Canadian women in cybersecurity making waves coast to coast

Whether it's in Calgary, Montreal, or Toronto, women are making a difference in the Canadian cybersecurity space, from caller verification and crypto threat action to inspiring young minds to stay safe online.

Global cybersecurity member association ISC2 reported this year that only 25 per cent of cybersecurity jobs are held by females on the global stage.

International Women in Cyber Day was established in 2018 by Lisa Kearney to raise awareness about the gender gap in this sector of tech.

"I came up with the idea of International Women In Cyber Day with a two-fold mission: One; Raise awareness of the issues impacting women's success in the cybersecurity workforce and two; Celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in the cyber security field," says Kearney. "The month of September was selected because it was in September of 1917 that some women in Canada were first given the right to vote. The first was selected because it's the start of the month, and the year for many from an industry and educational perspective."

Here are three women making waves in Canada's cybersecurity industry.

Andria Delia - Cyber Threat Intelligence Expert

Andria Delia became a Cyber Threat Intelligence Expert through a personal experience. After selling a real estate portfolio four years ago, she invested in various cryptocurrencies as an alternative investment. Even after taking necessary security precautions, such as buying a new tablet with a new Apple ID to store the crypto, it was hacked within hours, and thousands of dollars were mysteriously transferred out of her account.

"I expected law enforcement to come CSI Miami style...and the cavalry to come. Nobody did. It was like a hot potato at every level of law enforcement, and it was still a significant amount of money on a brand-new device. So I decided to buy a gaming laptop and I taught myself all the hacking tactics and techniques."

In the years that followed, Delia devoted herself to mastering her craft by studying cyber threat intelligence certification at the SANS Technology Institute, as well as cyber and electronic operations at Harvard University and computer and information systems security at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

"I now mitigate ransomware attacks on our Canadian organisations," she says. "I kind of turned the tables on the cyber criminals due to the fact that I was a victim, and I didn't want other victims, you know, to suffer the same consequence as I did so now."

She has spoken at conferences in Dubai, Washington, D.C., and Montreal - teaching people how to keep their digital information safe and works to recover it once it has been stolen.

"There's always an element of insider threat. I dig really deep into the logs and tactics, and I find the exploit. Remember, all I know is hacking, so I'm familiar with the playbooks of our threat actors. I know what they do, so I know where to look."

Words of advice: "I think us women have already great analytical skills...women have that innate aspect of wanting to protect so it combined with, like, the intelligence and analytical skills, you know, I welcome all women, and it's definitely something that, if I can do it, anybody can do it."

Tracey Nyholt - TechJutsu

Tracey Nyholt's university degree is in English, but she is the founder and CEO of TechJutsu, a company specialising in end-to-end IAM projects. Ten years ago, she founded her company to show that one doesn't need to conform to set out career pathways to be successful in cybersecurity.

"People would tell me how useless my degree was, and asked me what I could possibly do with it. I would tell them I was going to start a tech company, not because I had any intention of doing it in university, but it was just a way to shut them up. I think saying that so many times, it planted a seed."

She studied manuals, earned a supplementary diploma in IT administration, began working in help desks, and advanced her way up the tech ladder. During this process, she had to work hard to convince employers of her potential.

"I actually had to dye my red hair brown, I got fake glasses, and I really had to kind of look the part. It was almost an acting gig to get my first job, as opposed to being based on credentials and what I could speak about."

To advance her career, she always asked to study under the person one step above her on the career ladder.

"They would often say, No. I'd say, 'Well, I know you need to document your job. How about if I do that for you, pass it off as your work - but in order to do that, you'll have to teach me what you do,' and that's really how I managed to get people to teach me and learn what I needed to."

Now TechJutsu is in its tenth year, providing identity and access management for the help desks and call centres.

Words of advice: "Use what's feminine about you. When I went to a male dominated field I would try and be like a man at first, but eventually I came to understand that it's my communication skills and my empathy, that really made me stand out and be better at my job because not only can I solve problems, I can communicate why that problem is important and why the solution matters. 

Cheryl Hayes - Cyber Legends

Cheryl Hayes has transitioned from a professional ballroom dancer to a cybersecurity innovator. Cyber Legends, a company she co-founded with colleagues, was established during the pandemic, when they recognised a growing threat to children who play games online or surf the internet.

"We had neighbours down the street whose kids had money taken from them when gaming because they shared passwords. We had some issues with kids that were interacting with people who were asking them to do things that were not healthy and positive," says Hayes. "So it was more a shift to cyber safety and finding a solution to help educate kids on safe, ethical and effective use of technology and cyber safety."

Although her background is not in cybersecurity, this has not stopped her from making waves in the industry. She hopes that young girls using Cyber Legends will learn the importance of staying safe online and consider a career in the cybersecurity workforce. 

Words of advice: "I would suggest that no one discounts themselves for being a candidate for cyber. I think there's a fit for everyone with every type of skill set," says Hayes. "Oftentimes it's a little intimidating to think about cyber security because you think you have to be incredibly technical, but I think there's so many different avenues that you can take when it comes to cyber."