Breaking Glass Ceilings Was Never Enough - I Learned to Jump Off Cliffs
A Story of Survival, Reinvention, and Refusing to Stay Small
When people see women in leadership, especially in cybersecurity and technology, they often see the outcome and not the survival story behind it.
Mine began long before titles, awards, executive meetings, or leadership roles. It began in India, where, as a young girl, I learned exceedingly early that simply existing as a strong-minded female could invite hostility.
From the age of nine, I experienced forms of abuse that many women silently endure but rarely discuss openly — eve teasing, verbal attacks, reputational damage, intimidation, and even physical violence, including being flogged with bicycle chains. Some of the deepest wounds did not come from strangers, but from environments that were supposed to provide safety, encouragement, and belonging.
What those experiences taught me early on was that resilience is not born in comfort. It is forged through survival. There were moments when fear, shame, and exhaustion could have defined the rest of my life. Instead, they became fuel.
My journey was never linear. I initially pursued pharmacy, believing my path would follow a completely different direction. But life has a way of redirecting us toward where we truly belong. I pivoted into information technology at a time when women were still fighting to be taken seriously in technical spaces and eventually found my calling in cybersecurity — a field that challenged every part of my intellect, resilience, adaptability, and leadership.
I did not arrive in cybersecurity through privilege or perfect planning. I arrived through persistence. Over the years, I worked my way up from foundational roles into leadership positions across engineering, operations, risk, modernization, and enterprise cybersecurity strategy. I learned to navigate rooms where I was underestimated, interrupted, dismissed, or expected to fade into the background to make others comfortable.
But one of the greatest lessons I learned is that women cannot spend their lives waiting for permission to take up space. Breaking the glass ceiling was never enough for me. At some point, I realized success required something even more uncomfortable: the willingness to jump off the cliff despite uncertainty, criticism, and failure.
Failure became one of my greatest teachers. Not every opportunity worked out, not every environment was healthy, not every person who smiled was supportive, and not every sacrifice was worth it. But every setback sharpened my instincts, strengthened my voice, and forced me to become more fearless.
I learned that operational excellence, integrity, and work ethic matter. And so do mental well-being, self-worth, and learning when to stop shrinking yourself for environments that benefit from your silence.
Today, cybersecurity is evolving faster than ever through AI, automation, and emerging technologies such as quantum computing. Yet despite all the innovation around us, one thing remains unchanged: the need for resilient, adaptable, and courageous leadership.
Especially from women.
Women in technology often carry multiple responsibilities simultaneously: professionals, caregivers, mothers, daughters, partners, mentors, and leaders — all while still trying to prove themselves in industries that often demand more from them while recognizing less.
My message to women entering technology or cybersecurity is simple: keep learning and evolving. Fail forward. And keep moving no matter what.
There is enormous opportunity in cybersecurity, and the world desperately needs more women in this field — not just because there is a talent shortage, but because diverse leadership creates stronger, more human-centered innovation and security outcomes.
Your background does not disqualify you. Failures do not define you. And struggles do not make you weak.
Sometimes the women who survive the hardest journeys become the ones most capable of protecting, building, leading, and transforming the future.
I did not just break the glass ceiling.
I learned how to survive the fall after jumping beyond it.
