Welcome to our Women in Cyber blog series, where we spotlight the remarkable contributions and perspectives of women in the cybersecurity field. In an industry often dominated by men, these women are breaking barriers, shaping strategies, and leading innovations to safeguard our digital world. Join us as we explore their stories, experiences, and insights, celebrating their vital roles in securing cyberspace for generations to come.
Mariana Padilla
In this instalment of the Women in Cyber series, we had the pleasure of interviewing CEO of the HACKERverse, Mariana Padilla! We discussed Mariana’s experience from starting her own marketing agency, the challenges she faced as a woman entering the cybersecurity landscape and her advice to ladies looking to join the industry.
Stay tuned for our next interview, where we’ll continue to spotlight remarkable women breaking barriers, driving innovation, and safeguarding our digital world. Together, let’s celebrate their contributions and empower the next generation of cybersecurity leaders.
What did your journey into cybersecurity look like? What initially made you want to pursue a career in cyber?
My most recent background is in marketing, but aside from that I’ve worked in both the education and non-profit sectors. I think the common thread with everything I have done has really been storytelling – the better you can tell a story, the more successful you’re going to be. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking to students, donors or investors, storytelling is a vital tool.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I started freelancing and eventually founded my own marketing agency. During that period, I experienced a lot of challenges with purchasing software products for my team – it was a long and painful process. So, when I met my co-founder, Craig, I immediately understood his vision for a try-before –you-buy platform for software. We’re starting in cybersecurity because the current sales process is outdated and ripe for disruption. Our vision for the company long-term is to expand into a variety of software verticals, allowing buyers to test drive a variety of software without the high-pressure sales calls and the existential dread that comes when you must click on the talk to sales button.
How important do you think it is for women in cybersecurity to have mentors?
Honestly, I would go beyond the idea of mentors and also consider the role of allies and sponsors. Of course you have mentors, would are coaching you and helping you to achieve not only your professional goals, but also your personal goals. Then you have allies and sponsors – allies are the people who are generally advocating for change in the space. There is a growing movement of men in cyber advocating for change not only because it is morally the right thing to do, but also from a risk perspective. Having homogeneity of thought is a security risk. Women bring a different way of thinking to the space, so it’s key to have that diversity of thought. Sponsors are the people who are going to be signing your praises and advocating for you when you’re not in the room. It’s so important to have all three of these people aiding and influencing women throughout the field.
What advice would you give to young women aspiring to join the field?
Networking is super, super important. More than any other space I have ever worked in, in cybersecurity your network is your net worth. So much of cybersecurity is built on trust, and because of this, the network that you build and the relationships you foster, are going to be critical for you and your career. One of the mistakes people make is that they only network when they need something, but that isn’t how it works. You have to think of networking like farming – you’re planting seeds for these relationships and they you have to tend to them and wait for them to grow. If you have an understanding of where you want to be in the field, you need to start networking with the people who can support you into these roles. The other thing that’s important to know is that we live in an attention deficit society, so you must be top of mind for people. Continue to nurture those relationships, updating people about what it is that you’re doing, engaging with them on LinkedIn – this is so important so that when the time comes, and a role becomes available, people will think of you straight away. My final bit of advice would be the give first. In every single virtual coffee I held last year, I asked ‘how can I be helpful to you?’, even if they may be senior and experienced. Flip how you view networking and, instead of just focusing on what you can gain, think about what you can offer.
What challenges have you experienced as a woman in cybersecurity?
There is unfortunately still a lot of bias, specifically in the fundraising and investment process. One of the challenges I have had to overcome is that not being native to cybersecurity has raised a lot of eyebrows from investors. However, my initial point of being able to story tell has been a massive advantage for me, because one of the biggest issues within cybersecurity is communication. To sell, you need to be able to explain what your product is and why it’s important, so I’m able to come in and really question why we’re doing what we’re doing and help our customers better tell the stories of the products their selling. Coming into cyber cold is hard, but you learn along the way, and you need to be comfortable not knowing, but also not being afraid to ask questions.
What more can the industry do to address the biases and issues for women in cybersecurity?
Long term, it starts with pipeline, and building that pipeline into schools. Focus on bringing girls into the space, removing the typical connotations that it’s a ‘men’s club’. I would even go as far to say not colleges – people can be so successful within the industry without a degree. The “the paper ceiling” is the notion that not having a college degree is problematic, yet there is a huge talent shortage, so there is a need to change the requirements. We’re causing these problems – if a candidate doesn’t meet every single checkbox, then adopt the coaching mentality and nurture them into the role. If they have the talent and the drive, provide them with the tools they need to push them into the role they need to be in. Connecting women in cybersecurity with men who are advocating for change is also super important – a lot of women experience imposter syndrome and question whether they are enough, but having those advocates who make the message clear that you do belong is helpful. With the numbers and percentages, the way they are, we can’t be the only ones making a change, we need men to speak up. I love the Mind Over Cyber group, a non-profit that focus on mental wellness and burnout, the by-products of this industry, but one of their big focuses was on making women feel safe in cyber. What they do is incredible, and we need more of that from other companies who are making this a priority.