Ann Johnson

Corporate Vice President, Microsoft

"Our teams must be as diverse as the problems we are trying to solve."

The preceding statement is not an empty platitude, and it is not something that should be trivialized or over-hyped either. We are facing a battle against cybercrime that is impacting all aspects of our lives, including governments, financial systems, food supplies, water supplies, critical infrastructure, and healthcare. Large-scale cyber events, such as those witnessed in the past several years, threaten our very way of life. So, the question becomes, how did we get here? More importantly, where do we go from here? What can you, as a candidate, do to pursue a career in cybersecurity?

To explain, let me take you on my personal career journey. I graduated from college with a dual major in political science and communication, and an ambition to attend...