In this day and age, cybersecurity is crucial to protect our private information, from online bank accounts to health records. Shanique Friday, Senior Manager of Risk Advisory at Deloitte, helps make sure companies are protected from potential cyber attacks so that their customers are protected.
Trafalgar’s Grade 10 Technology class recently finished a unit on Digital Literacy and spoke with Ms. Friday about the importance of cybersecurity, how students can protect their cyber presence, and post-secondary programs and career options for those interested in the field.
Ms. Friday posed real-world scenarios of cybersecurity to the class and discussed examples of it in the news, including the 2008 pipeline explosion in Turkey caused by remote hacking. During the discussion, students examined the different types of hackers, whether hacktivists, nation state actors or bad actors.
Students were reminded of the importance to protect their cyber presence, including limiting what they post about themselves on social media because hackers can use that information. Ms. Friday also reviewed general online security tips like using multi-factor authentication, checking security settings, and not using the same password for multiple accounts.
In addition, Ms. Friday talked about her non-traditional path to a career in cybersecurity. With a Bachelor of Accounting, Ms. Friday also had a passion for technology. “I thought this would be a good way to bridge by accounting background with my interest in technology, so I started working on security projects at Deloitte,” she said.
Today, post-secondary institutions offer numerous programs focused on cybersecurity for those interested in pursuing it as a career. Ms. Friday outlined some of the options, including courses in computer security, information security, security management, and information technology security. These courses can lead to careers as a cyber strategist, ethical hacker, malware analyst, and threat intelligence analyst to name a few.
Thank you to Ms. Friday for taking the time to speak with our students and inspire them to potentially pursue a career in this exciting field.