Angel Sayani is making her mark in the cybersecurity world at just 19 years of age. She already holds several industry certifications including Associate of (ISC)², Cloud Security Alliance’s CCSK and eight from CompTIA. Passing all of them within seven months. She is also the founder of IntellChromatics Inc. , a Security-as-a-Service (SECaaS), software ML and application-AI robotics company and published the app Glitter Funny Stickers on Google Play. We spoke to Angel to gain more insights into her passion for cyber and what she’s looking forward to in her career.

What prompted your initial interest in cybersecurity?

I was reading a research paper on a pen-testing tool and how to build defensive cybersecurity skills, from there I became curious to know more about that. I started reading a lot of books on cyber and ethical hacking, which sparked an interest in me to commence a career in this exciting field.

Why did you choose to pursue the CISSP?

With a deep interest in cybersecurity, I was looking for a good way to validate my skills. I regularly attend various webinars and workshops, it was there that I discovered CISSP. CISSP is a broadly desired indicator of knowledge, experience and excellence on the resume of many IT experts. This certification gives you a distinct competitive edge in the market. CISSP’s eight domains encompass everything a cybersecurity manager needs to know to do their job efficiently and give you a distinct competitive edge in the market. The CISSP certification exam is very challenging, but the benefits for your career are worth it.

What ambitions do you have for your career ahead?

In the future, I want to further expand my business to various countries. Currently, I am preparing to complete my bachelor’s degree and plan to continue my education through a master’s degree and eventually a doctorate.

In the vast space of cyber, which area or specialty holds your interest?

I am very interested in cybersecurity leadership. I enjoy devising strategies to establish and maintain a company’s good cybersecurity posture.

In your opinion, why is cybersecurity important or valuable?

In my opinion, cybersecurity is an indispensable part of any business. Without it, you are left vulnerable and susceptible to unknown threats, you risk the confidentiality of your important trade secrets and valuable customer data, and also have a risk of critical threats like web defacements, compliance penalties, losing market reputation, etc.

What is it about the field that you enjoy?

Cybersecurity brings constant improvements, and more security, to most hardware and software products. Its recent outstanding advancements have slowed malicious actors for quite some time. These are just some of the things I love the most about this ever-changing and revolutionary field.

What do you think the biggest challenge is for cybersecurity right now?

I think the biggest challenge in cybersecurity right now is end-user and employee awareness about security. Without that, any cyber solution is unlikely to work effectively, and any company remains vulnerable despite big security investments. However, this problem can be overcome by training and keeping stakeholders updated on the basics of security like phishing, physical workplace security, password security and also testing them regularly against social-engineering attempts.

Want to learn more about members of the cybersecurity community? Connect with your peers online in the (ISC)² Community or in person by joining your local (ISC)² Chapter .