For National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and beyond our annual events, our goal at RSA Conference is to find new ways to creatively stimulate and support important industry conversations. Through our webcasts, blogs, videos, podcasts, and more, we strive to deliver the most informative and impactful programs that both engage and enable our community. That’s why we are excited to share the news that our team has grown.

I’m thrilled to announce the addition of Kacy Zurkus as our new Content Strategist for RSA Conference. With Kacy’s experience as a cybersecurity writer, she brings a depth of understanding of the important security conversations that matter to the RSAC community. Many of you are likely curious to know more about Kacy, and I’ve asked her a few questions so that we can all get to know her better.

Q: Kacy, tell us a little about yourself?

A: The quickest way to sum up who I am is “literary lover turned cyber scribe,” which is probably unusual in this industry. I’m a testament to the fact that anyone can work in cybersecurity. In my first career, I was a high school teacher of English. I loved books so much that I wanted to spend my life not only reading them but talking about them, so the classroom made sense for me.

Q:  That’s a big step moving from high school English teacher to cybersecurity – how did you make that move and why?

A: My life’s dream was to be a writer. I had earned an MFA in Creative Writing in 2011, but I didn’t do much with it as I was pregnant with my first daughter at the time. A few years later, my friend, who was then the Editor-in-Chief at CSO Online, offered me a chance to do some freelance work. Eventually I was writing two stories a month and had the chance to start my own blog, Security Newb, on CSO Online. While I didn’t understand a lot of the technical details, the issues themselves all seemed to align with Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Hero’s Journey. Cybersecurity is a constant battle between good and evil, and I loved being able to tell the stories of the good folks that were working hard for a win.

Q: Why did you decide to join the RSAC team?

A: For the past four years, I’ve sat in my home office reading all the news that comes out of the industries largest and most influential conference. Each year I hoped that an editor would send me, but it was always the more seasoned journalists who got the assignment. When I saw the job posting, I thought, I’m going to the RSA Conference next year! Joking aside, this role is a gateway to my future, and I knew it the moment I read the job description. It’s a chance for me to hone my writing skills while developing professionally in other ways. I’m excited to be growing with and among an incredible team.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish at RSAC?

A: I want to retire from RSAC. Granted that won’t happen for decades, but I’m in for the long haul. I see such potential for growth in not only helping to identify the best content that will enrich the learning experiences of our attendees but also in creating my own content that will keep that teaching and learning going all year round.

Q: What do you do when you’re not working?