Sarah Gilbert

Senior Business Analyst - Cyber Security at Transport for NSW

There’s nothing like having a great mentor to help guide and support your career journey, as that of Sarah Gilbert, Senior Business Analyst - Cyber Security at Transport for NSW, demonstrates very well. She cites self-belief as the biggest challenge she has faced throughout her career, a belief reinforced by her inability to make progress in the early stages.

“Belief in myself, that I know what I’m talking about and I can do a good job is something I have struggled with across all my roles,” she says. “I never believed I was good enough to be a senior/lead business analyst. Any promotions I applied for; I was always knocked back.”

Moving to Australia from the UK in 2017 was a watershed moment. “It gave me the opportunity to not be ‘pinned’ in certain roles, and I took the opportunity to apply for more senior roles.”

Her first role in Australia was as a senior business analyst with Lion, a beverage company. In that role she met colleagues and friends who helped change her career journey. “There are two individuals who have had the most influence in my career. They helped me move into the world of cybersecurity,” she says. “They gave me my first cyber opportunity and supported and believed in me when I did not feel I was good enough to do the job.

CAREER DEFINING COLLEAGUES

“It’s because of those individuals I managed to get my foot into the cyber door. They have been there to listen to me when I have problems or challenges and have given me advice throughout my career in cyber. Without them I would not be the person I am today with the role I have.”

Gilbert gained a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology from Staffordshire University in the UK in 2005 and followed this with a Master’s in Business and ICT in 2011 from the same university. Her first role after gaining her bachelor’s was in the IT department of a soft drinks manufacturer.

“I started off as an enterprise architect, moving to a project management office role and then eventually landing a business analyst position,” she says.

“Cyber was not a thing back then, so it wasn’t really on my radar. It wasn’t until I moved to Australia and started working for another manufacturing company that I was introduced to cyber and discovered what

an interesting world it was.” At the time, she had no formal cybersecurity qualifications.

CONTINUOUS CYBER LEARNING

“I have had to learn about the principles of cybersecurity and the different elements that need to be considered when approaching a problem. It’s been a very interesting journey and I’m still learning every day.

“I have learnt that cyber is an ever-evolving world. Like technology it’s getting more sophisticated at an alarming pace. I remember one conference I attended where the keynote speaker said, ‘If you have a job in cyber, you have a job for life because we’re never going to fix it.’ This still resonates with me today.

“They were right. The attackers are becoming more and more sophisticated, and it’s not just industries that need to be wary, but also people in their everyday lives. We are seeing more and more articles in the news where people have succumbed to scams. We think it will never happen to us but if you are not diligent and careful, it just very well might. More security controls such as multifactor authentication and one time PINs are becoming part of everyday life, but we as a society still need to be very vigilant.”

HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF

Given her confession about a lack of self-belief it is no surprise that Gilbert’s advice to anyone aspiring to a role similar to hers is: “Have faith in yourself. If it’s something you are interested then there is no reason why you can’t or shouldn’t pursue that career.” And she says, a lack of cybersecurity qualifications should not be a barrier.

“There is the old debate about experience versus qualification: what do you need to be successful? I think it is a balance. When I started in cyber, I had my degree and my masters, which showed commitment to learning and evolving as an individual. I had experience as a business analyst across a broad range of areas but no formal cyber qualifications. “For anyone starting out, I think you have to be willing to learn, to be open to new ideas and new challenges, and if you’re not sure, google it’. Talk to others in similar roles to understand their journey and to see if there is anything you can take from their experience and apply it to your situation.

“Learn about the industry, learn about what options there are and what you think you would like to do. Don’t feel you have to stay in one role. Look for training opportunities, find people to speak with, follow security influencers on platforms such as LinkedIn, sign up to webinars. There is so much information out there to help you learn about the area you are interested in and where you might like to go.”

And, like every woman who has shared her career journey in these pages, Gilbert wants to see more women in cyber, and across the board in IT.

“I think more women in general would be great to see in the security industry and I don’t think they should be limited to specific roles. I have worked with many women who are amazing at their jobs, whether they be business-focussed or of a more technical nature. There is no stereotype any longer.

“When I started working in IT it was a very male dominated area. It wasn’t unusual to hold a workshop where 90 percent of the participants were men. Since starting in cyber I have seen an exponential increase in the number of women involved, which is great. I have also seen an increase in the number of women in more technical roles which are usually taken by men. This is also great. Security is not a man’s world. There is no reason why women cannot start a career in cyber – no matter what age they are or what their previous experience is. If it is something you’re interested in, give it a go.”

www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-gilbert-a1985596