Kao Hansell Cyber Security Advisor at Digital Resilience
K
ao Hansell’s entry into the world of
managing director, Paul Dewsnap. “He took a chance
cybersecurity was unplanned and almost
after meeting me and has helped steer my career
instantaneous. Looking to change
down the path it is currently on,” she says. “Between
careers and with an eye on becoming
him and the team at Digital Resilience I have been
a programmer, she was researching
able to progress so much.”
courses at TAFE SA when she came across details of an information session on a new cybersecurity
Since then she has gone on to gain seven LinkedIn
course (Certificate IV in Cyber Security, Information
Learning certifications, and cites “constantly
Technology) scheduled to take place just two
learning” as one of the most rewarding aspects of
hours hence.
her role. “I am a lifelong learner and currently my role is supplying me with a constant stream of new
“I got changed, jumped on a train to the city, was
information. On top of that is knowing I am, in my own
blown away by what I heard and decided that I was
way, helping people.” However, her career journey has
going to try cyber instead of programming, which
not been all plain sailing. It began with being set on
was a great decision,” she says. “I enrolled the next
the wrong course by her school career advisor.
morning and started to surf the web for articles and information on what exactly I was getting
Looking back, she would tell her last-year-of-school
myself into.”
self “ignore the career advisor and go into IT.” Had she followed her inclination she says she would be
Her current position— cyber security advisor at Digital
a very different person and would have enjoyed her
Resilience—also happened by chance. “I was still very
work time much more, but acknowledge that her
much trying to figure out where I wanted to be, what
experience in customer facing jobs improved her
was my place and what I enjoyed. Then the current
interpersonal skills.
opportunity arose, and it was like the right place at the right time,” Kao says.
And, Kao says her own experience demonstrates that cybersecurity would benefit by attracting more people
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That opportunity came about through a chance
with experience in other disciplines. “Bringing people
meeting with Digital Resilience’s founder and
in from other industries has led to new perspectives
W O M E N I N S E C U R I T Y M A G A Z I N E
J A N U A RY • F E B R U A RY 2023
