Diana Graham Dudas
SunTrust
Atlanta, GA USA
"Don’t write a job off because you don’t think you can do it. You’ll learn what you need to know along the way."
Career Roadmap
Diana's work combines: Technology, Business, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Check out schools that offer information security programs. Explore the classes they offer and try to decide if they seem like classes you'd be interested in. Not all programs are the same—some could be heavy in coding while others are heavy in business. It's important to try to evaluate if you want to pursue more on the technical side or the business side and then look into the schools with programs that align with your interests and values.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Certification
Security+
CompTIA
Bachelor's Degree
Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician
Georgia State University
Certification
International Business
Georgia State University
Certification
Certified Business Resilience IT Professional
BRCCI
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I had no idea what I wanted to do after high school, so I joined the military—I filled the role of information security specialist for the Army simply because my technical scores were high.
2.
After the physical training portion of bootcamp, the military taught me everything I needed to know about information security for the position in a six-month timeframe.
3.
I took some higher education classes while in the military and then continued my degree at Georgia State University after being honorably discharged.
4.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in computer information systems along with a certificate in international business, which I thought of as a backup option if a career in technology didn’t work out.
5.
After graduating, I held various positions in information security and cyber risk, including jobs with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and EY.
6.
I currently work at SunTrust as a cybersecurity assurance specialist and aspire to keep working up to higher management positions.
7.
In addition to my day-to-day work, I also volunteer for more creative projects—planning an open house in my department, for example—to let my creative side shine!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Information security is for men and all of the women who work in the field are nerdy and awkward.
How I responded:
Society and the media paint a picture of women in this field as being nerdy and awkward, but that's not true. The field is primarily made up of men, but there are women here who are normal, cool, innovative, and doing great things. Information security is a lot broader than the media makes it seem. It's a lot easier than one may think to find a place in this field that you feel you fit into and enjoy.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I came from a broken home in a struggling community that didn't really see its members go to college and succeed. It instilled a fear of failure in me, but I always used that as motivation to succeed.
I work in a field that is dominated by men. Society also portrays women in this field as awkward and undesirable, but I have first-hand knowledge that that is a myth. I strive to prove people wrong.
I didn't have the financial ability to afford college after high school. I ended up joining the military, which not only gave me a paycheck, but it also gave me the time to figure out what I wanted to do in life.
After becoming disabled in the military, I was honorably discharged and had to transition back into regular life. The transition took some time and could get difficult as I essentially learned how to be me again.
I suffer from a few disabilities and was honorably discharged from the military. One that still affects my current work life is migraines. I sometimes have to struggle through meetings with one. Fortunately, my work teams have all been accommodating.