Jessica Williams

Security Specialist Monitoring and Incident Response at Rio Tinto

Like many women who have shared their career journeys in these pages, Jessica Williams got her start in cybersecurity not on the strength of formal qualifications, but through persistence, networking and soft skills. “Despite two to three years of studying IT and personal projects I couldn’t break into IT,” she says.

She had worked as a receptionist at a truck company and followed this with an administrative role in insurance. With these roles in her CV she got a job on the periphery of the industry, in cybersecurity recruiting, and used that to get closer to the discipline. “This job gave me huge exposure to the Brisbane security scene. I attended as many events as possible, shoulder surfed over capture the flag participants and took notes at talks,” she says.

“I was hired at a conference for a security bid and engagement role. I used my writing skills to move from that role into a technical writing position. Eventually that landed me in penetration testing consulting after being exposed to what that role looks like, and practicing through capture the flags in my spare time.”

NO FAN OF ACADEMIC STUDY

Given her experience, it is perhaps not surprising that Williams is no great fan of academic study. Asked what advice about a career in cyber she would give to your last-year-of-school self, she says, “I would tell myself not to waste so much time trying to achieve top grades in every university subject. I personally feel I did not get a good ‘return on investment’ when it came to university.

“I would tell my last-year-of-school self to spend that time on getting more deeply involved in the security clubs, side projects and industry meetups. I feel that is where the real gold standard educational experience is for cybersecurity in Brisbane.”

However her views come with the caveat. “I’m not recommending it to everybody, all of our paths are different.”

And to those beyond school, studying at university and aspiring to a cybersecurity role similar to hers, she says: “I would tell all university students to really enjoy your time there, don’t mindlessly consume content, and have fun! Ask questions, engage with people, start fun projects, and get involved with the community. Just going to classes and getting top grades likely won’t cultivate that passion and love of learning that really helps when it comes to these roles.

“I would tell myself not to waste so much time trying to achieve top grades in every university subject. I personally feel I did not get a good ‘return on investment’ when it came to university. I would tell my last-yearof-school self to spend that time on getting more deeply involved in the security clubs, side projects and industry meetups.”

“It’s important to take an active approach to your education, not to passively follow along with whatever university throws at you. When you land that first security role, it’s likely not going to be based on your knowledge. It’s more likely employers are going to hire you based on your passion and drive. Dig into that, and everything else will follow.”

INCIDENT RESPONSE, ACROSS TIME ZONES

Today, Williams is a security specialist in the monitoring and incident response team at Rio Tinto: a team spread between Australia and Canada.

“The biggest challenge in my role is communication during large security incidents,” she says. “When operating between two time zones, facts and assumptions can quickly become mixed up without a proper handover. If clear and effective communication isn’t practiced, a group of incident responders can waste valuable time going down rabbit holes.”

She says getting the role at Rio Tinto changed her life. “My current manager, Ben Passmore, has really helped me come out of my shell at work. I previously had a lot of anxiety around asking for help when I needed it. Ben made it clear from the get-go that I could ask as many questions as I needed and never made me feel stupid for asking. He encourages the ideas I have, helps me to implement them and provides me with the appropriate level of challenges I need to feel fulfilled at work.

“Additionally, the company has provided me with many great training opportunities and has even given me the opportunity to live in Montreal for two years. I feel my career and growth here is taken very seriously, and it shows through all the opportunities I have been given.”

ACHIEVING WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Incident response is, inevitably, not a role conducive to a nine-to-five work routine and Williams has a number of strategies to maintain a good work/life balance, but says the starting point is an employer that will respect and encourage the boundaries employees put in place to maintain that work/life balance, and Rio Tinto has created a workplace where work/life balance is encouraged. “It really should be a shared responsibility between employer and employee.”

Williams makes a point of balancing any extra hours demanded by incidents and meetings with time off, and has a couple of other strategies.

“I adopted two cats! Having pets around has been great for keeping my anxiety levels low and provides a nice mental break when working from home when they demand petting from me. And I’m religious about using the Headspace app. The mindfulness exercises and ‘sleep casts’ help me get a lot more, higher quality sleep.”

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