W H AT ’ S
H E R
J O U R N E Y ?
part!) of cybersecurity, the technology that protects our secrets and communications in our daily life.
Giulia Traverso PhD- Senior Consultant Cybersecurity, EY
By becoming a cryptographer I (finally) officially became part of the cybersecurity workforce. However, this took a few more years. After my master’s degree, I did not feel ready for a job in the industry. I wanted to explore cryptography more deeply, and contribute to it. So I decided to do a PhD in cryptography.
H
Armed with a PhD I had two main options to become part of the cybersecurity workforce: pursue a career ow do you become a “cybersecurity
in academia and become a professor or move into
expert”? The journey that would lead me
the industry. Those who decide to stay in academia
into working in this field started more
are at the forefront of innovation. They are the folks
than fifteen years ago, when nobody
inventing new primitives, proving the security of these,
was taking about cybersecurity. I wasn’t
and equipping them with more and more desirable
aware of it either. I stumbled upon cybersecurity by
and sophisticated features. Those who move into the
chance.
industry implement cryptography in to protect real
My journey began fifteen years ago when, after middle
data and processes.
school, I had to choose what type of high school to
I belong to the latter group. After my PhD, I joined a
attend. A school with a strong scientific or technical
cybersecurity startup to manage its R&D projects,
background, you might think. Well, no. Unbelievable
adding security to embedded technologies, such
as it may sound, I opted for the so-called “Classic
as IoT and AI. At the time of writing, I am about
Lyceum”. In Italy, where I was raised, a Classic Lyceum
to join a Big Four consulting firm where I will be
is a high school with a strong focus on literature,
dealing with compliance to cybersecurity standards
ancient Greek, Latin, philosophy and history, and
and regulations for major banks and insurance
only five hours per week of mathematics, physics
companies.
and science. After completing my five year stint at the school I knew that “cryptography” came from the Greek root “crypt-”, which means to hide, and that “cybersecurity” came from the Greek root “cyber-“, which means to govern, to pilot. At age nineteen, that was all I knew about cybersecurity. My journey towards my current field of expertise started slowly and unconsciously when I decided to enrol for a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the university. At least I was in the STEM field and one of the (supposedly) few women in STEM. In fact, half the students in the mathematics faculty were women. My interest started to shift to cybersecurity when I decided to study for a master’s degree in
My career path shows there are many ways to becoming a cybersecurity expert. So I hope I’ve shown you there is much more to working in cybersecurity than hacking and programming all day long. There are theoretical and strategic roles. Cybersecurity is a discipline where knowledge and competence count for more than degrees and certificates, and where career progression is not closely tied to specific study paths. Therefore, if you’re passionate about cybersecurity or simply interested in it, please just go for it! Study on your own, take online classes, read books, ask people on LinkedIn. A career in cybersecurity is closer than you can imagine.
mathematics for cryptography. Studying for my bachelor’s degree I had found subjects like number theory, finite fields, and algebra very interesting. Those are the mathematical foundations of cryptography, the core (and the best
www.linkedin.com/in/giulia-traverso-phd-13a749150/
www.breakingthirty.com
WOMEN IN SECURITY MAGAZINE
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