Cybersecurity craves human connection

Cybersecurity has a human heartbeat. The variety of backgrounds that people in this space have enriches an industry that is day by day more interested in its human side. Different experiences bring new perspectives and ways of doing things to a community that craves human connection. Our guest, the extraordinary Maril Vernon, is the perfect example. Coming from the social media marketing space, Maril took the cybersecurity industry by storm, becoming the 2023 Cybersecurity Woman Hacker of the Year, claiming the 2023 CyberJustu Pentest Ninja Award, and being recognized as one of the Top 10 Women Influencing Cyber by CyberSHEcurity. Maril is the Senior Application Security Architect at Aquia Inc., Contributing Writer at CSO Online, COO at Teach Kids Tech, Co-host and Co-founder of The Cyber Queens Podcast, Purple Team Program Manager, and a 24/7 advocate for amplifying female and LGBTQ diversity in cybersecurity. Throughout our conversation, Maril shares her thoughts on creating space for recognizing emotions in the workplace, how she sees and experiences empathy in cybersecurity, and the positive impact of her social media marketing background on her development as a hacker. Maril also talks about remote work cultures and human connection, generational differences, self-care, her commitment to increasing equality and diversity in cybersecurity, and more. Listen to this episode to learn:How Maril sees the importance of empathy in cybersecurity (3:10)Why there’s rising interest in the human side of cybersecurity (7:50)How inclusive the industry really is (18:00)Why Maril decided to start The Cyber Queens Podcast (26:00)How different backgrounds enrich the cybersecurity industry (34:50)How radical acceptance can be a life-changing hack (41:50)Resources from this episode:The Cyber Queens PodcastMaril's BioHacker Valley Media - Unleashing the Power of Cybersecurity Purple Teams with Maril VernonThe Cyber Guild - Spotlight on Maril VernonMaril on Twitter - What Makes Hacking Ethical or Unethical?Phillip WileyTracy Z. Maleeff (InfosecSherpa) on CyberEmpathyLesley Carhart (hacks4pancakes)Connect with Maril:LinkedInTwitterLet's connect!WebsiteLinkedInTwitter