9 minute read
Becoming a Mom Gave Me an Edge on Cybersecurity
This might sound a bit strange, but being a mom enhances my view on cybersecurity. Over the past 14 years, I have worked with engineering firms to bring digital solutions to critical infrastructure sectors to market, such as Energy, Oil and Gas, and Healthcare. The transition to digital solutions is undeniable, unstoppable, and overall, a positive move. Yet, it does come with an increased risk to cybercriminals. During my work in commercializing digital solutions, I came across this challenge — how do clients transition from analog to digital in a secure way; how do we prevent cyber breaches and keep not only their operations up and running but keep their employees and customers safe?
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I dove into cybersecurity and never left. I am passionate about this field. As a stepmom to a bright teenager and a cheerful first grader, I knew the importance of creating resiliency in cybersecurity. However, it wasn’t until my son was born that I took inventory of the unique position I found myself in and the long-term view that is needed to set cybersecurity elements today.
I came back to work soon after my son was born, and on a business trip, I was suffering from severe mom guilt — I left my tiny baby at home with his father, and I wasn’t there. I had left him! The beginning of the trip was very difficult. The trip wasn’t going as planned — key meetings had to be canceled last minute. “Why did I even come?” I asked myself. “I should be at home,” I kept telling myself. I had to break away for a moment during the day to collect my guilt and reframe my perspective so I could push through to the end of the day. On the second day of my trip, I joined a group of cybersecurity experts dedicated to solving the difficult challenge of keeping the nation and its critical infrastructure secure. The meeting was lively. We discussed the imminent threat, the transition infrastructure is facing, and the challenge for operators and owners to take cybersecurity countermeasures. More importantly, we discussed how to approach cybersecurity threats and sabotage. During this exchange, I listened intently to everyone’s comments, and I came to realize that we were all there to secure and safeguard the people and things we cared about. It’s not often that I find a sensitive part of engineering, but that day, I did. I had left my spouse, step-kids, and newborn on a weeklong work trip to secure their future and the critical infrastructure around them.
Because I am passionate about my work and being a positive-influence parent, my challenge has been finding the right balance between work and being a mom. Everyone has their way to balance. My balance looks like prioritization and trust.
Prioritization:
“Do I really have to be at that meeting?” I’d love to be able to say I don’t suffer from fear of missing out. I do, and to be honest, I think most people do, especially in a field where new things are always happening. I tend to want to learn everything. The reality is that I don’t have the personal bandwidth to attend everything and be everywhere at once. While I’m still not perfect, I work very diligently on focusing my efforts at work by prioritizing the items that require my attendance, presence, and effort. In turn, I am not spent when I get to family time. I still have physical, mental, and emotional energy to offer my family.
Trust:
Having a team that I can count on — at home and the office — has made a big difference. Trusting and relying on my spouse as a true partner and vice versa has given me the space to work on cybersecurity topics. Additionally, trusting my colleagues to take on topics on my behalf keeps me from micro-managing all aspects of work life.
Being a mom and a cybersecurity professional are no longer distinct sides but rather elements that support one another. Applying prioritization and having trust enables me to continue to work with my colleagues to look at the ever-evolving threat and work towards a secure critical infrastructure, not only for today but in the 20-30 years ahead, when my son is in his 20’s and 30’s and can rely on a cyber secure infrastructure.
About the author: Carmen Garibi is the Director, Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, Risk Management & Compliance at 1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell, where she leads Business Development, Sales, and Marketing efforts.
Carmen works with clients in utility, oil and gas, water, transportation, government, and other markets to support them in maintaining their business, operational, and digitalization objectives by addressing the core aspect – remaining cyber vigilant.
A cybersecurity executive with more than 14 years of experience, Carmen has focused on supporting businesses in their IoT transformation and realizing operational and financial targets. Carmen holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco and is based in Houston, TX.
LITTER REMOVAL SPONSORSHIP HELPS ENERGY COMPANIES LOCALIZE CSR EFFORTS
By: Kellie Dietrich
Is your energy company doing all it can to maximize goodwill within your local community?
A growing number of energy companies recognize the importance of being connected with initiatives that demonstrate their commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). According to Harvard Business School, CSR is defined as “the idea that a business has a responsibility to the society that exists around it.”
While a noble concept, the challenge is finding a tangible localized way for energy companies to demonstrate their CSR — one that citizens can take notice of throughout their daily lives.
Thanks to a collaboration with Adopt a Highway Maintenance Corporation® (AHMC), two energy companies have realized that sponsoring litter removal programs on heavily traveled roadways is a clear way to say, “We care about the environment and the community where we are based.”
Thomas Oilfield Services, a Texas-based company specializing in oilfield rental equipment and professional trucking services, and Moore Energy, a premier renewable energy firm in Pennsylvania, are two of the most recent energy companies to join the highway sponsorship programs.
Why Litter Removal is a Big Issue Now
Throughout the country, state Department of Transportation (DOT) offices take on the responsibility of maintaining roads and removing litter, a financial challenge at times. AHMC works with the DOTs across the nation to align their mutual desire to keep the highways safer and cleaner for commuters.
This is accomplished through highway sponsorship, which offers businesses a way to give back to the community at a reduced expense to the state DOTs. AHMC provides their team of professionally trained maintenance crew members to perform the litter-removal services on behalf of the business sponsor.
For energy companies, funding litter removal efforts help to provide the opportunity for the sponsor to be recognized for giving back to the community in a very visible and tangible way. In return, the financial assistance from highway sponsors allows the DOT to subsidize the cost associated with highway litter removal efforts for the state.
Litter on Texas Roads Spurs Thomas Oilfield Services into Action
As Thomas Oilfield Services began work during the drilling season this year, the company decided that it was time to further its CSR efforts and give back to the community. The Texas-based provider of oilfield rental services for land well site operations wanted to demonstrate that they, too, are committed to being part of the solution. Becoming a highway sponsor on a heavily traveled highway seemed to be the logical way to meaningfully impact the community.
“As energy companies in Texas, we all have to step it up and show people we are taking measures to better our state,” said Melissa Cartwright, Regional Sales Manager of Thomas Oilfield Services. “With all the time we spend running those roads, we need to do our part to make sure the space is clean and kept nice.”
Renewable Energy Company Sees Sponsorship as an Extension to its Environmental Commitment
Similar to Thomas Oilfield Services, Moore Energy was looking for ways to promote its commitment to a clean community. The renewable energy company, which specializes in solar power systems for residential, farms, public schools, military bases, and municipal government properties, was particularly interested in having an impact on highly traveled
Philadelphia highways. The company ultimately joined the AHMC program as a means to keep the highways safer and cleaner for commuters. “We only have one environment, and it should really be a team effort among energy companies to protect and keep it clean,” said Barry Moore, CEO of Moore Energy. “That’s why I choose to sponsor a highway.”
Nuts and Bolts of Highway Sponsorship
Highway sponsorship pays for litter removal services along the sponsored area of the highway. “Our professionally-trained and certified crew members conduct the litter removal services and maintenance on behalf of our sponsors,” said Robert Davis, National Director of Sales and Marketing of AHMC. “The professional litter removal gives energy companies pride in their sponsorship and also prime brand visibility in their community.”
Each highway sponsorship sign is placed on the right-hand shoulder of the highway, displaying the name and logo of the business that is responsible for sponsoring that portion of the highway. Many companies sponsor a five, ten, or even 20-mile corridor on the highway. For example, a five-mile segment on each side of the highway totals 10 miles of a corridor and exclusive brand awareness.
Signs are unique to each state as well, with Pennsylvania’s sponsor sign featuring the tagline “Pennsylvania Business Is Picking Up.” Additionally, Texas’ signs display the Texas flag, along with AHMC’s partnership with the “Don’t mess with Texas®” litter-removal campaign. Sponsorship signs are seen 24/7 along some of the busiest highways across the country — reaching hundreds of thousands of motorists each day.
“More and more consumers want companies, especially those in their local community, to give back,” said Davis. “Our sponsorship program is a strong way to create a positive CSR message that connects your company to cleaner and safer roads for the community.”
Energy companies Thomas Oilfield Services and Moore Energy could not agree more. “Energy companies benefit from the community, and we believe the community should benefit from us,” said Cartwright. “Sponsorship through AHMC shows we are invested in the community, in Midland-Odessa and Texas overall.” “We all need to take steps locally to do our part, and sponsoring the removal of litter on roads and highways is a great way to start,” concurs Moore.
With only one Earth, the time to act and become a major leader in environmental awareness starts now.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, call AHMC’s tollfree number 800-200-0003 or visit www.adoptahighway.com.
About the author: Kellie Dietrich is a Public Relations and Marketing Specialist at The Communication Solutions Group, Inc., in the Greater Philadelphia area. She writes on educational and environmental issues.
