A top cyber security influencer as named by London newspaper the Evening Standard, Stephanie Itimi is on a mission to help more Black and ethnic minorities build careers in cyber security.
The CEO and founder’s interest in becoming a cyber security educator began in UK Government’s Home Office, in a role that involved dealing with cyber threat intelligence from a human perspective.
According to Itimi, the sensitive conversations the department was having around issues such as modern slavery, human trafficking, and online sexual exploitation, as well as organ harvesting within the dark web, often involved the most vulnerable people in society. And yet she saw that there was a distinct lack of diversity and inclusion represented at the decision-making table.
Walking around cyber security events, the paucity of women was also noticeable, so in 2018 she set up free training workshop at a local library which eventually expanded into a small team.
Many of the women who showed up, she says, were healthcare workers, looking to make the transition to cyber, yet they didn’t feel represented which eventually resulted in the Seidea platform to champion diversity and provide training and certification for women interested in cybersecurity.
The firm has since collaborated with numerous organisations to provide skill development and training opportunities for over 7,000 Black and Minority Ethnic women and 900 girls in the UK.
How is Seidea run?
We’re a social enterprise, a community interest company. When we first started, it involved a lot of goodwill because most people in the team worked as volunteers. However, down the line, the team expanded, and we needed a larger training venue. Our first sponsor was Coventry University and it served as our venue sponsor in 2019. In 2021, we secured our first funding from Plexal, which served as our steppingstone as it aided our expansion and collaboration goals.
Can you name some of your successful collaborations?
We’ve collaborated with a lot of companies and institutions since 2019. For instance, our partnerships with CyLon and CompTIA helped us to provide four BME women with a scholarship to fund a CompTIA Sec+ course, exam voucher, and exam prep training.
We’ve also partnered with Mosse Security Institute and SheSecures to deliver a remote internship program and certification for BME women. We partner with KPMG, SAGE and ISC2 for our cybersecurity Bootcamps and with CIISEC for the training of 100 young people in London.
During this year’s CIISEC Live event in Manchester you were critical of entry level certifications that make it “unnecessarily difficult” for people to get into cyber security. What do you think can be done to address this issue?
One example of a certification that’s often deemed challenging for entry-level individuals is the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional). This typically requires five years’ of professional experience in the cybersecurity field, which can be a significant barrier for those looking to break into the industry.
As for what can done about it, there’s a need for more accessible entry-level certifications that focus on foundational skills and knowledge. Certifications like the Certified in Cybersecurity CC, the CISMP BCS, and CompTIA Sec+ are good examples of pathways that cater to individuals at the beginning of their cybersecurity journey. This also needs to be reflected in job ads for entry-level roles.
When you look back, what can you say were your biggest mistakes as a founder?
Not being strategic enough in the kind of choices and opportunities we said ‘yes’ to.
What has been your biggest success?
Hearing about our alumni getting jobs and getting apprenticeships is my biggest success. I would say that my achievements also come as a reminder that the work I’m doing is much needed.
How do you keep yourself motivated daily?
Mostly spending time with my family and friends and then working out. I also understand that work-life balance is important, which is something I just learned about a year ago. So, now I’m more intentional about taking care of myself because the more I take care of myself, the more I’m able to pull my energy together and pour it out for maximum productivity.
If you had to choose a side, would you be team Musk, team Bezos or team Zuckerberg?
I’d say generally, team none. But if I must choose, I’d say team Bezos because I believe that whatever initiative a company is building, the members and customers should be the core. Among the three, Bezos focuses more on his customers and what they want, and by doing so, he makes life easier for his customers.
What is your best tech gadget and why?
My Apple Watch because it helps me to track my walking steps and health goals. I also like the fact that it reminds me about when to breathe or when to take a chill break or stand up from my desk. I really like that aspect of tech helping me improve my health.
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