Shaunna Hargrave
Industrial Consultant
Dragos, an Industrial Controls/Operational Technology cybersecurity company on a mission to safeguard civilization. We protect power, electrical, water, food and beverage, and all manner of factories from hackers who seek to harm daily life.
I serve as a trusted advisor to the industrial community on ways that they can secure their environments against the latest hacking threats. I look at their networks and how the machines are connected to computers and the Internet to find vulnerabilities and advise them how to make changes to improve their defenses.
There is always something new to learn! Whether it's learning about the latest hacker exploit or how water treatment facilities work, I must constantly stay on top of the latest threats and understand the inner workings of clients' industrial facilities. I am constantly meeting new people and helping them improve their cybersecurity.
I get to work from home. In a typical day, I am in Zoom meetings with clients and coworkers, with my cat in the chair beside me to keep me company and force me to take breaks ( for pets and cuddles). Then, I sign into our technical portal to take files from the clients and scan them for vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. After this, I write reports of my findings that serve the client to know what steps they need to take to secure their network. Several times a year, I fly to meet with coworkers and clients to work on projects. I largely get to make my own schedule. I am free to work on side projects, as long as I get my work done on time.
I started on a completely different path, working my way up to Project Manager of a print marketing company. I have always loved tech, so I went back to school to get an Electrical Engineering technology degree from a community college. After that, I worked as a technician installing specialized computers that run factories (called PLCs). In those settings, I saw how insecure these computers were. This inspired me to get a Bachelor's of Science in Cybersecurity & Information Assurance. From there, I got my job at Dragos because of my combined background - working with PLCs and education in cybersecurity.
I want to expand my YouTube channel "Shaunna's Workshop" to inspire more women into cybersecurity and Operational Technology. There is so much one can learn on their own, if they have the heart and self-motivation for it! I want to become more of an expert on nuclear facilities and their safety.
I love to spend time in nature and make altered art journals of my experiences and findings. I'm always traveling to some state park to go on long, meandering walks exploring the area.
"Well, if you want to sing out, sing out; and if you want to be free, be free; 'cause there's a million things to be; you know that there are." ~ Cat Stevens