It saddened us all within the cybersecurity sector to hear of Angela Nichols’ recent passing.
Angela was not a cybersecurity startup founder, chief information security officer or a network security engineer. She wasn’t the creator of all the powerful cybersecurity products, threat dashboards or advanced AI technology algorithms used by the products that ArcSight, RedSeal, Anomali, Intel 471 and Analyst1 produced.
Angela Nichols was the tenacious marketing force behind all the brilliant minds that produced these products, elevating their innovations in cybersecurity to marketplace solutions that not only changed the world but also made it a safer place.
From her early career, Angela worked tirelessly to understand cybersecurity technologies and make them less intimidating and more accessible to the masses through her corporate branding, global event experiences and multi-channel marketing campaigns that spanned five continents and influenced countless corporate security architectures within the Fortune 500 and government sectors.
She was a brilliant strategist and innovative cybersecurity marketing maven. She especially enjoyed being a part of the growth of the cybersecurity industry and participating in the wider sector ecosystem conversations at the annual RSA Conference. Over the past ten years, she created many unforgettable experiences with her attention to the human experience, from sleek booth designs, innovative giveaways (including electric cars, motorcycles, ATVs and big cash) and visual, user-oriented demos. A little-known fact is that she could demo our products with the best of us, and we all upped our game because of her. As an industry, the experiences that she designed enabled us to feel cool, way before cybersecurity was cool.
Aside from the memories she created for so many of us at trade shows and events around the world, Angela was incredibly passionate about providing women and minorities with opportunities within cybersecurity. Her ability to see potential, a desire to learn and an ambition to grow professionally are what the people whose lives she touched through her generosity of time and mentorship will always remember about her. The cybersecurity world is better for having known Angela Nichols and her advocacy for a more inclusive industry.
We will never forget Angela’s infectious smile, red hair, piercing blue eyes and compassionate personality. Her presence in our lives will be sorely missed.
Her legacy will live on forever in our hearts and in the future of cybersecurity.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, A Celebration of Life will be held this summer. As Angela was a longtime supporter of St. Jude Children’s Hospital and an active promoter of diversity and the inclusion of women and minorities within the cybersecurity industry, her family asks if you are so moved to donate to either of these funds in her memory: The International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP) Angela Nichols Scholarship or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
The ICMCP Angela Nichols Scholarship will honor Angela by recognizing high-achieving women from disadvantaged backgrounds seeking to enter Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) careers, including Cybersecurity, Digital Forensics and Information Assurance. We aim to build an annual scholarship program that supports the growth and advancement of minorities in the field of cybersecurity. It is anticipated that this scholarship will fund up to $10,000, to be applied toward university credits or training toward cyber-focused training and certification(s). To contribute to this living memorial for Angela, please see this link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EH2W3V3QWD39L
Sincerely,
Analyst1, Anomali, ArcSight, Intel 471 and RedSeal Networks