Elizabeth Ekedoro #HerCyberStory

My name is Elizabeth Ekedoro, and this is my hashtag#HerCyberStory.

After graduating as the top student from a hashtag#cybersecurity boot camp organized by a Church, my instructor, introduced me to the CyberGirls Fellowship in July 2022.

I applied and was successfully accepted into the fellowship in March 2023. The initial weeks were challenging as I juggled the rigorous coursework with my tailoring business and gymnastics coaching.

Overwhelmed by fear and self-doubt, I even considered quitting the program. However, my determination to protect others from the heartache of cybercrime, inspired by my friend’s experience of losing her savings to a phishing scam, kept me going.

With the support of my loved ones, my assigned Success Advisor, accountability partners, and Confidence Staveley’s weekly ginger notes, I persevered. Completing the prerequisite stage as the 2nd best out of 600+ fellows and seeing my name and picture on the organization’s page as a “talent to watch” boosted my confidence and completely changed my mindset.

In November 2023, I graduated from the program as the 2nd best fellow in the Incident Response path, passed the Blue Team Level 1 (BTL1) exam excellently, and earned the rare gold coin.

I also applied and got accepted into the SANS Institute Cyber Talent Academy. I was featured in the global security magazine to share my story and earned the GFACT (Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) – Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies) certification. My career trajectory has flourished, with roles such as Technical Writer/AI Researcher at AI Cyber Insights and now a SOC Analyst in the finance sector—Oxygen X.

In March 2024, someone who discovered my LinkedIn post in July 2023 nominated me for the CSEAN (Cybersecurity Experts Association Of Nigeria) Rising Star of the Year Merit Award. The post detailed how I formed a team of CyberGirls and participated in the CSEAN CTF (Capture-the-Flag) 2023. Although we didn’t win, the article I published on my Medium blog, “A Beginner’s Guide to Capture the Flag Competitions,” inspired him and others to get started in cybersecurity.

Based on my research, the Rising Star of the Year is given to a promising individual with less than 2 years of industry experience who has contributed exceptionally to the cybersecurity community. Nominations are evaluated based on contribution to the cybersecurity industry.

I was honored to receive the award on September 26th, 2024! I am deeply grateful to God, my family, Mentor Tracy Z. Maleeff and her husband, the CyberSafe Foundation, friends, cyber sisters, and supporters.

I am also grateful to Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) for this recognition of excellence