The cybersecurity industry faces a significant talent shortage, with an estimated 3.4 million professionals needed globally to fill the gap. This presents current security professionals with career progression and growth opportunities. Cybersecurity also offers individuals various interesting career pathways, ranging from a security architect to a cloud security specialist to a cyber-defense specialist and more.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the week of October 16 specifically is Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week, which looks to raise awareness of cyber roles and attract people from different backgrounds and with varying experiences to consider a career in the field. We recently talked with Luisa Lavano, a systems engineering manager at Fortinet, to learn more about what drew her to a cybersecurity career and tips for those considering reskilling or upskilling in cyber. 

A Conversation about Cyber Careers

1. Can you tell us about your career pathway?

Luisa Lavano(LL):I have always been fascinated by scientific subjects, perhaps because I was influenced by my father, who was a chemist, and my mother, a mathematics teacher. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a mathematics and physics teacher, which were always my favorite subjects in school. At that time, there was no internet yet, so I spent my childhood and adolescence playing physical rather than virtual games. I didn't have a PC or telephone, but my curiosity for new technologies led me to choose a course of study that ended with a degree in computer engineering with a specialization in telecommunications. After I graduated, I won a scholarship to participate in a master's degree in information and communications security held at the higher education school of the main Italian telecommunications operator of the time. This turned out to be a great opportunity for professional and human growth, although it was also a great challenge.

2. What inspired you to start a career in cybersecurity?

LL:My master's degree gave me the opportunity to move from a theoretical academic profile to a full immersion in post-graduate professional courses, which also allowed me to get certified on technologies that were, in that period, market leaders in the field of network security, as well as certifying myself as a professional security tester. My master's degree included an internship in a company, and after only three months, I was hired by one of the main European systems integrators with offices also in Italy.

I remained at that company for nine years. I had the opportunity to develop and improve presales experience in the network security field and also as a project manager for some primary customers in Italy. When I felt that my objectives at that company had been achieved, I began to feel a strong need to take on new challenges, and I had the opportunity to meet my current director at Fortinet. I joined Fortinet in 2016 as a systems engineer dedicated to channel development in Italy, working with our partners and global systems integrators to develop their autonomy and trust to invest in Fortinet and provide them a technical reference and guidance to create business together with highly innovative projects on the Italian market.

3. What does your current role consist of and what is it about your work that excites you?

LL: Almost three years ago, Fortinet gave me the opportunity to create and coordinate a team of systems engineers dedicated to channel and GSI accounting and development to best support our channel ecosystem of resellers, global systems integrators, partners, and distributors. Today, my current role is to enjoy, inspire, and collaboratively grow with a fantastic team I'm most proud of. It's a diverse team made up of 10 different people (including me), different in terms of previous experience, gender, age, soft and hard skills, and geographical location throughout the national territory. This results in positive energy for the team, and it's an opportunity for growth on a daily basis for a single common goal: to build trusted relationships with channel partners and systems integrators. It's really a fun and challenging job because every day is like the first day, even after years, since there is a lot of different dynamics.

4. What advice would you give other women looking to start a career in cybersecurity?

LL:Unfortunately, today in Italy in the cybersecurity sector, only about one in 10 professionals are women. Why? Until a few years ago, there was minimal awareness of what cybersecurity means, what it is, and what opportunities it offers, so there were few references. There is also a bit of fear and a sense of inadequacy in women as if cybersecurity was only for men in black hoodies behind a screen typing incomprehensible commands on a command line.

In my opinion, now things are changing and improving. But certainly, many stereotypes are still present and influence people, especially young people of school age, on the perception of which jobs are more suitable for men compared to which jobs are more suitable for women. I believe that there is no suggestion that is valid for everyone, other than to work on yourself, identify your potential and find references, sometimes mentors, to help you maximize your value.

5. Why is cybersecurity a good career choice for women? 

LL:Cybersecurity is an industry that embraces and requires many profiles and many different skills: analysts, lawyers, psychologists, sociologists, developers, engineers, mathematicians, physicists, educators, and many others. There are no categories of people who are more suitable than others; the difference is not only about skills but, above all, about motivation. Therefore, anyone, woman, man, young or old, who has the curiosity and passion for a constantly evolving world like the cyber world, which offers many opportunities for human and professional growth, will be able to find the right role to express their maximum value for their personal growth and the growth of the company. Cybersecurity is also an optimal choice for women because it allows you, with good management of priorities, to manage and organize an optimal balance between work and personal life. It is a sector that offers the possibility of working from everywhere, with agile processes, business models, and tools so you can become a better professional and a better woman day after day.

Find out more about how Fortinet's Training Advancement Agenda (TAA) and Training Institute programs-including the NSE Certification program, Academic Partner program, and Education Outreach program-are helping to solve the cyber skills gap and prepare the cybersecurity workforce of tomorrow.