Women In Security Magazine Issue 11

Kao Hansell grew up in the Blue Mountains region of NSW but moved to Salisbury North in South Australia when she was 11. She is now studying for a Bachelor of Information Technology: Networking and Cybersecurity at the University of South Australia. Her final semester will be the first semester of 2023. KAO HANSELL Bachelor of Information Technology: Networking and Cybersecurity at the University of South Australia

Suppose you met an old friend from your last year at school who, knowing nothing about cybersecurity or what you do, asks you what you are doing. How do you answer them to ‘sell’ them on the idea of a career in cybersecurity?

What was the reaction from parents, peers or career advisors to your decision to get into cyber? Did you face any opposition, if so, how did you feel about this?

I help people without them knowing. By engaging

a lot of support for my choice. I do remember one

with companies and assisting with their cybersecurity

comment from a friend who said I would have to

needs I can make a difference in a stranger’s life,

prove myself more than my male peers, which caught

and they would never know. I help companies and

me off-guard.

I did not find any opposition. I did get the usual “so you want to be a hacker” comment. Overall, I had

organisations secure what is important and give those trying to protect you a fighting chance against the tide of those who would want to do harm.

Who, or what, would you say has had the biggest influence on your cybersecurity career journey to date, and why?

How does the reality of cybersecurity as you experience it today fit with your understanding when you first thought about studying it?

Having several female lecturers at both TAFE and

I fell into the category of people who thought

on my career journey was being introduced to Paul

cybersecurity was black hoodies, too many coffees

Dewsnap from Digital Resilience. This has led to me

and energy drinks, big screens with data streaming

becoming part of his company and shadowing some

across them and conducting penetration testing. I

of the most amazing people I have come to know.

quickly learnt that is simply one important, but small,

This was also how I found I enjoyed governance risk

area of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity covers many

and compliance (GRC) and shifted the direction of my

technical and non-technical areas I had no idea about.

career journey.

university had an impact on my confidence in pursuing my IT career Overall, the biggest impact

I have found that, while I love the technical side of cybersecurity, pen-testing and how that works, I have also developed a great interest in risk and policy management.

What do you see has having been the most memorable and/or significant in your cybersecurity journey to date, and why? I would say meeting many women not only

What cybersecurity role would most like to be hired into when you graduate, and why?

in cybersecurity but STEM in general through

This is a tough question. If you had asked me 12

finding my feet and gaining confidence. Being able to

months ago, I would have given a very different

network with such a variety of inspirational women

response. Previously it would have been something

and talk and learn was by far the most memorable

in forensics or insider threat analysis but after the

and significant aspect of my journey.

HerTechPath. This was a major step forward to

experiences I have had this year I want to go into stay up to date and, in turn, protect the customers