Andrea Babbs is Director of Sales UK & Ireland at VIPRE Security. She has worked in the IT industry for more than 20 years. During that time, she has worked for IT security vendors and resellers dealing with email, endpoint and web security.
Her length of experience in the industry means she has seen the threat landscape change from simple viruses and spam to the sophisticated, zero-day, polymorphic threats of today. However, she recognizes that in attacks of all types, humans are the last line of defense, meaning they need awareness and effective tools to help them prevent little mistakes with big consequences.
Andrea and Julian Lee discussed various topics related to the tech industry, with a focus on cybersecurity and the need for increased female representation. Andrea shared her experiences in the industry, including her accidental entry into the tech world and her journey to her current role. Julian Lee and Andrea also discussed the historical gender disparities in STEM education and careers, as well as the challenges of attracting younger people to the cybersecurity industry. They emphasized the need for proactive efforts to promote the industry’s values and opportunities, including mentorship, job fairs, and training programs.
