Community Spotlight - Sarah Vangsøe Wohlin

This is the fourth community spotlight, in a series of articles highlighting the awesome people that take part in the local Danish non-profit Infosec communities/organisations in Denmark.

Tell us a little about yourself, work/background and why you got interested in information security

At the age of 24, my interest in technology started when I first played Mario Kart on my (atrociously pink) Nintendo DS almost 15 years ago. Since then, I have been interested in technology, and in the past few years, cyber security has been a game changer for me. While my interest in technology initially started with gaming, I have found myself spending more and more time on cyber security-related activities, like CTFs, TryHackMe or HackTheBox, and less time on video games.

I initially pursued my degree in Computer Science at UCN in Aalborg, with the intention of developing video games. However, I quickly realized that the job market for video game developers in Denmark was scarce, so that didn’t seem like an option. As I completed more exams, I gradually realized that being a software developer wasn’t my passion, and that regular developer jobs just weren’t my thing. After I graduated, I found myself unsure of what my next move should be, so I decided to attend some events to explore my options and find something that truly sparked my passion. Even though attending a Digital Forensics workshop with NC3 could have been just another experience, it was a pivotal moment for me. I felt like something just clicked and immediately applied to the IT-security bachelor program at UCN. I just knew it was the perfect fit, and that it was this field I was meant to dive into. As a result, I now work as a Cyber Security Consultant at Trifork Security, where I mainly focus on Vulnerability Management, EDR and Threat Hunting.

How is it to be a woman in the Danish information security community and do you have any advice for other females that are holding back to join?

As a (very) new member and a woman in the Danish information security community, I have been pleasantly surprised by how welcoming and inclusive the environment has been. While there is still some room for improvement in terms of diversity and representation, I have not personally encountered any major obstacles or discrimination. My advice to other women who are interested in joining the community is to not let the lack of representation discourage them, and to just give it a go. If we don’t do something about the lack of representation, things won’t get any better and we need to take action to make a change.

I personally believe that it is crucial for more people to enter the cybersecurity field, as we will need passionate individuals to help improve the general security in Denmark. Without more women joining the field, we will face a shortage of skilled professionals in the near future. It is important to encourage diversity and representation in the industry, as this will bring new perspectives and experiences to the table.

If you should give any advice to yourself when starting your infosec journey as what would it be?

I would tell myself to not be afraid to ask questions and seek out help when needed. Also that asking questions doesn’t make me dumb. In fact, it’s more foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity to get a good answer to something I’m unsure about.

How did you find VSec and how long have you been a part of the VSec community and what are your thoughts about the infosec community in Denmark in general?

I actually found out about VSec from a colleague and I’ve only recently discovered VSec this year, but I’ve been enjoying reading the blog posts and “lurking” in the community. I’m excited to become more involved and connect with other like-minded individuals that have an interest in the security field. As I’m pretty new in the Cyber Security field, I don’t have a lot of opinions of the community yet, but I think it’s very inspiring to speak or write with others who is super passionate about Cyber Security.

Feel free to contact me on Discord at @Scyras. Alternatively, you can also find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-vangsøe-wohlin.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the community! If you should point to someone in the community that the next community spotlight should be about, who should it then be?

For the next community spotlight, I would love to hear from @Josefinn! I noticed on the community website that she has an MSc in Psychology, which I think is really interesting when combined with her work in information security. It would be great to learn more about how her background in psychology informs her approach to security.