The sky’s the limit for Netta Squires ’12 ’19, who was recently named Cybersecurity Woman of the Year by the Cybersecurity Association at its ninth annual awards. This recent honor is just the latest of many recognitions Squires has received during her diverse and distinguished career as a public safety professional and educator specializing in cybersecurity, emergency management, and public policy.
In the Beginning
Hailing from Israel, Squires began her college education there before moving to the United States to work.
“Emergency management has always been my passion and my field,” she explained.
In the United States, she held a number of roles in this space, including working as an emergency management coordinator for the American Red Cross. Eager to complete her degree, she began to look at her options.
“When I found out that there is an actual [emergency management] discipline to learn at UMGC, I thought this is amazing,” she said. “That is what got me hooked.”
Shifting Gears
Squires completed her bachelor’s degree in emergency management, but she didn’t stop there. Her interest in policy and continuing education prompted her to continue her education, first with a master’s degree in emergency management law and later with a doctor of law.
“I had a disaster law emphasis,” she explained. “When I left law school, I went to work for the Center for Health and Homeland Security.”
This work led her to a new passion: cyber.
“I realized that all the 0's and 1's were out to attack us, and that is not something that people were ready for back then,” she says.
Although she had emergency management and policy expertise, Squires had no formal education in cyber, so she decided to do something about it.
“I went back to UMGC and got a graduate certificate in cyber technology,” she says.
An Entrepreneurial Spirit
With her impressive credentials and skill set, Squires went on to be the first governor-appointed director of cybersecurity for the State of Maryland. In that role, she spearheaded statewide initiatives to protect critical infrastructure and foster collaboration among local governments.
After that, she decided the time had come to branch out on her own. Although she had consulted before, she decided to leave the state and focus on running her own cybersecurity crisis management firm.
“I get to do all the things I love doing and still spend time with my kids,” she said.
Squires and her team work closely with local governments, state agencies, and national-level organizations to address their cybersecurity, emergency management, and critical infrastructure protection challenges.
Supporting Women in Cyber
Relationships are at the heart of her business, and Squires advises women considering a career in cyber to lean into their networks and reach out to other women who are already established in the profession.
“There are so few of us in the field,” she said, “and we are constantly looking for other women to bring up and support.”
Squires encourages prospective cyber professionals to reach out and apply for positions, even if they don’t check all the boxes in the job description.
“You would be surprised how many skills are transferable,” she said. “Cyber isn’t just technology. It’s governance, coordination, risk, finance, project management and other things that have nothing to do with 0’s and 1’s.”
Sharing Her Expertise
While Squires has been a frequent student, she has also embraced the role of teacher. She has been an adjunct faculty member at UMGC since 2019, where she shares her expertise in both emergency management and cybersecurity technology.
“It is great to be able to teach the next generation about how these two fields converge and why they are so critical to each other,” she noted.
Squires is also an instructor at the Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public Safety, which offers custom training for government, nonprofits and first responder agencies. In addition, she also dedicates her time and expertise to Billington CyberSecurity as an advisory board member, as well as to other volunteer commitments.
Finding Fulfillment
As a busy mother of three, Squires enjoys the flexibility that running her own business provides. Beyond that, the draw to her field is simple.
“I love what I do,” she said. “I have found the sweet spot of doing what I love and hopefully adding value.”
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