Zinet Kemal's Journey From Ethiopian Immigrant to TEDx Speaker & Cloud Security Engineer at Fortune

Zinet Kemal's Journey From Ethiopian Immigrant to TEDx Speaker & Cloud Security Engineer at Fortune

In this episode of Hacker Valley Studio, we dive into the inspiring journey of Zinet Kamal, an immigrant from Ethiopia who has carved a niche for herself in cybersecurity. Despite starting her journey with limited access to technology and not having mentors until 2020, Zinet's resilience and passion led her to become a cloud security engineer at a Fortune 500 company. Her story is a testament to the human spirit's capability to overcome barriers and make significant strides in the tech industry.

This episode is a story of personal growth, cultural transitions, and the drive to empower the next generation through education and cybersecurity awareness. As a mother of four, a multi-award-winning cybersecurity advocate, and a best-selling author, Zinet brings a unique perspective on the importance of diversity in tech and the role of mentorship in shaping future leaders.

00:00 - Welcome

01:32 - Introducing Guest, Zinet Kemal

03:09 - Growing up in Africa

07:12 - “I Never Had a Children’s Book”

12:52 - Culture Shock

16:02 - From Legal to Cybersecurity

18:50 - CCDC Competition

21:55 - Role of Community in Resetting

24:34 - “Oh No… Hacked Again!”

30:00 - Online Safety Empowerment

34:50 - Moving up in Cyber

Links:

Connect with Zinet Kemal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zinetkemal/

Zinet’s LinkedIn Course:

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/cybersecurity-careers-build-your-brand-in-cybersecurity/grow-your-cybersecurity-career-with-personal-branding?course

Check out Zinet's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Zinet-Kemal/author/B099P5B8FD

Watch Zinet's TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J61K1Gu97jM

Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:

https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio

Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand:

https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/

Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag:

https://store.hackervalley.com

Continue the conversation by joining our Discord:

https://hackervalley.com/discord

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(432)

What AI Agents Should Own in Your SOC, And What Happens If You Wait with Tim Leehealey

What AI Agents Should Own in Your SOC, And What Happens If You Wait with Tim Leehealey

What happens when the adversary moves at machine speed, and your SOC is still responding at human speed? Why does nearly every security team say AI should handle L1 work, while 64% of organizations st...

21 Jul 0s

We Shipped a Tool That Acts Like You. Meet Interceptor.

We Shipped a Tool That Acts Like You. Meet Interceptor.

Think about everything you could accomplish if you don’t have to be the one driving your browser. In this solo episode, Ron Eddings introduces Interceptor, Hacker Valley Media's first piece of softwar...

14 Jul 30min

How to Turn Cybersecurity Customers into Lifelong Advocates with Antu Buck

How to Turn Cybersecurity Customers into Lifelong Advocates with Antu Buck

What if the same psychology that threat actors use to manipulate their targets is the same psychology that marketers use to earn your trust?  In this episode, Ron sits down with Antu Buck, Senior Dir...

7 Jul 30min

What's Really Stopping AI From Running Your SOC with Aqsa Taylor

What's Really Stopping AI From Running Your SOC with Aqsa Taylor

In 2025, out of all 70+ guests we had on our show, not one of them said they’d trust AI to run their SOC. Now in 2026, that mindset is shifting. In this episode, Ron sits down with Aqsa Taylor, Chief ...

23 Jun 31min

Feed Your Brain: What Cybersecurity Veterans Are Getting Wrong with Johnny Xmas

Feed Your Brain: What Cybersecurity Veterans Are Getting Wrong with Johnny Xmas

Is AI really coming for your red teaming job? What does it actually take to build a team that thinks like the adversary, and what happens when that team stops caring? And what do you do when you've be...

16 Jun 28min

Fighting Smarter: What Combat Sports Teaches Us About Cyber Defense with Robin Black

Fighting Smarter: What Combat Sports Teaches Us About Cyber Defense with Robin Black

What does a calf kick have to do with vulnerability management? What can a fighter's mindset teach a security practitioner about operating against an adversary they've never faced?  Ron Eddings bring...

9 Jun 25min

Is Vibe Coding Breaking the Internet? with Tanya Janca

Is Vibe Coding Breaking the Internet? with Tanya Janca

What happens when AI writes all the code and nobody reads it? What if the security prompt you trusted still produced software designed to leak your secrets? And who exactly is on the hook when an AI-g...

2 Jun 35min

Why Smart People Fall for Deepfakes with Perry Carpenter

Why Smart People Fall for Deepfakes with Perry Carpenter

What if the most sophisticated attack has nothing to do with your firewall? In a world where AI can clone voices, re-lip-sync politicians, and spread a fake newscast to 200,000 people in days, the rea...

26 Mai 35min

Populært innen Fakta

fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
foreldreradet
treningspodden
mikkels-paskenotter
rss-kunsten-a-leve
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
sinnsyn
hverdagspsyken
rss-sarbar-med-lotte-erik
gravid-uke-for-uke
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
dopet
fryktlos
rss-kunstig-intelligens-med-elisabeth-maren-og-morten
hva-er-greia-med
tid-for-historie
rss-var-forste-kaffe
babyverden