West Texas taught me grit. The U.S. Air Force taught me discipline. Cybersecurity taught me purpose. The people (women and men) who opened doors along the way taught me that no one succeeds alone. My journey is proof that where you start doesn’t limit what you can achieve, says Gina Lewis, CISSP, CCSP.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ISC2.
I grew up on the south side of Midland, Texas; the sort of place where hard work wasn’t a phrase but a lifestyle. My father built the town’s oldest used car dealership himself and cash-flowed every room in our home, one project at a time. My siblings and I pulled weeds, built fences and dug pool foundations with shovels bigger than us. Midland is where I learned that grit isn’t something you claim, it’s something you practice.
West Texans have a particular kind of determination. Conrad Hilton once said of this region, “There’s a vastness here, and I believe that the people who are born here breathe that vastness into their soul”; Former First Lady Laura Bush described it as isolated, unforgiving and formative. I grew up breathing that vastness, believing like so many here that no dream is too big.
Role Models From an Early Age
I was also raised with fiercely strong female examples: from biblical women to my mother to local leaders like Laura Bush. I saw how women shape communities, families and futures with quiet strength and steady influence. Those early lessons stay with me still.
I didn’t grow up around computers; powering on a computer was not even in my wheelhouse. My path into cybersecurity began with the U.S. Air Force. Signals Intelligence opened my eyes to a world few get to see: satellites, global threats, secure communications and the raw reality of defending a nation in the digital domain. As a reservist, I helped run the network for 23,000 warfighters during global joint military exercises, with real-world stakes and real-time pressure. Those experiences cemented my purpose: cybersecurity wasn’t just a technical field but a mission.
As a contractor, my military experience saw me securing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) missions for Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Later, I worked with well-known companies before launching my own cybersecurity firm – proudly headquartered in Midland, Texas – and establishing the ISC2 Permian Basin Chapter. Today, I advise boards, partner with universities and help organizations measurably reduce cyber risk across critical infrastructure and aerospace.
Signal vs Noise
As a woman in cybersecurity, people often expect me to recount stories of pervasive gender stereotypes. I acknowledge that certain challenges exist, but I view them largely as "noise" that distracts from the mission. Instead, throughout my career I’ve intentionally focused on the "signal": the women and men who opened doors, created space and entrusted me with responsibilities that forged me into who I am today.
I’ve always refused any attempt to dictate the boundaries of my potential. The best thing to demonstrate the capability of women is to execute every task with excellence and do whatever it takes. My view is that if more women fiercely navigate their way through the noise, more female leaders will rise into positions where they can elevate those who follow.
We must acknowledge that responsibility for systemic change should not fall solely on women and their allies. But we are the ones who will ultimately reshape the system through our presence and our persistence.
“We change the industry not simply by climbing over barriers, but by dismantling them behind us to ensure a level landscape for those who follow.”
The Value of Sponsors and Supporters
The biggest accelerators in my own career weren’t directly programs or policies. They were people who believed in me before I fully believed in myself. I’m talking about the mentors who pushed me toward leadership, the commanders who trusted me with mission-critical networks, the colleagues who recommended me for roles, along with the professors, supervisors and peers who invested in my potential.
Real progress for women in cybersecurity won’t come from statements, slogans, or one-time initiatives. It comes from leaders, including those above, who turn belief into action. Based on my own, personal experience, the three things that I think will make the biggest difference are:
- Sponsorship, Not Just Mentorship: Women don’t just need advice - we need leaders willing to stake their own professional capital to recommend us for high-profile roles and key opportunities.
- Visible Role Models Across All Career Stages: Not only CISOs and not only founders, but women at every level and in every sub-discipline.
- Respect For Nonlinear Career Paths: Cybersecurity has room for those who take detours, enter later in life, or grow through unconventional paths. I’m living proof of this, and it has been wild and wonderful to learn about the varying journeys others have taken.
To state that success in cybersecurity requires far more than technical ability is an understatement. While some traits are forged in childhood, others are sharpened through the diverse life and work experiences we all carry with us. The skills that transformed my personal trajectory include:
- Communication: In my case simplifying complex risk for executives and generals
- Leadership Under Pressure: Learned through high stakes military operations
- Strategic Thinking: Honed through years of threat modeling and incident response
- Resilience: Shaped right from my childhood through every chapter of my career
- Curiosity: The drive to understand how systems work (and break)
If you’re considering a career in cybersecurity, or even just investigating its possibilities, here’s what I want you to know. If you have a drive to be here, you belong here. Your grit, your story and your perspective are assets – not gaps. Seek out and say yes to opportunities that scare you. Remember that you don’t need anyone’s permission to lead. Start now!
Build your skills and build your community even faster. My momentum didn’t come from grit alone, it came from a village. Organizations that supported my development gave me training, stretch assignments and opportunities to execute at levels well beyond my job title. There are people out there who will be your village – go find them.
Gina Lewis, CISSP, CCSP, has 27 years of experience in the military, intelligence community and Fortune 500 enterprise sectors. She has held technical and executive management roles, with responsibility for securing expansive attack surfaces and leading high-profile, cross-functional teams. Her cybersecurity work spans architecting organizational strategies, incident response and mission-critical systems engineering.
