Top 10: Women in Cybersecurity - Cyber Magazine

List Cyber Security Top 10: Women in Cybersecurity By Marcus Law March 04, 2025 6 mins SHARE Top 10: Women in Cybersecurity As we celebrate International Women’s Day this March, we spotlight 10 trailblazing women who are shaping the future of the cybersecurity industry Cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving field, with organisations facing increasingly sophisticated threats. Yet, despite its critical importance, the industry has long struggled with gender diversity. Women remain underrepresented in security leadership roles, despite playing key roles in shaping global cybersecurity strategies.  In recognition of International Women’s Day this March, Cyber Magazine highlights 10 women who are driving progress in the industry. 10. Kirsten Davies Role: Founder and CEO Company: Institute for Cyber Civics Location: United States Kirsten Davies Kirsten Davies is the Founder and CEO of the Institute for Cyber Civics, an organisation dedicated to shaping ethical cybersecurity leadership and fostering responsible digital citizenship. A highly respected cybersecurity executive, Kirsten has held multiple CISO roles at global corporations, most recently serving as CISO at Unilever. Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in driving security transformation initiatives, improving cyber resilience and aligning security strategies with business objectives. Prior to her tenure at Unilever, she held senior security leadership roles at major multinational companies, including Barclays, Siemens and Hewlett-Packard. 9. Jadee Hanson Role: CISO Company: Vanta Location: Minnesota, United States Jadee Hanson Jadee Hanson is the CISO at Vanta, a leading trust management platform that helps organisations centralise and automate security compliance. She oversees Vanta’s security, enterprise engineering, privacy and GRC functions, ensuring the company maintains and advances its leadership in cybersecurity.  Before joining Vanta in 2024, Jadee spent seven years at Code42, where she served as both CISO and CIO. There, she led the company’s security and technology strategy. Prior to Code42, she spent over seven years at Target in senior cybersecurity leadership roles, and worked at Deloitte as a security consultant. 8. Sarah Armstrong-Smith Role: Chief Security Advisor EMEA Company: Microsoft Location: United Kingdom Sarah Armstrong-Smith Sarah Armstrong-Smith is the Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft EMEA, where she leads cybersecurity strategy, risk management and resilience initiatives. With over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, business continuity and crisis management, she is recognised as one of the top female leaders in the industry. Before joining Microsoft, Sarah held senior security roles at leading organisations, including Fujitsu. She is a strong advocate for diversity in cybersecurity, regularly speaking at global conferences on emerging threats, cyber risk and leadership. 7. Nasrin Rezai Role: SVP and CISO Company: Verizon Location: New York, United States Nasrin Rezai Nasrin Rezai is the Senior Vice President and CISO at Verizon, one of the world’s largest telecommunications and cybersecurity providers. In her role, she is responsible for leading Verizon’s global information security strategy, risk management and cyber defence operations. With over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, Nasrin has been instrumental in enhancing enterprise security frameworks and implementing next-generation security architectures. Before joining Verizon, she held leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies, including GE and Cisco, where she played a key role in modernising cybersecurity programmes. 6. Mary Ann Davidson Role: CSO Company: Oracle Location: California, United States Mary Ann Davidson Mary Ann Davidson is the Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Oracle, one of the largest software and cloud computing companies in the world. She has been with Oracle for over two decades, overseeing the company’s security policies, risk management strategies and regulatory compliance initiatives.  Before joining Oracle, Mary Ann served as an officer in the U.S. Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps. She has testified before US government committees on cybersecurity and has contributed to security standards in the tech industry. 5. Kathy Warden Role: President and CEO Company: Northrop Grumman Location: Virginia, United States Kathy Warden Kathy Warden is the President and CEO of Northrop Grumman, a global aerospace and defence company with a strong cybersecurity division. She has been with the company since 2008, holding several executive roles before becoming CEO in 2019.  Kathy has extensive experience in cybersecurity, intelligence and advanced technologies, overseeing Northrop Grumman’s strategic growth in cyber operations and AI-driven security. She is a leading advocate for national security and STEM education. 4. Poornima DeBolle Role: Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Company: Menlo Security Location: Florida, United States Poornima DeBolle Poornima DeBolle is the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Menlo Security, a cybersecurity company specialising in cloud-based security solutions.  Before co-founding Menlo in 2013, she held key product management roles at networking leaders such as Juniper Networks and Cisco. With deep expertise in network security, she has been a driving force in Menlo’s growth, developing isolation-based security solutions to protect enterprises from online threats. 3. Dorit Dor Role: CTO Company: Check Point Location: Israel Dorit Dor Dorit Dor is the Chief Technology Officer at Check Point Software Technologies, one of the world’s largest cybersecurity firms. She has been instrumental in driving innovation, leading product development and overseeing R&D operations.  With over two decades at Check Point, Dorit has been a key player in shaping the company’s cybersecurity offerings, including threat prevention and cloud security solutions. She holds a PhD in computer science and is a strong advocate for cybersecurity education. 2. Wendy Thomas Role: CEO Company: Secureworks Location: Georgia, United States Wendy Thomas Wendy Thomas is the CEO of Secureworks, a cybersecurity company providing cutting-edge threat detection and response services. She joined Secureworks in 2008 and has held various leadership roles, including Chief Product Officer and President of Customer Success.  Before joining Secureworks, she had an extensive career in investment banking, working at major firms such as BellSouth. As CEO, Wendy has been instrumental in Secureworks’ transition from a traditional managed security services provider to an advanced cybersecurity platform focusing on AI-driven security solutions. She has a strong background in business strategy and financial management, allowing her to drive sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive cybersecurity landscape.  She holds an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and is known for championing women in cybersecurity and advocating for more diverse leadership in the industry. 1. Michelle Zatlyn Role: Co-founder, President and Chief Operating Officer Company: Cloudflare Location: California, United States Michelle Zatlyn Michelle Zatlyn is the Co-founder, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cloudflare, a global leader in web performance and cybersecurity. Since co-founding the company in 2009, she has played a key role in its growth, helping to scale Cloudflare’s infrastructure to serve millions of websites worldwide.  Under her leadership, Cloudflare has become a key player in internet security, offering protection against DDoS attacks, malware and other online threats. Michelle has a background in product management and marketing, previously working at Google and Toshiba, and holds a degree from McGill University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.  Michelle has been featured on multiple ‘Most Influential Women in Tech’ lists and is an advocate for diversity in the cybersecurity industry. Her leadership has contributed to Cloudflare’s successful IPO and continuous innovation in web security, making it one of the most trusted cybersecurity firms in the world. To read the full article in the magazine, click HERE. Explore the latest edition of Cyber Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Tech & AI LIVE and Cyber LIVE. Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today. Cyber Magazine is a BizClik brand TAGS Kirsten Davies Jadee Hanson Sarah Armstrong-Smith Nasrin Rezai Mary Ann Davidson Kathy Warden Poornima DeBolle Dorit Dor Wendy Thomas Michelle Zatlyn Read Now RELATED CONTENT Top 10: Cybersecurity Leaders Cyber Security