Alyssa Columbus (she/her)

Alyssa (she/her) is a Data Governance Specialist and member of the Spring 2018 Class of NASA Datanauts. Previously, Alyssa has worked as an information security analyst, data scientist, and machine learning researcher, and she has a wide variety of experience in all aspects of data management, including data science, engineering, security, and governance. Her award-winning work has been featured by many publications, including Forbes, O’Reilly Media, Kaggle, Dataquest, and Microsoft’s Revolution Analytics blog. Alyssa is the founder of R-Ladies Irvine and holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of California, Irvine.

1. What do cybersecurity and crypto mean to you?

For me, working in cybersecurity is an incredible opportunity to work with data at a much larger scope than I had previously in data science and engineering. I’ve always enjoyed working with data, and I’ve found that as I’ve learned more and more about data security, privacy, and governance, I have a much more complete picture of how critical the management of data can be to an organization’s success. As the amount of data produced and regulations to keep sensitive data private are rapidly increasing, so will the demand for skilled professionals who can protect data, manage its use, and ensure it’s a valued asset that organizations can use for improved decision-making and greater mission effectiveness.

One thing I love about the cybersecurity space is that people of all backgrounds are welcome. Technical or non-technical, degree or no degree, there is an increasing abundance of jobs for almost everyone.

2. What is a piece of advice that you have found especially useful?

You are the CEO of your own life. You have the freedom to choose what matters to you, define a vision and plan for your success, and work hard with people who support you to achieve it.

3. What is your favorite source of inspiration?

I’ve always been inspired by my dad. His hard work and advice to always be kind influenced me to work hard and earn everything that I have today in my career.

Alyssa is a Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) member.