dr. Sankare joins Tashya Denose and Pam Lindemoen to discuss her unusual journey from political science to cybersecurity and examines the connections between the two fields. She also dives deep into the experiences that she’s had as a young Muslim black woman in cybersecurity, shedding light on the moments where she feels she has to wear her credentials on her sleeve just to prove that she belongs. Tashya, Pam, and Dr. Sankare also explore our annual tradition of choosing a word to embody this year and how they hope to grow in 2024.

“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” - Michael Enzi

Datacation - mydatacation.com

Connect with Dr. Sankare on Instagram - @TheeDataEnthusiast

Find us on social media - @DoWeBelongPod

Learn more about Cyber Florida - cyberflorida.org

Watch the podcast on YouTube: youtube.com/@cybersecurityfl

Welcome to Reimagining Cyber, where we explore the evolving role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). In this special episode, Stan and Rob present a compilation of insightful clips from previous episodes.

First up, Parham Eftekhari, Executive Vice President of the Cyber Risk Alliance, discusses the transformation of the CISO role into that of a business leader. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the business side of the organization and acting as a liaison between security priorities and business leaders.

Next, Tim Rohrbaugh, former CISO of JetBlue, shares his perspective on the budgeting process for information security organizations. He emphasizes the need for the CISO to have face time with the audit committee and stakeholders, suggesting that the budget should be tied to IT metrics.

Moving to the federal sector, Nick Ward, former CISO for the Department of Justice, discusses the executive order focused on enhancing cybersecurity. He delves into supply chain risk management and the tools provided by the executive order to prioritize and secure critical software.

Roland Cloutier, former TikTok CISO, explores the challenges of securing artificial intelligence implementations. He emphasizes the importance of understanding AI infrastructure, data stores, and API connections while highlighting the need for effective network protection.

Jeff Brown, CISO of the state of Connecticut, contrasts the role of a CISO in state government with that in the private sector. He emphasizes the benefits of information sharing and collaboration among state CISOs.

Taylor Hersom explores the concept of virtual CISOs, discussing the value of leveraging external expertise, especially for startups and scale-ups. He suggests that smaller companies can benefit from third-party resources before considering a full-time CISO.

In a special segment featuring female leaders in information security, Phyllis Woodruff, Tammy Schuring, and Lori Sussman share their experiences and insights. They highlight the importance of women owning their skills, embracing their unique attributes, and creating new pictures of leadership.

This episode provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving CISO role, covering topics such as business alignment, budgeting, federal cybersecurity initiatives, AI security, virtual CISOs, and the contributions of female leaders in the field. Join us as we continue to reimagine cyber in the ever-changing landscape of information security.

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Get in touch via reimaginingcyber@gmail.com