Foundresses
Zuzana "Kayla" Pechová
I am a generalist in everything related to cybersecurity. I've been in the field for almost ten years, but I've been tinkering with computers for almost thirty. I studied telecommunications, but over the years, I outgrew them and found that I enjoy configuring things overall to function well and be secure - so I switched to cybersecurity. I have led several teams, mostly focusing on overall company security or the technical infrastructure for security. Currently, I work in the industry as an architect.
I really enjoy technology, sci-fi, and fantasy, so besides work, I have a lot of IT-related hobbies. I first explored Linux twenty years ago, and it has long been my primary system. I can script and program, DIY-tinker here and there, enjoy delving into everything, and finding optimal settings.
With the help of CyberLadies, I want to assist all women and other underrepresented groups so that they are not afraid of IT and security. So that they don't experience stereotypical setbacks and underestimation just for who they are. So that they can assert themselves, have someone to talk to, know where to educate themselves further, and progress.
Markéta "Coughey" Gregorová
I am an activist. Since my youth, I have been creating projects and joining teams working on topics that improve the state of our society. Despite studying humanities—yes, CyberLadies includes members like that too!—in international relations and European studies, I started my professional career in a technical position as a tester of web applications. Then, I began exploring which work would appreciate my skill set and which work, on the other hand, my soul would appreciate (and additionally studied security studies to tame my imposter syndrome).
Currently, I have anchored myself in the practical application of activism, which is politics. It is there that I realized with the greatest intensity how little attention is paid to new technologies in these circles and how these can help us as a society develop but also pose a threat. Over the past four years in the European Parliament, I have been involved in shaping European legislation on cybersecurity, giving me the opportunity to uncover where our gaps lie.
In my eyes, CyberLadies are not here to patch up these gaps; let companies and politicians handle that (yes, I'm giving myself more work!). CyberLadies are about putting heart into something that already has a solidly running mind, but we find it not enough, because we want more from our cyber space.
Eliška "ch33s3" P.
I am a cyber threat intelligence analyst and investigator. My daily bread involves navigating the depths of the internet and collecting information on how cyber attackers operate – to help build resilient systems before an attack occurs, or to find out who and why is already meddling in our system during an incident. Recently, I've been making a living by building an internal cyber threat intelligence program for a gaming company.
Though when I first got a whiff of cybersecurity about ten years ago (back then on my best way to become an intel analyst specializing in organized crime on the Sinai Peninsula...), it never occurred to me that cyber would one day be my livelihood. As time went by, and I worked in various roles in different structures, public and private, national and international, I eventually immersed myself in this dynamic and exciting field. I happily discovered that cybersecurity is far from just for super-tech-savvy guys – it's also for girls like me who enjoy diving into areas where they supposedly "don't belong."
And I want to pass on this joy and enthusiasm to others. 🐱
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