On this journey, where do I go next?

Presented at Diana Initiative 2019, Aug. 9, 2019, 9 a.m. (60 minutes).

Everyone’s journey is different; many times, we think we are alone on our journey. What choices do you need to make to build a path for professional and personal fulfillment? How do you manage opportunities and challenges both personally and professionally especially in the security community? Three professionals have been selected based on their varied career paths which include academia, military, government and corporate positions; their personal lives as single or partnerships; and how they have participated in the community. This panel discussion is for beginners in the community looking for goalposts to follow and those already deep into their career looking for inspiration to overcome current challenges and set new goals for themselves.


Presenters:

  • Kathleen Smith - CMO at CyberSecJobs.Com
    Kathleen Smith, CMO, ClearedJobs.Net/CyberSecJobs.Com, both veteran owned companies, she spearheads the community-building, and communications outreach initiatives catering to the both organizations’ many audiences including security cleared job seekers, cybersecurity candidates and military personnel. Kathleen has presented at several security conferences on recruiting and job search within the cyber security world to include BSidesLV, BSidesTampa, BSidesDE, FedCyber. Kathleen volunteers in the cybersecurity community; she is the Director, HireGround, BSidesLV’s 2 day career track. Kathleen is well respected within the recruiting community, is the co-founder and current President of recruitDC, the largest community of recruiters in the Washington DC area.
  • Andrea Little Limbago - Chief Social Scientist at Virtu   as Andrea Limbago
    Andrea Little Limbago is a computational social scientist specializing in the intersection of technology, national security, and society. She is the Chief Social Scientist at Virtru, an encryption and data privacy software company, where she researches and writes on the geopolitics of cybersecurity, global digital privacy trends, and usable security. Her writing has been featured in numerous outlets, and she frequently presents on a range of cybersecurity topics such as norms, attacker trends, computational propaganda, digital privacy, and workforce development. Andrea is also a Senior Fellow and Program Director for the Emerging Technologies Law and Policy Program at the National Security Institute at George Mason, and she contributes to numerous security conference program review committees. She previously was the Chief Social Scientist at Endgame. Prior to that, Andrea taught in academia and was a technical lead at the Department of Defense, where she received the top award for technical excellence. Andrea earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
  • Susan Peediyakkal - Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) Lead Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton
    V. Susan Peediyakkal is a Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) Lead Consultant in Booz Allen Hamilton’s commercial team where she focuses on guiding clients on establishing and cultivating industry-leading CTI programs. With over 14 years of cybersecurity experience, Susan draws on her vast exposure to commercial and government domains to tailor advanced intelligence solutions for organizations in various industries. Susan has founded many new CTI programs for international and national-level intelligence capabilities across the globe. In March 2018, she was named one of “10 Women in Security You May Not Know But Should” by Dark Reading, one of the leading cybersecurity publications. Susan is a 17 year US Air Force veteran, is trained in Project Management Professional (PMP) and GIAC Cyber Threat Intelligence (GCTI), and is a certified Splunk power user. Susan is currently an inaugural board member for EC-Council's Global Advisory Board, DC Chapter President for the Women's Society of Cyberjutsu, and the Chief Wellness Officer for the non-profit Mental Health Hackers. Susan is a certified yoga instructor, avid traveler, and mentor for both college graduates and transitioning military members in her free time.
  • Yolonda Smith - Lead Infosec Analyst at Target
    Yolonda Smith is a Lead Infosec Analyst with Target Corporation’s Business Information Security Office (BISO), aligned with the Digital portfolio. In this role, she provides expert security consultancy to developers, business leaders and key stakeholders to ensure that Target's web and mobile applications are designed, developed and deployed with minimal risk to Target or its guests. A security professional herself, she spent 8 years in the United States Air Force as a Cyberspace Operations Officer with duties and responsibilities varying from Mission Commander, (Advanced Network Operations) where her team planned and executed the first DoD Cyber Threat Hunting Missions to Flight Commander, (Cyber Defense Capabilities Development) where her team developed and fielded the first and only malware neutralization tool for the Predator Drone Weapon System. Additionally, she successfully completed multiple deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom where her teams delivered secure, reliable communications capabilities to forward-deployed units on-demand. Yolonda holds a litany of degrees and certifications including a Bachelor of Science, Computer Science (University of Notre Dame, 2005), Master of Science, Information Technology, with a concentration in Information Assurance (University of Maryland, 2010) as well as GSEC (2008), GCIH (2011), and CISSP (2008) certifications.

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