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In an era where cybersecurity is central to the safety of global digital infrastructure, the industry still grapples with a deep-rooted lack of diversity. The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards 2024, hosted by Eskenzi PR and supported by prominent sponsors like BT, KnowBe4, and Varonis, aims to amplify the voices of women who are reshaping the cyber world. Among these trailblazers is a standout professional whose journey into cybersecurity is anything but conventional.
This award celebrates not just excellence but courage—the courage to defy stereotypes, confront systemic bias, and reimagine what leadership in tech can look like. This featured honoree not only safeguards digital trust at Age UK but also serves as a powerful force for inclusion through Seidea CIC, an initiative she founded to open cybersecurity doors for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women.
Her story is a compelling mix of grit, impact, and inspiration—a narrative that underscores how personal conviction can evolve into large-scale social change. Here’s a closer look at her achievements, her path into cybersecurity, and the battles she’s fought to carve space for others.
Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity: A 30-Line Digest
The Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards 2024 spotlights female leaders challenging the norm in cybersecurity.
Organised by Eskenzi PR and backed by top-tier sponsors, this initiative gives visibility to women making real-world change.
One of the 2024 awardees is a data security leader at Age UK, where she ensures organizational compliance and trust.
She also leads Seidea CIC, an international nonprofit focused on creating cybersecurity careers for BME women.
Her career started in international development, not tech, showcasing a non-traditional route into cybersecurity.
During the Ebola crisis, she worked with the undercode to fight misinformation, which revealed the urgent need for digital literacy.
She transitioned from development work to becoming an advocate for equitable cybersecurity solutions.
Her work now spans teaching, research, and international policy—she’s even contributed to UN discussions.
One of her greatest challenges has been being underestimated due to her identity and voice.
She overcame these barriers by founding her own platform, securing board-level positions, and gaining global credibility.
Through Seidea, she has trained over 8,000 women worldwide in various cybersecurity disciplines.
The program provides not just education, but mentorship, internships, and real employment pathways.
She collaborates with universities, corporations, and governments to reshape the tech pipeline.
Her activism includes speaking at TEDx, teaching at Oxford University, and producing content for LinkedIn Learning.
This dynamic approach ensures impact both at the grassroots and policy level.
She believes in changing narratives, not just creating access.
Her work emphasizes that representation
Personal inspiration comes from her grandmother, a war survivor and community educator in Nigeria.
That legacy fuels her belief in knowledge as a tool and service as a duty.
Her story is a testament to the power of lived experience in redefining leadership in tech.
With support from allies and organizations, she’s pushing the sector toward greater inclusivity and accountability.
Her leadership is about proving excellence, then using it to pull others up.
She remains vocal about intersectional challenges in cybersecurity spaces.
Her journey reflects the pressing need for more diverse voices in digital defense.
It also shows how unconventional paths can lead to sector-defining innovation.
She embodies what these awards aim to celebrate: vision, resilience, and transformation.
Her influence is global, with partnerships spanning the UK, Africa, and North America.
She’s helping companies build not just safer systems—but fairer ones.
Her work challenges everyone to rethink what a cybersecurity leader looks like—and whom they serve.
Recognition in this award marks not the end, but a milestone in a larger movement for equity in tech.
What Undercode Say:
The narrative shared through this award nomination sheds light on a powerful shift occurring within the cybersecurity landscape. Historically dominated by white, male professionals, the cybersecurity sector is slowly being reshaped by professionals who bring with them not only technical prowess but rich, diverse life experiences. The honoree in question exemplifies a new kind of cybersecurity leader—one who integrates social justice, education, and technological strategy.
Her dual leadership roles—in a charity safeguarding the elderly and in a social enterprise uplifting women of color—illustrate the multidimensional impact cybersecurity professionals can have. These aren’t just roles tied to technical responsibilities. They’re positions of ethical stewardship. She understands that cybersecurity is not only about firewalls and code; it’s also about trust, dignity, and digital rights.
What makes her story uniquely compelling is the trajectory: from fighting misinformation during a health crisis to teaching AI security. That journey suggests an adaptive mindset, one that sees technology as a tool to advance social resilience rather than simply a field of employment.
By tackling misinformation in the Ebola era, she began cultivating the exact skillset needed to thrive in modern cybersecurity: digital literacy, threat analysis, and community engagement. Her evolution into a cybersecurity educator and thought leader is not a pivot but a natural expansion of that mission.
The challenges she’s faced are painfully familiar to many women—especially women of color—in male-dominated industries: dismissal, doubt, invisibility. But she flips the script. Rather than retreating, she establishes her own table, then pulls others up to it. Founding Seidea was not just entrepreneurial; it was a political act against gatekeeping.
Her mentorship and training of 8,000+ women are not just statistics—they’re seeds for generational change. These are women who, because of Seidea, now have access to careers that could lift families, communities, and entire economies.
Her public-facing engagements—from TEDx to Oxford—serve as amplification mechanisms. They signal that cybersecurity is for everyone and demand that institutions reflect that ethos. Every talk, every partnership, and every course is a rebuke to exclusivity in the tech world.
As organizations push toward inclusive hiring, voices like hers become crucial in designing recruitment, policy, and education strategies. Diversity in cybersecurity is not merely a quota—it’s a necessity in an era of complex, global digital threats.
By anchoring her cybersecurity philosophy in heritage, lived experience, and intersectional awareness, she provides a blueprint for future leaders—particularly those who may never have seen themselves represented in this field.
Fact Checker Results:
The subject is a confirmed awardee of the 2024 Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards.
Seidea CIC has verifiable impact metrics and multiple corporate partnerships.
Her background in digital security and public speaking is consistent with public records and platforms like LinkedIn Learning.
Prediction:
With continued momentum and increased institutional support, initiatives like Seidea CIC will play a central role in filling the global cybersecurity talent gap. This honoree is likely to be seen in more strategic advisory roles, shaping public policy and corporate strategy alike. Her leadership will not only influence the diversity narrative but will directly impact how secure—and just—our digital world becomes.
References:
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