How One Woman In Cybersecurity Is Paving The Way For Others

Gina Yacone, CISO for Mountain States region at Irvine, Calif.-based solution provider Trace3, got into cybersecurity because of the economic benefits. “As recruiter said I can make a lot of money, so I never looked back,” Yacone said. And when she started, she said women made up only six percent of cybersecurity jobs. She said it’s amazing to see the increase of women in cybersecurity, including C-levels positions, to have a seat at the table. “Having that diversity of thought at all levels is really really inspiring,” she said. Yacone sacrificed a lot for her career but is finding a balance to feed both her personal and professional life. Some sacrifices, though, were made so she can move up the ladder. She’s now happy to see more women at the table in the ever-evolving space. And today, cybersecurity is seeing a huge transformation with the onslaught of generative AI. In fact, she said AI and generative AI pose the most cybersecurity threats to those who are the most complacent. She said cybersecurity experts must stay in front of it, learn from it, build an AI center of excellence or an AI security center of excellence, master the fundamentals of good data hygiene and look at what their data strategy looks like to stay ahead of any security threats AI poses. Yacone spoke to CRN’s CJ Fairfield about her journey in cybersecurity, how she’s inspiring other women in tech and the latest trends, like AI, and how it relates to cybersecurity.