Today, women are succeeding in the 21st-century workplace, which is still structured and dominated by men. We have been taught to dream and work hard, we have also been taught the girl power and how to unleash our true potentials. Hamdalah Adetunji is one of such women who have proven you do not need a tech background to succeed in Tech.
Read on to find out what drew her from Science Lab Tech to Information security, why we need to start solving information security diversity problem and raise girls who are willing chase their dreams.
What did you study in school?
I studied Science Laboratory Technology at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.
What made you interested in information security?
While in school, I was opportune to attend a federal government/Huawei training for girls in ICT, We were trained as network engineers but what caught my fancy most was the security part of it. We learnt how IP addresses worked, It got me loving the mystery behind accessing someone’s computer without their consent or knowledge.
What have you done between then and now to follow that mystery and quest?
I met Eyitemi, a cybersecurity Analyst at a djangogirls event and he got me interested more in what he was doing, I really didn’t follow up much till he told me about an upcoming CTF and how there was a team of females interested also. I joined the all female cybersecurity team, Pink Ambitions, and met amazing and strong women, we played at the qualifying round and made it in.
At the NaijaSecCon event in May, we slugged it out with 5 other team, we didn’t win but we really had fun. The highlight was when we solved a challenge no one else could, We were all novice and first timers but we did well.
How did you deal with the challenges of learning a new field?
Learning a new thing is always fun for me but the problem is with continuity, in this case, I stayed in the community so that I get reminded every time I see notifications and messages from people, I know there’s still a whole lot to learn but i take it one day at a time.
Are you currently working on any project or Is there anything in cyber security you are really excited about right now?
I am still in my learning phase, I am keen about Cryptography so that’s what I am learning now, I intern as a back-end developer so I just learn as much as I can in my spare time.
Career Switch From Science Lab Tech to InfoSec
I am really excited about SheSecures Africa, what is being done is awesome and the height it will go is unfathomable.
What aspect of Information & cyber security do you find exciting or intriguing?
All aspect of infosec still intrigues me and I am amazed at the way these things work but I find cryptography exciting in a way, the ability to decipher and cipher, hiding information in plain sight.
How does it feel to be seen in tech now, knowing you did not have a tech background?
It feels great being a part of the the budding tech world, I don’t thoroughly have a tech background but I will like to say I have always been tech inclined so I jump at anything that brings me closer to being a ‘techie’
What drives you to do what you do?
Curiosity… I don’t want to be told how it works, I want to see how it works. Seeing amazing women in SheSecures Africa doing great things pushes me to be like them. Knowing one day I can mentor other women and girls makes me want to keep learning more.
What would you like to see more as a woman in Cyber Security?
More women being at the forefront of information and cybersecurity. Mentors that would bring other women up and train them to be better.
Spotlight on Hamdalah Adetunji
More women participating in CTFs and actually doing well at it, so that it won’t be a surprise having a female team at one.
What advice would you give to other young girls and women who want to start a career in infosec?
Erase all doubt and just start. It won’t be easy, it definitely won’t be fun always but you will be glad at what you did in a short while. You don’t have to be good in maths, you don’t even have to know how to write codes, As long as you can pay attention to details and you have the zeal to start a career in infosec, nothing should stop you. Find people with common goals, get yourself a mentor, read as much as you can and practice a new thing everyday.
Is there anything you’d like to share with us that we didn’t cover?
“The only limitation any one can have is the one in their mind, Explore and see the endless possibilities you can attain”, Napoleon Hill.
Connect with Hamdalah Adetunji on Linkedin and Twitter.
SheSecures Spotlight is set to inspire the next wave of women in infosec to step forward and positively influence future development.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.
