In Cybersecurity, It’s About Collaboration, Not Competition

How I learned the value of being a team player in an industry where I was often the odd one out.

I never really gave a thought to working in computer technology until I took a martial arts class. My instructor, who also owned a tiny tech company, encouraged me to study programming. I did.

I became good at it. So good that he gave me my first job as a programmer (in BASIC!) and system administrator for their HP 3000 minicomputer.

Two years later, I found my way to an intern role as a lab administrator for a contractor to NASA, Ames Research Lab, working with a team of all male scientists. My job included everything from making coffee and cleaning the lab to writing programs for their research experiments. Most of the men were supportive, but there were challenges to prove my value as a capable contributor to the team. I often worked extended hours on my own and never took my job, or their support, for granted.

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