Limor Kessem on Cybersecurity Career, Innovation, and Being an Upstander

Accidental Entry into Cybersecurity

• 💡 Limor Kessem's journey into cybersecurity began by pure chance, deviating from her childhood aspiration of becoming a doctor.
• 🔑 She emphasizes that while chance can open doors, success requires meeting opportunities with passion, investment, discipline, and perseverance.
• 🚀 Her first role was in a security research lab, where she encountered threat intelligence and learned about underground communities and the evolving cybercrime economy.

The Role of a Security Advisor

• 🧠 A Security Advisor's day-to-day involves constant learning, staying updated, and engaging in knowledge sharing.
• ⚠️ The role also includes action, responding to emerging attacks that can feel like journalism, and core security work focused on risk management.
• 📈 Kessem highlights the need to tighten core security while simultaneously embracing innovation to counter adversaries who are quick to adopt new technologies.

Fostering an Inclusive Culture

• 💬 Kessem addresses challenges faced by women in cybersecurity, including gatekeeping, gaslighting, harassment, and bullying.
• 🤝 She advocates for being an upstander – standing up for others – and being fortunate enough to have others stand up for you as a powerful way to influence culture.
• 🌍 The cybersecurity job market is experiencing significant growth, with millions of jobs to fill, underscoring the need for diverse talent including women, ethnic minorities, neurodiverse individuals, and men.

Career Advice and Motivation

• 🎯 For those entering the field, Kessem advises coming with an open mind and a clear understanding of what you want to be, not just what you want to do.
• 📚 She acknowledges a significant learning curve and the necessity of investment in skills and knowledge.
• ✨ Mentorship played a crucial role in her career, with individuals believing in her potential and encouraging her to step into roles she hadn't considered, which was highly motivating.
• 🌟 Her ultimate hope is that sharing her experiences helps others make better decisions about security for themselves, their companies, and their families.