DC Tech Stories: Kris Lovejoy on the cybersecurity landscape

Getting an international relations degree may not seem like an obvious path to a tech career, but Kris Lovejoy and Jessica Bell see lots of similarities. They both have those credentials, and see others in D.C. who followed a similar route.

It’s one of the topics in the latest episode of DC Tech Stories, a podcast featuring conversations with local technologists and community leaders.

Bell, who hosts the show, points to the ability to balance the small details of an issue, and how it affects the big picture. Lovejoy, who moved from public service into cybersecurity, sees the ability to recognize and address threats from a systemic perspective as key to both disciplines.

Lovejoy served as IBM’s first chief global security officer before founding Arlington-based network security firm BluVector. She also offers some tips on cybersecurity (which is expanded on in a Forbes article she wrote), and talks about explaining its importance to the general public (hint: use analogies).

Bell shares her thoughts on the conversation:

I was connected to Kris at an event for DCFemTech award winners last fall.  She was so easy to talk to and I am always drawn to senior technical woman and how they got to where they are. She, like many of us, came to tech through a non-traditional route.  We talked about security and what it’s like to work in that area of tech. I must admit I find it intimidating!  First from a programming side, there are so many ways someone could get into your data or application, how can you catch them all? Second, from a general standpoint, security reminds you that networking fundamentals are so important. Don’t skimp on that type of learning!

Listen below:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/108546/724944-kris-lovejoy-self-taught-engineer-to-chief-global-security-officer.js?player=small