Fortinet is committed to advancing women with various backgrounds through its training institute to create more opportunities for women in cyber, helping to address the cybersecurity skills gap while also diversifying the field. For women thinking of entering the field of cyber or looking to grow in their current careers, we recently spoke with Mouna Skhiri, Systems Engineer at Fortinet, to learn about her experience and advice for women in the field.

A Rewarding Career in Cybersecurity

1. Can you tell us about your career pathway? 

Mouna Skhiri (MS):I hold a master's degree in network and virtualization from Sorbonne University, as well as an engineering degree from the Higher School of Telecommunications. I enrolled in a graduate program with a networking company where we had intensive training that encompassed many various aspects of networking, including routing, switching, WLAN, and more. I then embarked on my journey as a systems engineer in the French enterprise team. This is when my background as a telecommunications engineer student was put to use. It helped me better understand customer challenges when it came to routing and switching.

2. What does your current role consist of and what is it about your work that excites you?

MS:At Fortinet, I work with large-scale companies to improve their security posture with our various solutions. I serve as their trusted advisor to help them best protect their organization by deploying Fortinet products. I'm constantly learning in my current role and what excites me the most as a SE is that I get the best of both worlds: technical and sales.

3. What inspired you to pursue a career as SE in cybersecurity or education in engineering?

MS:What pushed me to pursue a career in cybersecurity is having a very impactful job since we help secure devices, organizations, but also people.

4. What advice would you give women looking to start or grow in a career in cybersecurity/or pursue education in engineering?

MS:As a female SE in an industry dominated by male engineers, it is hard to not feel intimidated. It's not uncommon that women in tech roles may feel discouraged, although I personally do work in a friendly environment. It can also be a challenging situation being relatively "junior" in this field as well. My advice is to find mentors and allies who can help you grow your skills and your profession and also to keep learning by seeking resources such as the Fortinet Training Institute.

5. How can women support other women professionally?

MS: It is important for us, as women in engineering, to come together and find not just support but someone who we can relate to. It is very comforting to find another female colleague who can understand exactly this situation and that way we can help each other professionally.

6. Anything else you want to add?

MS: I would say to all women out there who want to have a career in engineering, specifically in cybersecurity, that it is very worth it to overcome many challenges as this is a very rewarding career. So please do not feel discouraged and keep going on.

Find out more about how Fortinet's Training Advancement Agenda (TAA) and Training Institute programs-including the NSE Certification program, Academic Partner program, and Education Outreach program-are helping to solve the cyber skills gap and prepare the cybersecurity workforce of tomorrow.