- What does your job role entail?
- How did you get into the cybersecurity industry?
- What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a woman in the tech/cyber industry and how did you overcome it?
- What are you doing to support other women, and/or to increase diversity, in the tech/cyber industry?
- Who has inspired you in your life/career?
Organised by Eskenzi PR in media partnership with the IT Security Guru, the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards aim to shed light on the remarkable women in our industry. The following is a feature on one of 2026’s Top 20 women selected by an esteemed panel of judges. Presented in a Q&A format, the nominee’s answers are written in their own words.
In 2026, the awards were sponsored by BT, Bridewell, Plexal and Fidelity International. Community partners included WiCyS UK & Ireland Affiliate, Women in Tech and Cybersecurity Hub (WiTCH) and Seidea.
What does your job role entail?
At Nucleus Systems, I work as an ethical hacker. My job is to think and act like a cybercriminal with permission. I perform vulnerability assessments and penetration tests to identify weaknesses in applications, networks, and systems before malicious attackers can exploit them.
This means I actively test systems by attempting to break into them in controlled ways, documenting how those weaknesses could be exploited, and then working with development and engineering teams to fix them before they become real security incidents.
Beyond testing systems, I also help organisations build security directly into their development process. I work on DevSecOps pipelines, which means integrating automated security checks into software development so that security is considered from the very beginning, and not just after a product is built.
Alongside my professional work, I lead the CyberFoundHer Initiative. Through this platform, I focus on increasing the number of women in cybersecurity across Africa by providing mentorship, training opportunities, and access to resources that help women enter and grow in the field.
In simple terms, I secure systems by profession, and help open doors for women in cybersecurity by purpose.
How did you get into the cybersecurity industry?
My path into cybersecurity wasn’t immediate, but every step was intentional.
During my Master’s in Telecommunications and Networking, I began exploring cybersecurity independently through an introductory Coursera course. I didn’t have a clear roadmap yet, but I was curious and eager to learn.
That same year, I attended HackerHalted 2020, where I heard Philip Wylie speak about his journey into cybersecurity. His talk gave me the clarity and direction I needed and helped me realise this was a path I wanted to pursue seriously.
I later joined HackTales Academy, where I gained hands-on technical training, followed by a one-year internship that gave me real-world experience in security work. Shortly after, I was selected for Google Summer of Code 2023, where I performed a penetration test on the Mifos X application.
I’ve been working in cybersecurity ever since, continuing to build on the foundation those early experiences gave me. Looking back, every step connected and nothing was wasted.
What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a woman in the tech/cyber industry and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was finding community and opportunities in cybersecurity.
I grew up in the Silicon Mountain community in Buea, Cameroon – a space where seniors guide juniors and the unwritten rule is simple: when you grow, you bring someone along with you. That culture shaped me and taught me that growth is collective, not something you do alone.
When I stepped into cybersecurity, I realised the kind of community I was used to didn’t really exist – at least not in the way I needed it to. There were very few spaces where women in cybersecurity could gather, share knowledge, and grow together. The networks felt distant, and the opportunities often felt hidden. At times, it was isolating.
Instead of letting that stop me, I started building connections myself. I attended virtual conferences, followed people who shared my passion, and learned from professionals online who didn’t even realise they were mentoring me. Over time, those small connections turned into a network, and the isolation slowly turned into belonging.
Eventually, I made a decision: if the community I needed didn’t fully exist, I would help build it.
That decision led to the creation of CyberFoundHer Initiative, because no woman in cybersecurity should have to struggle just to find her place in the field. We grow together. We always have. Now we just do it in cybersecurity, too.
What are you doing to support other women, and/or to increase diversity, in the tech/cyber industry?
Through CyberFoundHer Initiative, I work to help close the gender gap in cybersecurity across Africa by creating accessible opportunities for women to enter and grow in the field, completely at no cost.
We support women through mentorship programs, hands-on training and bootcamps, virtual events, and by sharing job and learning opportunities. We also collaborate with NGO and nonprofit partners to build a stronger ecosystem that supports women at different stages of their cybersecurity journey.
Our work goes beyond training. We are also challenging the idea that cybersecurity is a space where women are rare or don’t belong. I share this message through speaking engagements, university outreach, social media, and soon on a TEDx stage, because representation is not just about numbers; it’s about visibility.
The Silicon Mountain community taught me that when you grow, you bring someone along with you. CyberFoundHer Initiative is my way of doing that at scale: helping more women across Africa find their place in cybersecurity.
We’re just getting started, and there is much more to come.
Who has inspired you in your life/career?
The people who inspire me most are Philip Wylie, Rachel Tobac, and my mom.
Listening to Philip speak at HackerHalted 2020 gave me the courage to move forward in cybersecurity. He didn’t know it at the time, but his talk validated something for me. It made me believe that this was a path I could pursue.
Rachel Tobac inspires me from a technical perspective. Watching her work in social engineering and following her career journey has sharpened my own technical focus and shown me what mastery in this field can look like.
And then there’s my mom. She inspires me in a way that goes beyond career. She is the most resilient person I know. I’ve watched her face incredibly difficult moments in life and keep moving forward anyway: quietly, steadily, and with strength. That resilience has shaped how I approach challenges in my own life and career.
