AI and ML are becoming increasingly essential in cybersecurity systems. Companies require experts with a solid mix of AI/ML expertise and cybersecurity skills, like Nicole Carignan, the Vice President of Strategic Cyber AI at Darktrace. She possesses a unique combination of technical and interpersonal abilities and originally pursued a dance major before venturing into AI and cybersecurity through her work as a hardware IT engineer at NASA.
Which college did you attend?
Carignan: I attended Texas A&M University, where I earned a computer science degree with a focus on mathematics, artificial intelligence, computer-human interaction, and assembly. My thesis centered on developing a maps application using graph theory to enhance navigation, a concept now common in applications like Google Maps. It’s fascinating to witness the evolution of AI applications over time.
What was your first IT job?
Carignan: Despite having a dance scholarship, I was already working for NASA, supporting systems in their mission control. They offered to keep me employed through and after college if I pursued a computer science or engineering degree, which led me into the field. I started my career in federal IT.
What motivated you to pursue cybersecurity?
Carignan: I was recruited into the intelligence community, where my role heavily focused on security. Back in 2000, cybersecurity wasn’t a well-defined industry. A few years later, I experienced a hacking incident during an overseas work trip, sparking my interest in cybersecurity and prompting me to change my career trajectory significantly.
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How did you transition to AI?
My affinity for data analytics in machine learning and AI led me to explore this field further. In my career, I later worked for a big data company that had extensive network telemetry and access to various cyber threat intelligence feeds. This experience coincided with the industry’s shift towards experimenting with supervised machine learning classifiers for security purposes.
Can you describe your current role?
With a background in data science, machine learning, and security, I found my fit at Darktrace. Unlike other organizations, Darktrace focused on unsupervised machine learning for security, employing tailored algorithms to understand asset behavior patterns. While we utilize generative AI and LLMs for semantic analysis, our emphasis is on understanding communication changes between email partners.
What soft skills have been beneficial in your career?
Having a background in theater and dance prepared me for effective communication and collaboration, vital in addressing complex industry challenges.
Any advice for aspiring AI and cybersecurity professionals?
Encourage diverse perspectives within your team. I strongly support neurodiversity and was drawn to Darktrace’s commitment to gender equity and inclusion of other minority groups. The cybersecurity landscape is evolving rapidly with cloud, SaaS applications, and AI. Achieving security with these technologies necessitates a diverse range of perspectives and innovative thinking.