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CyberWire Daily

Dr. Jessica Barker: Cybersecurity has a huge people element to it. [Socio-technical] [Career Notes]

Oct 6, 2024
Dr. Jessica Barker, co-founder of Cygenta and socio-technical expert, shares her unexpected journey from aspiring farmer to cybersecurity advocate. With a PhD in civic design, she highlights the crucial human element in cybersecurity strategies. Jessica discusses the need for diversity within the field, drawing from her own experiences as a woman in tech. She encourages newcomers to pursue their interests passionately and emphasizes the importance of personal stories in fostering engagement and knowledge sharing.
07:40

Episode guests

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Quick takeaways

  • Dr. Jessica Barker's journey from aspiring farmer to cybersecurity highlights the field's unexpected career paths and the importance of adaptability.
  • The podcast underscores the critical need for diversity in cybersecurity, advocating for inclusion across gender, ethnicity, and neurodiversity within the industry.

Deep dives

The Journey to Cybersecurity

The speaker recounts her unexpected journey into the field of cybersecurity, highlighting her initial aspirations of becoming a farmer and her eventual shift towards working with people. She discusses how her background in urban regeneration and civic design led to an opportunity in cybersecurity after a consultancy recognized the value of her research on the human aspects within the field. This transition involved a steep learning curve, particularly in understanding technical concepts and the unique challenges faced in cybersecurity. Her journey illustrates the importance of being open to new paths and opportunities, even when they arise unexpectedly.

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