In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting some kick-ass women at Kasada who are at the forefront of safeguarding millions of people across the globe from malicious bots. This year’s theme, “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,” perfectly encapsulates the journey of trailblazers like Liz Mills and Mira Kim, whose dedication and innovation are shaping the landscape of cybersecurity.

Meet Liz Mills, a Senior Software Engineer within Kasada’s Mobile Defence team, and Mira Kim, a Senior Mobile Engineer. 

Liz’s journey into software engineering was ignited by her love for puzzles and problem-solving, while Mira’s fascination with computers and digital technology paved her path into engineering.  Reflecting on her journey, Mira shared,

“Initially, I really wanted to build robots but I found that I enjoyed coding much more than hardware or mechanical engineering. I didn’t really know anyone around me who were technical or engineering-minded, but I’ve met many like-minded people throughout my career. Regardless of our backgrounds, we all share the same passion for technology.”

Like Mira, Liz found joy in coding, recounting her university days where she tackled coding-based assignments with enthusiasm. Liz shared, “I found myself really enjoying the coding-based university assignments within my mechatronics degree. Particularly, there was one where you get a micromouse to solve a maze using different search algorithms. It was such a satisfying problem to work on, with heaps of edge cases to consider, and having to counteract issues of drift and how to know where you are spatially. I realised that software engineering is genuinely fun.”

At Kasada, Liz and Mira play pivotal roles in developing mobile SDKs aimed at protecting digital services from nefarious bots. Their work directly impacts Kasada’s purpose to ensure our world benefits from a secure, trustworthy Internet. For Liz and Mira, the gratification lies in solving real-world problems and witnessing the positive impact of their contributions.

Liz emphasized,

“Software can be a really rewarding industry to work in. A huge part of the job is simply being willing to learn new skills and apply them. That’s something that’s always appealed to me – a job where you’re constantly learning, where the job itself evolves with technology. This is amplified by cybersecurity, where you consider the human element behind attackers, and how someone might approach trying to break or crack a feature, and it provides even more learning opportunities.”

With their diverse perspectives, tenacity, and expertise, Liz and Mira bring invaluable insights that enable their teams to tackle complex challenges with creativity and efficiency. Liz’s favorite project at Kasada involved optimizing the performance of Kasada’s Android SDK, a project that had a significant impact on customers. She shared, “We were able to make amazing improvements to speed and thread usage. The great part about this project was we approached the issue from multiple angles, all providing some improvement to the performance. We worked specifically with customers, to provide a solution that suited their needs.” 

For women aspiring to enter the field of cybersecurity, Liz offers sage advice: 

“My main advice would be to give it a go. I’m a strong believer that everyone is capable of developing skills in software engineering, it’s just a matter of starting. There are so many great resources online to learn from. I know it can sound like an intimidating skillset to gain, but like anything, it takes practice and time.”

In commemorating International Women’s Day and embracing the theme of “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,” it’s crucial to acknowledge the profound influence of relationships and mentors along our journey. 

Mira’s reflection encapsulates this sentiment perfectly:

“I have been inspired by many people both women and men, and young and old. I feel fortunate to have worked with so many good people over the years and I’m always learning something new.”

It’s through these diverse connections and the guidance of mentors that we propel forward, fostering inclusivity and innovation in cybersecurity and beyond. 

A big thank you to Liz Mills and Mira Kim for their advice and wisdom!

The post Meet the Female Engineers Behind Kasada’s Mobile Bot Defense appeared first on Kasada.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Kasada authored by Maddy Lewis. Read the original post at: https://www.kasada.io/meet-the-female-engineers-behind-kasadas-mobile-bot-defense/