My journey into the male-dominated world of cybersecurity

Her parents recommended that she pursue Information Technology and Irene Njoroge has no regrets for heeding their advice. She narrates her journey into the world of cybersecurity.

Unlike many people who say that they only pursued a particular course because of their parents while they actually hate it, I actually like my field and my parents were instrumental in getting me there.

Initially I wanted to pursue a course in medicine but I was two points shy of the cut-off marks. My parents, who have been my rock my whole life, pointed out that IT was going to be the next big thing so venturing into it would prove beneficial to my life.

I was sceptical, no doubt. But I bit the bullet and applied for a course in Bachelor of Business and Information Technology (BBIT). I will be eternally grateful to my family, my parents moreso, for giving me the necessary push to pursue this career. To date, they attend conferences especially when I’m a keynote speaker or panellist. 

One of the course units was on information security and cryptography and my lecturer was top in his field. His fame and prowess was the talk of the campus. I was in awe. However, like any new campus student transitioning from school to university life, I struggled with his mode of delivering lectures. It is through this new, strange teaching method that my love for research was born.

He would give us notes - as was the norm in the university; however, these notes were basically summaries. As I soon discovered, in cryptography, it is very easy to get lost if you rely only on summarised notes. You must have a knack for acquiring more information so as to 'understand' them. 

I spent hours in the library and online, pouring into books and websites respectively so as to make sense of what I had heard in class. 

One time when I couldn’t make head or tail of what I was studying, I approached the lecturer for clarification. Unlike my school days where the teacher would take her time explaining topics until she was sure I had understood, the lecturer’s explanation left me even more confused.

But I didn’t give up.

I have always believed in doing things that push me out of my comfort zone. Cybersecurity did just that. This was not only a new path in IT at the time but I also wanted to change the notion that women cannot thrive in STEM courses, specifically IT.

My determination paid off and I excelled in my end of semester exams. 

Post-graduation

Fast forward to graduation I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. Having graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business and IT, I knew I could opt to pursue either or combine the two. My uncertainty grew into anxiety as I watched my classmates land good jobs. This became worse because I had no desire to pursue IT, even though my course leaned more heavily on it. 

As I was waiting for what I will call divine intervention, I did a few stints in finance, research and IT support. This further cemented my reluctance to pursue IT as a career. I didn’t feel like these fields fit my career and life goals. 

Just as my hope was waning, I landed my first corporate job at a fintech company. I was elated, vowing to learn as much as I possibly could. I started off as an intern working in IT support and worked my way up. 

The corporate world was not easy. The learning curve was steep. But, I didn’t let that get to me. The organisation I worked in had many IT specializations. This would prove beneficial to me as I tried to find my calling. 

As I tried to decide between Quality Assurance, Networking and Information Security, I sat with people from the different teams to get an idea of what their work involved

I remember my walk around information security with one of the information security team members. I was intrigued at what I was being shown and thought to myself: ‘When will I ever learn all this?! It's so interesting!!!’. 

I vividly recall my interaction with one of the information security team members. I was intrigued at what I was being shown and thought to myself: ‘I have now found what warms my heart!’. The team was very welcoming and even put in a good word for me to join them. On meeting my 'new boss-to-be', I told him that I wanted to change my career path and he was more than excited to let me join his team. 

As the only lady in this male-dominated sector , I can’t say that I had a difficult time fitting in. My team members became my good friends and mentors; I must say that I will be forever grateful to them. Without their guidance and encouragement, I would never have gotten here. 

I am also very grateful to my husband and family who cheers me on.

The questions I initially had on the usefulness of cybersecurity were eventually answered as I joined the profession. 

Cybersecurity is more than just securing your privacy with the use of passwords. Cybersecurity is very important for any company that is connected to the Internet. Thus, it (the organization) must identify vulnerabilities and ensure they are fixed in a timely manner. They need to conduct penetration testing of the infrastructure, monitor to identify if the systems have been 'hacked' or infiltrated, constantly and consistently sensitize staff on cybersecurity, ensure compliance to policies and procedures, have in place prompt incident response procedures; all in the while ensuring business resilience always. 

Cybersecurity is very dynamic and diverse. You however need determination and resilience to find your way and have a rewarding career.  Rome was not built in one day. Whatever you set your mind to do, keep working at it and you will reap the benefits. 

As told to Audrey Masitsa