BREAKING THE FIREWALL: How Women in Cybersecurity Rise from Entry-Level to the C-Suite - In the Digital Age

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing — and most competitive — fields in the world. But for many women, the path to leadership isn't clear.

You've earned the certifications.
You've put in the work.
And yet — promotions feel out of reach, leadership roles seem limited, and the C-suite can feel like it was built for someone else.

Only 7% of CISOs are women. This book exists to change that number.

Breaking the Firewall is the honest, practical roadmap written by a 25-year CISO, Air Force veteran, and CISSP, CRISC, and CDPSE-certified security leader who built her career without one — and has spent years mentoring women through the certifications, negotiations, and leadership transitions that this book was written to address.

This is not theory. This is not generic advice. This is what it actually takes.

Inside, you will discover:

★ The certifications that matter — in the order that matters
★ How to negotiate the salary you actually deserve — with scripts for every scenario
★ Why women stall at mid-career and the concrete strategies to refuse the fall
★ The shift from technical expert to strategic executive
★ The CISO survival guide — board politics, burnout, and the reality nobody else will write about
★ The veteran advantage — how military service is a cybersecurity superpower
★ AI governance: the fastest-growing opportunity and why women are already ahead
★ How to build the team and culture you always wished you had

This book is for you if you are:

★ A woman trying to break into cybersecurity
★ Early or mid-career and ready for your next promotion
★ Feeling stuck, overlooked, or unsure how to move up
★ Ready to step into leadership but don't know the path
★ Serious about becoming a CISO or executive leader

This is not just a book — it's the roadmap nobody handed you, written by someone who took the long way and made sure you wouldn't have to.

From your first role to the C-suite — this is how you rise.

From conference speaker and author of AI for Beginners in the Digital Age — the second book in the In the Digital Age Series.