2026 Women to Watch in Cybersecurity

In our recent “2026 Digital Trends Webinar”, we explored the powerful forces shaping Australia’s digital landscape. From AI acceleration and cybersecurity resilience, to the rapid evolution of data, cloud and human-centred design, one theme was unmistakably clear:

Women are breaking barriers across Australia’s digital transformation.

Across every sector, women are leading innovation, guiding strategy, strengthening resilience and championing the kind of inclusive, human-focused progress our industry needs. Yet, too often, their contributions go under-recognised, especially in the emerging and high-impact fields transforming our future.

That’s why we’re spotlighting the extraordinary leaders, builders, researchers, strategists and changemakers shaping Australia’s digital economy in 2026. Some are Women in Digital Award winners, others are rising leaders driving impact behind the scenes, but all represent the talent and vision powering Australia’s digital future. As we continue to navigate change and uncertainty together, these women remind us that leadership isn’t just about adapting to the future, it’s about shaping it.

Celeste Lowe

CISO, The Lottery Corporation

Celeste Lowe is a visionary cybersecurity leader known for her pragmatic approach, strategic clarity, and deep commitment to diversity in tech. As the CISO at The Lottery Corporation since August 2024, she led a transformative uplift program that strengthened the organisation’s security posture, aligned with NIST 2.0, and delivered measurable maturity gains. Celeste’s leadership style is inclusive and empowering, mentoring emerging female talent, simplifying complex risk conversations, and embedding secure-by-design principles across the business.

She’s a trusted advisor to executives and the Board, known for her ability to translate technical risk into business impact. Passionate about innovation, she’s championed AI governance, DevSecOps enablement, and secure experimentation frameworks. Celeste brings warmth, kindness, and a “yes, and” mindset to every challenge, enabling secure growth without stifling creativity. Her work continues to shape TLC’s reputation as a resilient, forward-thinking digital lottery operator.

Elese Cox

Sales Engineer, Mimecast

Elese Cox is a Sales Engineer at Mimecast, where she partners with enterprise organisations to strengthen collaboration security, drive cyber resilience, and meaningfully reduce human risk. Leveraging a strong foundation in customer success, she excels at aligning security strategy with operational priorities – ensuring organisations not only defend against evolving threats but also enable their people to work safely and effectively. Her work focuses on translating complex cybersecurity challenges into pragmatic, scalable outcomes that enhance business performance.

Elese is a passionate champion for diversity and representation in cybersecurity, advocating for inclusive cultures that unlock innovation and improve defensive capability. She actively supports initiatives that elevate underrepresented voices and foster the next generation of security leaders – believing that the strongest security cultures are those built on collaboration, diversity of thought, and shared accountability.

Beyond her role in the industry, Elese brings a modern perspective on digital risk through her leadership in online gaming communities. She has built and operated large-scale gaming environments, overseeing governance, trust and safety strategy, and community resilience. Her unique blend of technical fluency, people-centric security mindset, and digital community leadership enables her to bridge the gap between cyber principles and real-world behavioural change.

Alicia Valderrama

Director of Global Operations, Sekuro

As Director of Global Operations at Sekuro, Alicia Valderrama exemplifies transformational leadership through her exceptional ability to drive innovation and operational excellence across our organisation. As a founding member of Sekuro, Alicia’s deep understanding of each division’s unique requirements and challenges has been instrumental in orchestrating meaningful, sustainable change throughout our business.

Under Alicia’s strategic leadership, Sekuro has undergone a remarkable operational transformation. Her ability to identify opportunities for improvement, coupled with her methodical approach to implementing change, has resulted in significant enhancements to our service delivery framework and internal processes. These improvements have not only streamlined operations but have also directly contributed to improved customer outcomes and employee satisfaction. Alicia’s innovative approach to operational excellence is evidenced through several key initiatives she has championed. She has successfully implemented new service management platforms, automated critical business processes, and established robust operational frameworks that have enhanced Sekuro’s ability to scale globally. Her deep understanding of technology, combined with strong business acumen, ensures that all operational improvements align perfectly with Sekuro’s strategic objectives and growth targets.

As a founding team member, Alicia brings an unparalleled perspective to operational leadership. Her comprehensive knowledge of Sekuro’s evolution, culture, and distinctive divisional requirements has enabled her to implement changes that respect and enhance our organisation’s unique DNA whilst driving necessary modernisation and efficiency improvements. The impact of Alicia’s leadership extends beyond process improvements. She has fostered a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within Sekuro, empowering teams across all divisions to contribute to operational excellence. Her collaborative leadership style and ability to bring diverse stakeholders together have been crucial in ensuring the successful adoption of new initiatives across the organisation. Measurable outcomes of Alicia’s leadership include significant improvements in operational efficiency, reduced service delivery times, enhanced customer satisfaction metrics, and streamlined internal processes that have directly contributed to Sekuro’s continued growth and market leadership position.

Through her visionary leadership and deep commitment to operational excellence, Alicia Valderrama has fundamentally transformed how Sekuro operates, creating a robust foundation for sustainable growth and innovation. Her achievements demonstrate the transformative impact that women leaders can have in shaping the future of digital operations and organisational success.

Sally Youden

Senior Information Security Consultant, Westpac

Sally Youden is a passionate and people-centred cybersecurity professional shaping how one of Australia’s largest banks builds cyber-smart behaviour at scale. As a Senior Information Security Consultant within Westpac Group’s Cyber Culture team, Sally plays a pivotal role in designing and delivering the bank’s cybersecurity education and awareness programs — ensuring every employee is equipped to recognise and respond to emerging digital risks.

With a deep belief that strong security starts with empowered people, Sally specialises in translating complex cyber concepts into clear, relatable messages that drive lasting behavioural change. Her work spans employee training, human-risk management, secure-by-design cultural uplift and organisation-wide campaigns that help strengthen the bank’s overall security posture.

Known for her collaborative style and commitment to inclusion, Sally advocates for diverse voices in cybersecurity and supports initiatives that bring more women into the industry. She sees cyber culture not simply as compliance, but as a critical enabler of trust, resilience and shared accountability across the organisation.

Through her leadership and impact in one of Australia’s most complex digital environments, Sally Youden is helping shape a more secure future for both Westpac and the broader cybersecurity community.

Daisy Wong

Head of Security Awareness, Medibank

Daisy Wong is a results-focused and energetic project and operations leader with eight years of experience across IT and finance. She has built a strong reputation for delivering seamless project outcomes, managing complex stakeholder environments and consistently achieving business objectives.

Daisy brings significant expertise in project management, resource planning, procurement, negotiation and vendor management. She excels at guiding technical teams through the project lifecycle, ensuring clarity, alignment and high-quality delivery at every stage. Her ability to bridge operational needs with strategic goals makes her a valuable asset in dynamic, fast-paced environments.

Known for her exceptional communication skills and people-first leadership style, Daisy thrives in roles that require collaboration, team development and cross-functional coordination. Her passion for empowering others, combined with her capability to build and lead high-performing teams, has been instrumental in her professional growth. With her strong operational acumen and commitment to excellence, Daisy Wong continues to make a meaningful impact across the technology and finance sectors.

Mairead Walsh

Senior Manager, Customer Success, Mimecast

Mairead Walsh is an accomplished Customer Success leader with over a decade of experience in client management and account direction across technology and enterprise solutions. As Senior Manager of Customer Success at Mimecast, Mairead leads teams dedicated to building strategic, long-term partnerships that drive mutual success for customers and partners alike.

Mairead is passionate about fostering strong, trust-based relationships and is known for her results-oriented approach. She excels at collaborating with clients to align solutions with business strategies, acting as a trusted advisor and champion for customer outcomes.

With a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Cork and fellowship with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Mairead combines business acumen with deep industry knowledge. Throughout her career, she has held key roles at leading organisations including Poppulo, MessageMedia, and PlanNet21, where she was recognised for her ability to deliver value, growth, and innovation across diverse accounts.

Mairead’s leadership style is grounded in authenticity, proactivity, and a genuine commitment to customer success. She believes that culture is shaped by action and strives to cultivate environments where teams and clients both thrive.

Jessica Hunter

Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Australian Government

The Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology leads Australia’s international engagement on cyber affairs and critical technology issues, while delivering cyber capacity and resilience building, and incident responses across our region.

Ms Hunter will steer Australia’s international engagement under Australia’s 2023-2030 Cyber Security Strategy, focused on enhancing our role as a trusted and influential global cyber leader in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The Strategy outlines Australia’s commitment to strengthening the capacity of our region and shaping international efforts to meet the evolving challenges of cyberspace.

Ms Hunter has had a distinguished 20+ career in cyber affairs, including in the Australian Cyber Security Centre, recently as the First Assistant Director General Cyber Security Resilience.

She has served overseas as Head of Cyber Threat Operations Technical Teams, National Cyber Security Centre, in the United Kingdom’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ); and was seconded to the United States’ National Security Agency (NSA) as Deputy Australian Liaison Officer. Ms Hunter holds a Bachelor of Asian Studies, a Bachelor of Arts, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Australian National University.

Sam Fariborz

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), David Jones

Sam is a seasoned cybersecurity and technology leader, currently serving as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at David Jones, one of Australia’s most iconic retail brands.

With a background in computer engineering and early career experience in IT service management and infrastructure, Sam brings a combination of technical depth, strategic foresight, and senior leadership. She views cybersecurity as a powerful enabler of organisational resilience, innovation, and competitive advantage—transforming complex challenges into opportunities for long-term business impact.

As CISO, Sam has led enterprise-wide transformation initiatives, embedded security into large-scale digital programs, and influenced strategic decisions at the executive level. She works closely with product, engineering, and business teams to shape scalable, secure technology environments that support both innovation and operational excellence.

A recognised thought leader, Sam is a sought-after speaker at technology and cybersecurity events, where she shares insights on emerging trends, secure-by-design innovation, and aligning security with broader business goals. In 2024, she was honoured as AISA’s Cybersecurity Professional of the Year and named one of Australia’s top 30 cybersecurity leaders. As a member of the AISA Executive Advisory Board, she plays a role in shaping the national cybersecurity agenda.

Pramiti Bhatnagar

Principal Product Manager, Microsoft

Pramiti Bhatnagar is a Principal Product Manager for Microsoft Entra, bringing more than a decade of experience shaping some of Microsoft’s most critical security products. Since joining Microsoft in 2011, she has contributed across multiple product and security roles, combining deep technical expertise with a strong understanding of human behaviour — grounded in her Honours degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Delhi.

Pramiti holds several industry-leading certifications, including Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert, Certified Information Privacy Manager (IAPP), and CISSP (ISC2). Her passion for cybersecurity extends well beyond product leadership; she is a regular speaker at industry events such as AISA and ISACA, and her thought leadership has been featured in Microsoft publications and Cyber Today magazine.

In 2024, she published her first book, Mastering Microsoft 365 Security Technologies, and is currently authoring her second — further cementing her influence in the global security community.

A dedicated advocate for diversity and inclusion in technology, Pramiti mentors women internationally through global programs and supports underrepresented talent locally as they begin their cybersecurity careers. Her work reflects not only technical excellence, but a commitment to building a more equitable and secure digital future.

Stephanie Crowe

Head Australian Cyber Security Centre, Australian Government

Stephanie Crowe was appointed Deputy Director- General Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) in December 2024.

Stephanie has an extensive background in cyber security working with government and industry on responding to nationally-significant cyber events and strengthening Australia’s cyber defenses.

Over her 15-year career at ASD, Stephanie has held a number of key roles in signals intelligence and cyber security, including leading the ACSC’s Cyber Security Resilience Division, responsible for delivering technical programs, services and publications across government and industry, as well as enabling the uplift and hardening of critical networks.

Prior, Stephanie led the ACSC’s cyber threat intelligence and incident management functions and designed programs to enhance Australia’s cyber security situational awareness, national threat picture and incident response capabilities. Stephanie has been involved in cyber security efforts supporting key national events such as e-Census, elections and G20, and in facilitating national exercise programs. She has also directed Government’s technical response to numerous nationallysignificant cyber security incidents.

Stephanie has a Bachelor of Asian Studies Specialist (ANU) which led to her to the ASD graduate program in 2009. Throughout her 15+ year career, Stephanie has performed various roles across ASD’s intelligence missions utilising her expertise in operations management.

Cybersecurity has never been more critical to Australia’s digital future, and the women featured in this list remind us why representation, leadership and diversity matter now more than ever. Their work spans critical infrastructure, national security, enterprise uplift, global operations and public–private collaboration. Yet what unites them is their unwavering commitment to building a safer, more resilient and more inclusive digital ecosystem.

As highlighted in our recent 2026 Digital Trends Webinar, the pace of change across technology, strategy and risk continues to accelerate, but so too does the opportunity to shape what comes next. These leaders are not just responding to emerging threats; they are designing the frameworks, capabilities and cultures that will define the next decade of cybersecurity in Australia.

By celebrating their stories, we hope to inspire the next wave of cyber talent, amplify the voices driving meaningful impact, and reinforce the importance of diverse perspectives in solving the challenges ahead.

While this list celebrates a remarkable group of leaders, innovators and changemakers, we know there are countless other incredible women across our community and the wider industry making an impact in cybersecurity every day. We couldn’t include everyone here, but we encourage you to explore the inspiring talent featured in our 2025 Women in Digital Awards finalists — a powerful showcase of women doing extraordinary things across Australia’s digital landscape.

In this day and age, it’s no secret that women are underrepresented within the field of cybersecurity, making up approximately 11 to 25 per cent of the workforce. We want to bring more awareness to careers in cybersecurity and shine a light on women currently working in the industry, like Susie Jones.

Every day, business owners are hearing about the cyber risks threatening their business. But with the rate of change in cybersecurity accelerating, many smaller businesses are simply being left behind by an industry designed to solve the problems of larger enterprises. These small businesses are some of the most at-risk and underserved parts of today’s economy, despite being the backbone of every society. Finding a way to help business leaders take back control of their risks is where Susie thrives.

Susie Jones is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cynch Security and is an experienced cybersecurity, risk, insurance and innovation leader passionate about solving cybersecurity challenges faced by small businesses. She is also Victoria’s Cyber Strategy Mission 2 Expert Advisory Panel Member and Cyber Industry Advisory Board Member at RMIT University.

In this Q&A, we discuss with Susie her entry pathway into cybersecurity, her journey co-founding Cynch Security, common misconceptions about starting a career in cyber, and advice for women interested in breaking into the field. We also talked about the cybersecurity challenges small businesses face today and what these businesses can do to be better protected from looming cyber threats.

To kick things off, what did 5-year-old Susie want to be when she grew up?

For the longest time I was 100% sure I was going to be a lawyer – I only changed my mind when I realised as a teenager that I might not always win, even if I was right, and so the idea lost its charm!

There have been varying studies over the years in Australia that suggest the percentage of women working in cybersecurity floats around 11% to 25%. Tell us about how you ended up working in cybersecurity?

I started my career in insurance and risk management, and climbed the corporate ladder using that expertise. It was that expertise that led me to meeting my now co-founder, Adam, at my previous employer.

We realised that by combining my risk management and business acumen with his technology and cybersecurity expertise we could create a really powerful solution to a very human problem.

We will do an introduction before this but could you tell us a little bit about Cynch Security and your current role?

At Cynch, we are dedicated to supporting small business leaders to build cyber resilience, or what we call cyber fitness. Our core product is a cyber risk management SaaS platform that translates all the complexity of cyber into plain language, actionable steps that those without technology backgrounds can implement themselves. We also support large organisations that have a large number of SMB suppliers to measure and improve their third party cyber risk.

As CEO, I lead our business operations, sales and customer success.

What motivated you to start your own cybersecurity company in the first place?

In a prior role at my previous employer I was fortunate to be invited to speak to a number of small business owners who had suffered a data breach. Their stories of the emotional impact those breaches had on them as well as the financial loss showed me the human side of cybersecurity, and once we came up with an idea of a solution we just had to take the leap.

In your opinion, what are the most significant cybersecurity challenges faced by small businesses today? How can they better protect themselves from cyber threats?

The biggest challenge in my opinion is that in order to avoid an incident the business needs to get it right 100% of the time, whereas the cyber criminals only need to get it right once. That’s why we talk about building and maintaining cyber fitness. Because the fitter a business is when they fall victim, the easier it will be for them to recover – just like with physical fitness.

Small and scaling businesses often lack dedicated IT departments and resources. What are the practical and cost-effective measures you recommend to enhance their cybersecurity position?

Password management and access control is fundamental – if an attacker can’t get into your accounts through a virtual front door, they are more likely to either move onto another victim or they will need superior skills in order to find another way in. Reusing the same password across multiple systems is as damaging as leaving all the windows and doors of a building unlocked and open – make the criminal have to work for it.

How do you recommend small businesses approach employee education and training to foster a culture of cyber security awareness?

Openly talk to your team about security and scams that you’ve seen around. Share examples of phishing emails, provide password management software. Basically, be intentional about your security.

Can you share more about your journey as a woman working in cybersecurity?

99% of the time my gender has no impact on my working life. I think it may have been different if I’d started my career in this industry, but I didn’t. I experienced much more sexism and gender bias against me when I was working in insurance and risk management.

What is your advice for women looking to break into the field of cybersecurity?

If you’re changing careers, then lean into whatever skills you have already developed and look for roles where you can use them also. If you’re just starting your careers, then look at the roles being advertised and seek out skills listed.

Are there any specific educational paths, certifications or general resources you recommend to upskill or get support / meet people in the field?

Attending conference are a great way to get access to a variety of people in difference security fields, so I’d recommend that over formal training for most.

What do you think are some common misconceptions people have about a career in cybersecurity? What do you wish more people knew?

That you have to be a technologist to add value in this industry and it’s just not true. I’ve known plenty of people who were great with computers but couldn’t make in the security, just as I know plenty of people like myself who are successful without a tech degree.

With the rapid advancement of technology, what emerging trends or areas of cybersecurity are you particularly interested in right now?

I know there’s a lot of investment going into access management and control and I think this will continue for many years to come.

What steps can be taken to encourage more women to pursue careers in cybersecurity and increase gender diversity in the industry?

The language used by many in the industry is overly complex and unappealing to many women. We need to talk like normal humans if we’re going to be able to convince more women that the field is interesting.

What is your favourite piece of advice you’ve been given?

When you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, remember that everyone else is just making it up as they go along too.

And just for fun… What is your favourite way to waste time online?

Watching movie trailers!

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