Kristen Beneduce (she/her)

Kristen (she/her) is a Security Researcher and Incident Responder at Sandia National Labs, where she builds future-focused cyber technologies for national defense and hunts threats on critical networks. She transitioned to cybersecurity with a background in contemporary art and business. Kristen is also the founder and Vice President of the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) Silicon Valley Affiliate, a regional community dedicated to elevating women and diversity advocates in Northern California.

1. What does cybersecurity mean to you?

I was 12 when I discovered Windows Temporary Internet files, one of many digital artifacts that can be used to retrace a user’s browsing activity. I can distinctly remember the thrill of the hunt, and my determination to recover what I was looking for.

In college, I studied the social impact of hacking, including artists who hack technology as part of their creative process and the lure of the “Love Letter” email worm that infected 10 million computers in May of 2000. I learned that cybersecurity underpins many civil liberties and has enormous cultural and economic influence.

Today, working in the federal space, I see cybersecurity at the center of National Security. Our nation’s prosperity depends on it. My daily reality is comprised of threats that impact our nation’s future. I deal with it by constantly researching new attack techniques and designing scaleable systems to defend against them.

“My daily reality is comprised of threats that impact our nation’s future.”

2. If you could wave a magic wand and solve one problem in tech, what would it be?

Our nation would be a lot more secure if we solved diversity retention in cybersecurity. Many studies have shown that diverse and inclusive teams are more productive and that diversity and inclusion are especially critical in cybersecurity, where teams need to be at the top of their game to stay ahead of evolving threats. With millions of unfilled cybersecurity jobs around the world, the industry needs to support underrepresented groups. Everyone can be empowered to be a part of security solutions. Security leaders who are full of empathy will help us get there.

3. What’s a piece of advice that you‘ve found especially useful?

“Find good mentors.”

I had the fortune of having several great mentors before my career in cybersecurity. But in my first security role, when I looked around and up the chain, there were few people like me with a nontraditional background. I had questions!

I started getting involved with organizations like Women in Cybersecurity, and as I reached outside my immediate circle, I felt overwhelmed finding other women, albeit the statistical minority, who are also passionate about changing the ratio.

Being in cybersecurity has also broadened my definition of mentorship. It’s normal to feel like you only know 10% of everything you should know, but the beautiful thing is that everyone only knows 10% of the pie and it’s different from your slice. So, peers can also be mentors when it comes to breaking into a new cybersecurity domain.

4. What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you deal with it?

I met my share of naysaying from colleagues and family when I told them I was leaving my corporate role to pursue a masters in Computer Science and Cybersecurity at a small defense academy without any formal technical background.

I understood their concerns. I was on a solid path in the business world. My peers were moving on to prestigious positions at Fortune 100 companies, or founding their own. With an emphatically liberal arts vitae, I was not what they envisioned when it came to cybersecurity.

I gave thorough pause to their concerns, and I took inventory of my values. Cybersecurity deeply aligned with my desire to help others. Plus, I loved that it would challenge my comfort zone and I could constantly be working on ‘the next thing’. So, I leveraged my strengths in research, analysis, and creativity and charted ways to formalize my self-learned technical skills. Despite the naysaying, I would not even call the decision to pursue cybersecurity a calculated risk. It was a win-win!

5. What’s your source of inspiration?

Technology-based artists. Designers. TED talks. Nature. Fierce women!

6. What’s your favorite book?

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy

The Code Book by Simon Singh

Free Culture by Lawrence Lessig

The Nature of Code by Daniel Shiffman

Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil

Practical Malware Analysis: The Hands-On Guide to Dissecting Malicious Software by Andrew Honig and Michael Sikorski

The Tao of Network Security Monitoring by Richard Bejtlich

Kristen is a Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) member.