Episode 14: Cybersecurity Girl Caitlin Sarian on Making Cyber Simple, Safe & Accessible
Caitlin Sarian — better known as Cybersecurity Girl — has built a global community of over a million followers by making cybersecurity approachable, relatable, and actionable.
In this episode, Caitlin shares her career journey from consultant to creator, how she built her platform, and the practical steps anyone can take to stay safe online. We also talk about the challenges of putting yourself out there, why representation in cybersecurity matters, and her advice for young women and mid-career professionals considering a pivot into the field.
And since we’re kicking off Cybersecurity Awareness Month, this conversation is the perfect reminder that cyber safety starts with simple steps everyone can take!
Follow Cybersecurity Girl at:
https://www.cybersecuritygirl.com/
YouTube: @CybersecurityGirl
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cybersecuritygirl/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cybersecuritygirl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-sarian
Other helpful resources mentioned in this episode:
IAPP AI Governance Professional Training: iapp.org/train/aigp-training
Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS): https://www.wicys.org/
About Caitlin Sarian
Caitlin, known to many as “Cybersecurity Girl,” is one of the top Cybersecurity influencers on social media. Determined to make a meaningful impact, she embarked on a passion project: a cybersecurity social media account aimed at achieving three core goals. First, to educate the public on staying safe online. Second, to demystify cybersecurity and attract more individuals to this crucial field, addressing the significant skill and worker gap. Third, to inspire more women to enter STEM fields, particularly cybersecurity. She stands out as the prominent Cybersecurity Influencer, nurturing and educating her vast global audience of over 1,200,000 across various platforms.
Her mission remains steadfast: to educate, demystify, and inspire. In her earlier role, Caitlin steered TikTok's Global Cybersecurity Advocacy and Culture team, she was in charge of championing both internal and external cybersecurity education, awareness, and culture. Before starting at TikTok, Caitlin was in cybersecurity consulting for nearly 10 years. Her career began at EY as a Cybersecurity Consultant, performing large scale, global cybersecurity awareness assessments across 20 key cyber sectors. She also worked as an ISO 27001 lead implementer, as well as worked on projects pertaining to NIST CSF, NIST SP 800-53, and Cyber Essentials Plus standards. She later transitioned to data protection and privacy. Utilizing Data Loss Prevention software, she helped companies secure high-value assets and made a strategic move to London. Here, her focus was on Data Privacy, specifically GDPR preparation and compliance.
When she moved back to the states, Caitlin worked for the global law firm, DLA Piper, as a Senior Manager specializing in cybersecurity and data privacy consultancy. Later, she transitioned to a Director role at Protiviti.
Back in June of 2023, Caitlin took a bold step and left her corporate job to fully commit to her true passion, Cybersecurity Girl LLC, where she will continue to influence, and empower cybersecurity for all by helping the public safeguard their online world and inspire tomorrow's defenders.
Her dedication and passion have afforded her the opportunity to work alongside notable figures such as:
Jen Easterly, Fomer Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Biden Administration).
Served as a Cybersecurity Expert on ABC Nightline News.
Finalist for: Cybersecurity Woman of the World ’24.
Cybersecurity Educator of the Year ’24.
Women of Influence – Academia ’24.
Recognized with several awards, including:
Cybersecurity Women of the Year-Influencer ‘24.
Cyber Express: 40 under 40 ’24.
Top Cyber News Magazine 40 under 40 ’24.
SecureFrame Top 50 Cyber Leaders ’24.
Sans Cyber Community of the Year Winner ’23.
Keynote speaker at major global conferences:
GISEC (Dubai).
Black Hat (Saudi Arabia).
Convene (Seattle).
GDS Technology Summit (Dallas).
Delivered talks at over eight conferences and events globally.
Featured on more than 20 other podcasts, including:
Microsoft's "Afternoon Cyber Tea" with VP Ann Johnson and CISO Series with David Sparks.
Volunteer with the US government under NIST-NICE, leading the team for "Effective Practices to Identify, Track, and Measure Cybersecurity Career Discovery Programs".