Isra Mohammed Al Rawahi
Age: 24
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Internet and E-Security
University: The University of Technology and Applied Science, Oman
What interested you to take up Cybersecurity as your field in your undergraduate degree?
Cybersecurity is becoming a major concern. I was initially intrigued by the cyberattacks and how they cost the companies and government each year. Later I read about the huge need for security professionals while the number of threats and attacks increases massively. At this point, I had many questions like, how a weak password can lead to a huge attack? Why a small note inside the office can be an entrance for something bigger? How can one-click let the company loss millions?… Going far away from my comfort zone, I start meeting with different people in the field, listening for an interesting story, getting too many advice at the first cybersecurity conference I joined in 2017 even though I couldn’t understand most of the concepts at that time, but I really wanted to be a part of this community.
Was there a particular course / or courses that enjoyed in your college?
I was excited to take the first course in the specialization fundamentals of Computer Security with Mr Faisal Altobi. It was a foundation subject for all other courses.
How did you apply for Securado’ s Security Analyst jr opening?
Through my university, they suggested I forward my CV to the company
Are you happy with Securado’ s work culture?
Yes
What are your current responsibilities as a Security Analyst jr?
Combining both human skills and tool intelligence, Everyday mission is to analyze the hacker activities, take a very close look at what the hacker trying to do exactly, study the impact and how the system will be infected, finally making a detailed report with recommendation
Did you face any challenges as a Security Analyst jr so far? Explain how did you overcome it. (You can explain both technical or organisational challenges )
The first challenge I faced was to get the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) certificate within a month of joining Securado. I had to study day and night to pass the certificate so quickly. In spite of the daunting task, I was successful and I have my CEH certificate now, which I’m very proud of.
Secondly, I faced some difficulties in communicating with my colleagues who were from different backgrounds and cultures. But everyone was really helpful in making me feel comfortable working with them.
Are you interested in pursuing higher education in the same field or a different field?
Yes, I am planning to continue my career on the same path.
Did you find any roadblocks because you were a young woman in tech?
When we choose our specialization, our mentors mentioned to us that being a woman in cybersecurity will not have many opportunities for us because the industry preferred men in these roles. this suggestion did disappoint me personally. Not just in college but even d see that men with the same skills and talents were preferred for a better opportunity than me and female classmates
But in my current workplace, we have been given some helpful suggestions on how to grow in the Securado.
Do you think the current Covid situation has changed your work for better or worse?
The covid situation has changed my work productivity for the better, as I can spend more time at home to study and improve myself through free resources that are available online for self-learning.
What are your aspirations for your future?
To be a successful professional in the cybersecurity field, giving back to the community through public awareness and inspire another young lady to be part of the cybersecurity community as I get inspired by many Omani women like Mrs Aziza Al Rashdi in 2018 she was awarded as ‘Women Security Leader’ by Middle East Security
Do you have any message for young women who are interested in tech?
Anyone can be in tech if he or she has the interest, you have to believe in yourself and your ability, don’t let the comments of negative people disappointed you, go out of your comfort zone through joining the competition and talking to professional, meeting with women leaders to inspire you.
