On Cloud Nine

FROM THE SRC TO CYBERSECURITY. MARGARET ZIMMERMAN ’14 REFLECTS ON THE (OFTEN ZIGZAGGING) LINE THAT CONNECTS HER TIME AT PRAIRIE WITH HER CAREER IN CYBERSECURITY.

— By Margaret Zimmerman ’14

Currently I work for Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 as a Cybersecurity Consultant, focusing on cloud incident response. My day-to-day work involves handling various types of security breaches for clients in different industries. The path into cybersecurity has not been a straight line, but my experiences at Prairie helped prepare me for all the twists and turns. Following Prairie, I earned a B.A. in Computer Science from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. I then took a job as an application developer at Securian Financial and transitioned to their cybersecurity department.

After joining the cybersecurity team, I had to quickly learn about the field and its various disciplines. This involved everything from incident response and log analysis to vulnerability management and computer networking. With so many specialties in cybersecurity, it took a while to figure out exactly what interested me the most. I eventually chose cloud incident response.

Cybersecurity involves constantly learning on the job and solving new problems.

“Having a critical thinking skillset is something that I gained from my time at Prairie, especially from Dr. Jean Weaver’s chemistry classes. I absolutely loved all of her classes because she knew just how much to push us.”

We were always challenged but always had the right resources to help us learn how to solve any problems we encountered. I did not pursue chemistry beyond high school, but the skills I learned helped me navigate college and excel at work.

The Prairie experience that sparked my interest in the field of technology took place during Interim, when I spent the week with one of our substitute teachers, Dr. Benjamin Taft. He did all of his own programming for his business and taught me the basics of the programming language Python. Working with Dr. Taft encouraged me to sign up for my first computer science class in college which then led to a computer science major. These two experiences were just some of many from Prairie that helped create a solid foundation for my future career in technology.

Throughout my years at Prairie, I had many opportunities to be a leader, whether on the tennis court or in the classroom. Those experiences provided me with the confidence to try new things, such as majoring in computer science and then pivoting into a cybersecurity career. The Prairie experience gave me opportunities to gain the critical thinking skills that are necessary in my everyday work. The ability to take as many art classes as I wanted, play cello in the musicals, participate in varsity tennis – all while taking challenging classes – created the best possible environment to prepare me for my future career as a woman in tech.

The Margaret Zimmerman File

Residence: Hopkins, MN

Favorite hobbies?

In my free time I enjoy playing tennis, woodworking, reading, and going on walks with friends.

What do you miss most about Wisconsin?

My family. And the Lake Michigan view.

What is the best piece of leadership advice you ever received?

Surround yourself with people who have different experiences and perspectives so you are always challenging yourself to grow.

Net gains:

Zimmerman played four years of collegiate tennis while at St. Olaf. After her sophomore season she was named an All Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) selection in both singles and doubles.