Mentoring is essential to closing the cybersecurity skills gap, especially in realizing the potential of people from underrepresented communities. In recent years many newcomers to cyber have been mentored by Gabrielle Botbol. Since teaching herself how to be a pentester, she has become recognized as one of Canada’s top 20 women in cybersecurity.

Andy Still finds out how Gabrielle entered the world of cybersecurity after leaving another vocation, and how she is helping the next generation of women and underrepresented communities follow her ‘six steps to becoming a pentester’.

Gabrielle Botbol is a penetration tester, cyber security blogger, and podcaster who created a self-study program to become a pentester. She focuses her efforts on democratizing information security for all by offering her time to various communities. Gabrielle has won multiple awards such as Educator of the Year at the Ally of the Year Awards 2022, Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity in Canada in 2020, and Pentest Ninja by Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu in 2021.

The Cybersecurity Sessions podcast is presented by Netacea - The world's first fully agentless bot management solution.