Helen Patton

Helen Patton is a long-time security professional, author, teacher and speaker. She is currently a cybersecurity advisor for a security company and was previously a chief information security officer in the technology and higher education sectors.

Helen is a founding member of the Cybersecurity Canon, an industry non-profit that shares cybersecurity wisdom; co-founder and advisor to the Ohio State Institute for Cybersecurity and Digital Trust; and a member of the Forte Group, an advocacy group of women in cybersecurity. She is university cybersecurity risk management instructor and the author of Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path. Helen holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Ohio State University.

Why I chose Cybersecurity as my field: I began my technology career in the 1990’s and was dismayed to see the impact of computer worms and other attacks on my company, and my own workday. After 9/11 I was asked to create the first disaster recovery plan for my company, and from there I moved into Information Security. I was hooked. Since then, I’ve continued to work as a defender, helping companies plan for, respond to and recover from cybersecurity and technology incidents. There is always more to be done.