Isabella Baker – Security Engineer

The Infotrust team is stacked with talent. To celebrate some of our security superstars, we asked them about their career choices and how they ended up employed in the cyber field. A dynamic industry requires a diversity of thought and opinion, and we hope you enjoy the variety of responses.  

What was your early educational background and how did you end up working in cyber security?

My interest started in high school. I was doing some IT subjects and really enjoyed working with computers and found that I had a bit of a knack for coding, so I started looking at university course and Computer Science came up. From the majors that were available I settled on security because I thought it might be like spy work, but using computers, so that was my introduction to the industry.

I had some connections with Julian Haber through friends, who was the CEO of Infotrust, and he was hiring someone for an IT role, and I fortunately managed to land the job. I then decided to move across to a Security Engineering role and that’s where I am now.

Tell us a bit about your role and why you enjoy it.

My role is best described as the management of security systems for customers. In my case, I specialise in Rapid7. I work directly with clients and help them realise the full value of the security products they rely upon. I enjoy the customer contact part of the role, talking with people, and engaging with them to find solutions.

I also really enjoy the problem solving that is involved and working with my team. We have a tight knit and supportive team environment that collaborates closely on projects like detection engineering to arrive at the best outcomes.    

What are some of the pressures that come with being a Security Engineer, and how do you deal with stress release?

Like most jobs I do have stress in my role. As the sole Rapid7 engineer managing a range of customers it’s up to me to find the required solutions. That said, I do have a great team that has my back and can offer advice from varying points of view.

For stress release I like to keep active, play water polo, cycle, and take boxing classes with a group of friends to help me switch off from work.

What advice would you give other women looking to enter the cyber security industry?

While the field is still male dominated, there are some great female role models out there that we can look up to and call upon. There are just so many opportunities in this industry that I would recommend that new entrants try to narrow down what they enjoy doing, both related to work and outside interests to set themselves up for an enjoyable professional career.  

For problem solvers like me, Security Engineer roles might be the best fit, for someone who enjoys more structured tasks a SOC Analyst might be a great choice. I would then suggest they focus on training and acquiring knowledge before trying to specialise on certain products.    

What are your future career plans?

I’m open to learning new products like Sentinel or Microsoft Defender and any other opportunities that might arise. It’s such a dynamic field that there are always opportunities to learn and grow within a single career.