International Women in Engineering Day: Meet Our Stars
June 23rd is a special entry in the geek calendar, marking International Women in Engineering Day. Though we should always celebrate the achievements of our peers and teams year-round, this is our chance to cast light not just on the contribution of women to software development in general, but also their positive impact at Secure Code Warrior. We are very fortunate to have near-parity between males and females in our organization, and within that, some talented women in our engineering team.
It's certainly not lost on me that STEM careers are notoriously male-dominated, and for female developers, I know first-hand that some tech environments can be challenging and unfairly stacked against women, mainly through unconscious bias. It's not good enough, and it was important for me to ensure everyone is treated fairly, that diversity is championed, and that teams felt enriched by different opinions, experiences, and ways of thinking. After all, no company should exist in an echo chamber and expect to thrive. It is the amplification of the voices least heard that can lead to incredible things.
This week, I wanted to highlight the contributions of women that bring so much to our engineering focus, and continually lead by example with their truly awesome work. Read on to meet but a few of our tech superstars:
Julia Semeniuk, Scrum Master
What do you like about the software development process?
I like the results. I think its one very important part of the business: at the end of the day software development brings all ideas, feedback, and designs together and makes it available for other parts of the business and for our customers.
What challenges do you face in your role?
I think the biggest challenge is communication and alignment. We need to make sure we are working on the most important piece at any given time. Thats why working with Product, Support and other teams is so important to us.
What do you like most about your role?
I love spirit and teamwork. Every bit of work we do is accomplished because of synchronized work and collaboration. And to see the progression of our work and the growth of people makes me feel happy every day.
What initiatives do you take to support women in your team?
We are lucky to be treated equally in Secure Code Warrior. I dont think we have initiatives directed to women exclusively, we support and respect each other irrespective of sex and gender. In saying that, company initiatives such as parental leave and flexible working arrangements do make a huge difference to all of us.
Noemi Alvarez, Senior Software Developer
Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Senior Software Engineer
Favorite languages/frameworks:
Typescript /Javascript - Angular/Node because I have the most experience with these and I feel more comfortable.
Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Java / PHP because I didnt have the opportunity to work with these ones.
How did you get into software development?:
I did research on trending careers and IT was one of these and my favorite math teacher said I would be a great engineer.
What challenges do you face in your role?:
Keeping up to date with new technologies and trends.
What do you like most about your role?:
In general, to build/create something and see people using it. At SCW, to have the challenge to build it as secure as I can.
Laura Verheyde, Senior Software Engineer
Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Developer in the ACE team. Basically I help out with providing the platform with new challenges.
Favorite languages/frameworks:
C#, .NET.
Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Probably PHP, but thats mainly because of a lack of experience with it.
How did you get into software development?:
Years ago, my best friends were all studying IT, so that sparked my interest.
What challenges do you face in your role?:
Navigating and understanding someone elses code in order to add my own, can be a pretty demanding task. Also, the idea that there is still so much to learn in the area of IT can be intimidating at times, but also very rewarding once youve overcome a certain challenge.
What do you like most about your role?:
Part of my role has me delving through code on a syntactic level, something I find really interesting. Next to that, seeing the applications that Ive contributed to, producing results and creating new content for the SCW platform gives a very satisfactory feeling.
Do you have any advice for young women who are contemplating a similar career?:
Yes, dont be intimidated by the idea of having to work in a male-dominated workplace. My initial concern ebbed away pretty fast during my first days, as I was introduced to the nicest and most welcoming colleagues one could hope for. Im pretty sure thats the case in most workplaces.
Josh Graham, our VP of Technology, is developing a mentorship program to encourage more women into our engineering cohort. It's our goal to give them the opportunities and pathways to grow their career, while being guided by role models that can show them what is possible in software development, cybersecurity and tech. It is vital for young women to see someone they can relate to in an aspirational role, really hitting home that their dreams not only matter, but are within reach.
As an industry, and as a business, we still have work to do when it comes to achieving true equality for women in technology careers. We are working hard to encourage more women into our open roles; their contributions will only propel us forward and help us lead by example. The time is now to acknowledge biases, privilege, and glass ceilings, while making efforts to change the status quo in earnest.
We strive to create a safe, supportive environment for geeks of all backgrounds. We stand behind women in tech, offering work flexibility and generous parental/family policies in a global environment. Want to join us? Keep our Careers page and LinkedIn bookmarked for your next opportunity - we always have engineering roles for keen technologists looking to thrive in a workplace where you can come as you are.
June 23rd is a special entry in the geek calendar, marking International Women in Engineering Day. This is our chance to cast light on the contribution of women to software development.
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Co-Founder
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
Book a demo
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Co-Founder
Pieter Danhieux is a globally recognized security expert, with over 12 years experience as a security consultant and 8 years as a Principal Instructor for SANS teaching offensive techniques on how to target and assess organizations, systems and individuals for security weaknesses. In 2016, he was recognized as one of the Coolest Tech people in Australia (Business Insider), awarded Cyber Security Professional of the Year (AISA - Australian Information Security Association) and holds GSE, CISSP, GCIH, GCFA, GSEC, GPEN, GWAPT, GCIA certifications.
June 23rd is a special entry in the geek calendar, marking International Women in Engineering Day. Though we should always celebrate the achievements of our peers and teams year-round, this is our chance to cast light not just on the contribution of women to software development in general, but also their positive impact at Secure Code Warrior. We are very fortunate to have near-parity between males and females in our organization, and within that, some talented women in our engineering team.
It's certainly not lost on me that STEM careers are notoriously male-dominated, and for female developers, I know first-hand that some tech environments can be challenging and unfairly stacked against women, mainly through unconscious bias. It's not good enough, and it was important for me to ensure everyone is treated fairly, that diversity is championed, and that teams felt enriched by different opinions, experiences, and ways of thinking. After all, no company should exist in an echo chamber and expect to thrive. It is the amplification of the voices least heard that can lead to incredible things.
This week, I wanted to highlight the contributions of women that bring so much to our engineering focus, and continually lead by example with their truly awesome work. Read on to meet but a few of our tech superstars:
Julia Semeniuk, Scrum Master
What do you like about the software development process?
I like the results. I think its one very important part of the business: at the end of the day software development brings all ideas, feedback, and designs together and makes it available for other parts of the business and for our customers.
What challenges do you face in your role?
I think the biggest challenge is communication and alignment. We need to make sure we are working on the most important piece at any given time. Thats why working with Product, Support and other teams is so important to us.
What do you like most about your role?
I love spirit and teamwork. Every bit of work we do is accomplished because of synchronized work and collaboration. And to see the progression of our work and the growth of people makes me feel happy every day.
What initiatives do you take to support women in your team?
We are lucky to be treated equally in Secure Code Warrior. I dont think we have initiatives directed to women exclusively, we support and respect each other irrespective of sex and gender. In saying that, company initiatives such as parental leave and flexible working arrangements do make a huge difference to all of us.
Noemi Alvarez, Senior Software Developer
Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Senior Software Engineer
Favorite languages/frameworks:
Typescript /Javascript - Angular/Node because I have the most experience with these and I feel more comfortable.
Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Java / PHP because I didnt have the opportunity to work with these ones.
How did you get into software development?:
I did research on trending careers and IT was one of these and my favorite math teacher said I would be a great engineer.
What challenges do you face in your role?:
Keeping up to date with new technologies and trends.
What do you like most about your role?:
In general, to build/create something and see people using it. At SCW, to have the challenge to build it as secure as I can.
Laura Verheyde, Senior Software Engineer
Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Developer in the ACE team. Basically I help out with providing the platform with new challenges.
Favorite languages/frameworks:
C#, .NET.
Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Probably PHP, but thats mainly because of a lack of experience with it.
How did you get into software development?:
Years ago, my best friends were all studying IT, so that sparked my interest.
What challenges do you face in your role?:
Navigating and understanding someone elses code in order to add my own, can be a pretty demanding task. Also, the idea that there is still so much to learn in the area of IT can be intimidating at times, but also very rewarding once youve overcome a certain challenge.
What do you like most about your role?:
Part of my role has me delving through code on a syntactic level, something I find really interesting. Next to that, seeing the applications that Ive contributed to, producing results and creating new content for the SCW platform gives a very satisfactory feeling.
Do you have any advice for young women who are contemplating a similar career?:
Yes, dont be intimidated by the idea of having to work in a male-dominated workplace. My initial concern ebbed away pretty fast during my first days, as I was introduced to the nicest and most welcoming colleagues one could hope for. Im pretty sure thats the case in most workplaces.
Josh Graham, our VP of Technology, is developing a mentorship program to encourage more women into our engineering cohort. It's our goal to give them the opportunities and pathways to grow their career, while being guided by role models that can show them what is possible in software development, cybersecurity and tech. It is vital for young women to see someone they can relate to in an aspirational role, really hitting home that their dreams not only matter, but are within reach.
As an industry, and as a business, we still have work to do when it comes to achieving true equality for women in technology careers. We are working hard to encourage more women into our open roles; their contributions will only propel us forward and help us lead by example. The time is now to acknowledge biases, privilege, and glass ceilings, while making efforts to change the status quo in earnest.
We strive to create a safe, supportive environment for geeks of all backgrounds. We stand behind women in tech, offering work flexibility and generous parental/family policies in a global environment. Want to join us? Keep our Careers page and LinkedIn bookmarked for your next opportunity - we always have engineering roles for keen technologists looking to thrive in a workplace where you can come as you are.
June 23rd is a special entry in the geek calendar, marking International Women in Engineering Day. Though we should always celebrate the achievements of our peers and teams year-round, this is our chance to cast light not just on the contribution of women to software development in general, but also their positive impact at Secure Code Warrior. We are very fortunate to have near-parity between males and females in our organization, and within that, some talented women in our engineering team.
It's certainly not lost on me that STEM careers are notoriously male-dominated, and for female developers, I know first-hand that some tech environments can be challenging and unfairly stacked against women, mainly through unconscious bias. It's not good enough, and it was important for me to ensure everyone is treated fairly, that diversity is championed, and that teams felt enriched by different opinions, experiences, and ways of thinking. After all, no company should exist in an echo chamber and expect to thrive. It is the amplification of the voices least heard that can lead to incredible things.
This week, I wanted to highlight the contributions of women that bring so much to our engineering focus, and continually lead by example with their truly awesome work. Read on to meet but a few of our tech superstars:
Julia Semeniuk, Scrum Master
What do you like about the software development process?
I like the results. I think its one very important part of the business: at the end of the day software development brings all ideas, feedback, and designs together and makes it available for other parts of the business and for our customers.
What challenges do you face in your role?
I think the biggest challenge is communication and alignment. We need to make sure we are working on the most important piece at any given time. Thats why working with Product, Support and other teams is so important to us.
What do you like most about your role?
I love spirit and teamwork. Every bit of work we do is accomplished because of synchronized work and collaboration. And to see the progression of our work and the growth of people makes me feel happy every day.
What initiatives do you take to support women in your team?
We are lucky to be treated equally in Secure Code Warrior. I dont think we have initiatives directed to women exclusively, we support and respect each other irrespective of sex and gender. In saying that, company initiatives such as parental leave and flexible working arrangements do make a huge difference to all of us.
Noemi Alvarez, Senior Software Developer
Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Senior Software Engineer
Favorite languages/frameworks:
Typescript /Javascript - Angular/Node because I have the most experience with these and I feel more comfortable.
Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Java / PHP because I didnt have the opportunity to work with these ones.
How did you get into software development?:
I did research on trending careers and IT was one of these and my favorite math teacher said I would be a great engineer.
What challenges do you face in your role?:
Keeping up to date with new technologies and trends.
What do you like most about your role?:
In general, to build/create something and see people using it. At SCW, to have the challenge to build it as secure as I can.
Laura Verheyde, Senior Software Engineer
Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Developer in the ACE team. Basically I help out with providing the platform with new challenges.
Favorite languages/frameworks:
C#, .NET.
Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Probably PHP, but thats mainly because of a lack of experience with it.
How did you get into software development?:
Years ago, my best friends were all studying IT, so that sparked my interest.
What challenges do you face in your role?:
Navigating and understanding someone elses code in order to add my own, can be a pretty demanding task. Also, the idea that there is still so much to learn in the area of IT can be intimidating at times, but also very rewarding once youve overcome a certain challenge.
What do you like most about your role?:
Part of my role has me delving through code on a syntactic level, something I find really interesting. Next to that, seeing the applications that Ive contributed to, producing results and creating new content for the SCW platform gives a very satisfactory feeling.
Do you have any advice for young women who are contemplating a similar career?:
Yes, dont be intimidated by the idea of having to work in a male-dominated workplace. My initial concern ebbed away pretty fast during my first days, as I was introduced to the nicest and most welcoming colleagues one could hope for. Im pretty sure thats the case in most workplaces.
Josh Graham, our VP of Technology, is developing a mentorship program to encourage more women into our engineering cohort. It's our goal to give them the opportunities and pathways to grow their career, while being guided by role models that can show them what is possible in software development, cybersecurity and tech. It is vital for young women to see someone they can relate to in an aspirational role, really hitting home that their dreams not only matter, but are within reach.
As an industry, and as a business, we still have work to do when it comes to achieving true equality for women in technology careers. We are working hard to encourage more women into our open roles; their contributions will only propel us forward and help us lead by example. The time is now to acknowledge biases, privilege, and glass ceilings, while making efforts to change the status quo in earnest.
We strive to create a safe, supportive environment for geeks of all backgrounds. We stand behind women in tech, offering work flexibility and generous parental/family policies in a global environment. Want to join us? Keep our Careers page and LinkedIn bookmarked for your next opportunity - we always have engineering roles for keen technologists looking to thrive in a workplace where you can come as you are.
Click on the link below and download the PDF of this resource.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
View reportBook a demo
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Co-Founder
Pieter Danhieux is a globally recognized security expert, with over 12 years experience as a security consultant and 8 years as a Principal Instructor for SANS teaching offensive techniques on how to target and assess organizations, systems and individuals for security weaknesses. In 2016, he was recognized as one of the Coolest Tech people in Australia (Business Insider), awarded Cyber Security Professional of the Year (AISA - Australian Information Security Association) and holds GSE, CISSP, GCIH, GCFA, GSEC, GPEN, GWAPT, GCIA certifications.
June 23rd is a special entry in the geek calendar, marking International Women in Engineering Day. Though we should always celebrate the achievements of our peers and teams year-round, this is our chance to cast light not just on the contribution of women to software development in general, but also their positive impact at Secure Code Warrior. We are very fortunate to have near-parity between males and females in our organization, and within that, some talented women in our engineering team.
It's certainly not lost on me that STEM careers are notoriously male-dominated, and for female developers, I know first-hand that some tech environments can be challenging and unfairly stacked against women, mainly through unconscious bias. It's not good enough, and it was important for me to ensure everyone is treated fairly, that diversity is championed, and that teams felt enriched by different opinions, experiences, and ways of thinking. After all, no company should exist in an echo chamber and expect to thrive. It is the amplification of the voices least heard that can lead to incredible things.
This week, I wanted to highlight the contributions of women that bring so much to our engineering focus, and continually lead by example with their truly awesome work. Read on to meet but a few of our tech superstars:
Julia Semeniuk, Scrum Master
What do you like about the software development process?
I like the results. I think its one very important part of the business: at the end of the day software development brings all ideas, feedback, and designs together and makes it available for other parts of the business and for our customers.
What challenges do you face in your role?
I think the biggest challenge is communication and alignment. We need to make sure we are working on the most important piece at any given time. Thats why working with Product, Support and other teams is so important to us.
What do you like most about your role?
I love spirit and teamwork. Every bit of work we do is accomplished because of synchronized work and collaboration. And to see the progression of our work and the growth of people makes me feel happy every day.
What initiatives do you take to support women in your team?
We are lucky to be treated equally in Secure Code Warrior. I dont think we have initiatives directed to women exclusively, we support and respect each other irrespective of sex and gender. In saying that, company initiatives such as parental leave and flexible working arrangements do make a huge difference to all of us.
Noemi Alvarez, Senior Software Developer
Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Senior Software Engineer
Favorite languages/frameworks:
Typescript /Javascript - Angular/Node because I have the most experience with these and I feel more comfortable.
Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Java / PHP because I didnt have the opportunity to work with these ones.
How did you get into software development?:
I did research on trending careers and IT was one of these and my favorite math teacher said I would be a great engineer.
What challenges do you face in your role?:
Keeping up to date with new technologies and trends.
What do you like most about your role?:
In general, to build/create something and see people using it. At SCW, to have the challenge to build it as secure as I can.
Laura Verheyde, Senior Software Engineer
Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Developer in the ACE team. Basically I help out with providing the platform with new challenges.
Favorite languages/frameworks:
C#, .NET.
Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Probably PHP, but thats mainly because of a lack of experience with it.
How did you get into software development?:
Years ago, my best friends were all studying IT, so that sparked my interest.
What challenges do you face in your role?:
Navigating and understanding someone elses code in order to add my own, can be a pretty demanding task. Also, the idea that there is still so much to learn in the area of IT can be intimidating at times, but also very rewarding once youve overcome a certain challenge.
What do you like most about your role?:
Part of my role has me delving through code on a syntactic level, something I find really interesting. Next to that, seeing the applications that Ive contributed to, producing results and creating new content for the SCW platform gives a very satisfactory feeling.
Do you have any advice for young women who are contemplating a similar career?:
Yes, dont be intimidated by the idea of having to work in a male-dominated workplace. My initial concern ebbed away pretty fast during my first days, as I was introduced to the nicest and most welcoming colleagues one could hope for. Im pretty sure thats the case in most workplaces.
Josh Graham, our VP of Technology, is developing a mentorship program to encourage more women into our engineering cohort. It's our goal to give them the opportunities and pathways to grow their career, while being guided by role models that can show them what is possible in software development, cybersecurity and tech. It is vital for young women to see someone they can relate to in an aspirational role, really hitting home that their dreams not only matter, but are within reach.
As an industry, and as a business, we still have work to do when it comes to achieving true equality for women in technology careers. We are working hard to encourage more women into our open roles; their contributions will only propel us forward and help us lead by example. The time is now to acknowledge biases, privilege, and glass ceilings, while making efforts to change the status quo in earnest.
We strive to create a safe, supportive environment for geeks of all backgrounds. We stand behind women in tech, offering work flexibility and generous parental/family policies in a global environment. Want to join us? Keep our Careers page and LinkedIn bookmarked for your next opportunity - we always have engineering roles for keen technologists looking to thrive in a workplace where you can come as you are.
Table of contents
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Co-Founder
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
Book a demoDownloadResources to get you started
Secure by Design: Defining Best Practices, Enabling Developers and Benchmarking Preventative Security Outcomes
In this research paper, Secure Code Warrior co-founders, Pieter Danhieux and Dr. Matias Madou, Ph.D., along with expert contributors, Chris Inglis, Former US National Cyber Director (now Strategic Advisor to Paladin Capital Group), and Devin Lynch, Senior Director, Paladin Global Institute, will reveal key findings from over twenty in-depth interviews with enterprise security leaders including CISOs, a VP of Application Security, and software security professionals.
Benchmarking Security Skills: Streamlining Secure-by-Design in the Enterprise
Finding meaningful data on the success of Secure-by-Design initiatives is notoriously difficult. CISOs are often challenged when attempting to prove the return on investment (ROI) and business value of security program activities at both the people and company levels. Not to mention, it’s particularly difficult for enterprises to gain insights into how their organizations are benchmarked against current industry standards. The President’s National Cybersecurity Strategy challenged stakeholders to “embrace security and resilience by design.” The key to making Secure-by-Design initiatives work is not only giving developers the skills to ensure secure code, but also assuring the regulators that those skills are in place. In this presentation, we share a myriad of qualitative and quantitative data, derived from multiple primary sources, including internal data points collected from over 250,000 developers, data-driven customer insights, and public studies. Leveraging this aggregation of data points, we aim to communicate a vision of the current state of Secure-by-Design initiatives across multiple verticals. The report details why this space is currently underutilized, the significant impact a successful upskilling program can have on cybersecurity risk mitigation, and the potential to eliminate categories of vulnerabilities from a codebase.
Secure code training topics & content
Our industry-leading content is always evolving to fit the ever changing software development landscape with your role in mind. Topics covering everything from AI to XQuery Injection, offered for a variety of roles from Architects and Engineers to Product Managers and QA. Get a sneak peak of what our content catalog has to offer by topic and role.
Resources to get you started
Revealed: How the Cyber Industry Defines Secure by Design
In our latest white paper, our Co-Founders, Pieter Danhieux and Dr. Matias Madou, Ph.D., sat down with over twenty enterprise security leaders, including CISOs, AppSec leaders and security professionals, to figure out the key pieces of this puzzle and uncover the reality behind the Secure by Design movement. It’s a shared ambition across the security teams, but no shared playbook.
Is Vibe Coding Going to Turn Your Codebase Into a Frat Party?
Vibe coding is like a college frat party, and AI is the centerpiece of all the festivities, the keg. It’s a lot of fun to let loose, get creative, and see where your imagination can take you, but after a few keg stands, drinking (or, using AI) in moderation is undoubtedly the safer long-term solution.
Developer-driven coding.
Securely.
Contact us today and make software security an intrinsic part of your development process.
