Rising to the Challenge in Cybersecurity with River Nygryn

In our fast-paced world, cybersecurity has become a crucial field and we’re grateful we could pause and sit down for a moment with River Nygryn, a trailblazing leader in this industry.

River's unique journey challenges the traditional notions of success as she encourages women to harness the power of knowledge and to exercise ethical conduct through any given circumstance without fear.

In this week’s yarn, we highlight the key takeaways from our chat as she encourages women around the world to seek knowledge and consider launching into an exciting career in cybersecurity.

Embrace the Unconventional

Media often portrays women in a traditional career route that begins at the front desk, slowly clocking in the years to reach one promotion after the next as the only path to success in the corporate world.

But as we know, there is no single formula to success and while this is true for River, there is one factor that reigns supreme – unwavering curiosity. From a young age, River carved her own way through each new role across various industries in pursuit of knowledge, breaking free from the confines of convention.

"I've always placed value on knowledge. It's been my driving force throughout my career," River says. "When you conduct yourself ethically from a position of power, you earn and retain respect, regardless of your level of seniority or gender."

Taking initiative, seeking information independently, and backing herself when delivering pieces of work is what led her to managing unique larger-scale projects for Ramsay Health Care and Macquarie Bank where her reputation for execution grew. She has excelled in three diverse domains: hospitality, IT, and banking.

Navigate Common Pitfalls

During our chat, River opened up about some of the challenges she has faced and how to navigate them.

Failing to delegate. Are you shouldering every single task? “I’ve always been a doer, but I also needed to recognise my own limits,” River confesses. “Know that it’s ok to lean on your team and trust them to handle the responsibilities.”

Prioritising loyalty over growth. Is your current workplace conducive to your personal growth? “Loyalty shouldn’t hinder your ability to soar professionally,” she says. “Don’t hesitate to explore new opportunities that challenge and excite you. This leads to exponential growth.”

Remaining in toxic environments. Is competition heating up internally or is it truly toxic? “Sometimes we ignore the signs of a toxic work environment,” she says. “Internal competition isn’t necessarily a bad thing and can at times be healthy and even motivate us to perform and advance professionally. But it’s not always the case. Be prepared to seek new opportunities elsewhere and only move on when you’ve secured your next role and contract.”

Confronting colleagues. Dealing with a difficult teammate or superior? "Confrontation is challenging," River admits. "Focus on company values and fostering professional relationships. This way you can address interpersonal hurdles head-on to find common ground, understand differing perspectives, and continue building rapport.”

Addressing Cybersecurity Fundamentals

We asked River to shed light on some of the common challenges faced in cybersecurity and her eyes lit up as she outlined these fundamentals:

Maintain an accurate configuration management database (CMDB). “This document doesn’t need to be fancy but it does take time to build. It is vital for helping you understand your company’s current technical landscape which then enables you to implement the appropriate security measures for safeguarding your business reputation and critical assets.”

Search before buying. “A recurring issue I see clients do is purchase high-end, fancy tools without first addressing the underlying root causes. It’s like putting a band-aid on a wound without allowing it to heal first. Ensure that inbuilt security measures are in place before investing in advanced solutions.

She continues, “Remember, cybersecurity is not just about tools; it's about awareness and human error mitigation so be sure your team is taking the basic steps and applying the fundamentals first to protect your business and continue building trust with your customers."

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About River

River is a leading Australian expert in cybersecurity consulting and offers valuable resources and insights for organisations seeking to bolster their systems. Stay tuned for River's website launch where she will be sharing more on cybersecurity for community and businesses to gain access to content and other opportunities including 1-1s. To connect with River, reach out via LinkedIn or by email at river.nygryn@gmail.com.