The IT Security Guru’s Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards aims to shed a light on the remarkable women in our industry. The following is a feature on just one of the many phenomenal women put forward for the 2021 awards. Presented in a Q&A format, the nominee’s answers are written in their own words with minor edits made by the editor for readability.

This year, the awards are sponsored by KPMG and Beazley.

Anne Woodley, Security Specialist at Microsoft

What does your job role entail?

As a Security Specialist, I have the opportunity to work with many different organisations to understand their cybersecurity challenges so we can work together to find the best solutions.

How did you get into the cybersecurity industry?

Fifteen years ago, before cybersecurity was a fully identified technology category, I worked for an online backup and photo-sharing company that was acquired by what was then known as an anti-virus company. This was the start of the burgeoning field which became known as cybersecurity.  

Imagine my thrill at having the opportunity to witness the emergence of a brand new technology industry! I quickly became obsessed with the complexity of ever-changing threats and the growing intelligence and solutions available to protect companies, consumers, and countries.

What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a woman in the tech/cyber industry and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge I continue to face is how to balance my ambition against what brings me joy in life. I have had many demanding, global roles, which I’ve loved, several of which forced m ..

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