As cyber threats evolve at breakneck speed, Jennifer Glasgow, Senior Software Engineer at Liberty IT talks about her transition into cybersecurity engineering and why curiosity matters more than a traditional background
When Jennifer Glasgow joined Liberty IT as a placement student in 2015, cybersecurity wasn't on her radar. Working as a systems administrator within the Local Desktop team, she was focused on the fundamentals of keeping systems running and users supported. Nearly a decade later, she's a senior software engineer in the company's cybersecurity division, building automated defences against an ever-changing landscape of digital threats.
Her pathway into one of technology's most critical fields wasn't straightforward, but it's increasingly common. Jennifer's journey, from infrastructure roles through mergers and acquisitions work to cybersecurity engineering reflects how the sector is drawing talent from across the technology spectrum, often finding its best recruits amongst those curious enough to make the leap.
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The opportunity arose just as she was preparing for maternity leave with her first daughter. "I was working in an infrastructure role and was interested in exploring a different path," Jennifer recalls. While full-stack development didn't appeal, the chance to explore cybersecurity engineering did. After speaking with team members to understand the role better, she was convinced. "The work appeared to be both interesting and diverse." Upon returning to work, Jennifer joined the cybersecurity engineering team and began her career in cybersecurity.
Today, no two days look the same, mornings begin with a review of the incident queue, identifying anything requiring immediate attention before joining daily huddles with security analysts to share intelligence and updates. After that, I return to our JIRA board to continue any tasks I had been working on the previous day. These tasks may include modifying existing SOAR playbooks, creating new ones, collaborating with analysts to gain clarity on their needs, amending or writing new detections.
Automation sits at the heart of her role. "The more processes we can automate, the greater the overall efficiency we achieve," she explains. By reducing human error and freeing analysts from repetitive tasks, her team can focus resources where they matter most by investigating genuine threats rather than wading through false positives.
The team automatically closes reported suspicious emails based on carefully calibrated criteria, including sender reputation and specific tags. "It's essential that the rules we implement are precise to prevent the unintentional closure of legitimate emails," Jennifer notes. Getting this balance right requires careful consideration and stakeholder agreement to ensure that all parties are satisfied with what gets closed.
It's a delicate balance between speed and accuracy, one that requires both technical skill and a deep understanding of how threats actually manifest.
The transition into cybersecurity required a cross section of skills. As Jennifer explains "Problem-solving is probably the most used skill in my role, along with programming abilities and effective collaboration and communication with team members, all of which are essential daily. One area I had to focus on was gaining knowledge of security protocols, as well as
understanding networking concepts. This knowledge is essential for grasping the context of the detections we are writing and the threats we are addressing"
Transitioning into the cybersecurity mindset can be quite an adjustment, especially for those who may not have a background in the field or whose interest has recently been sparked.
One of the most significant challenges I encountered was mastering the various terminologies and understanding the type of work involved in a cybersecurity career. It can be daunting to engage in conversations when you’re unsure of the topics being discussed. However, I encourage others not to be intimidated by this. Instead, I found that it sparked my curiosity and motivated me to conduct thorough research to bridge the knowledge gap.
Once you shift your mindset to embrace this new perspective, you naturally become more vigilant and attentive to potential threats, which is an essential aspect of working in cybersecurity. This proactive approach not only enhances your understanding but also strengthens your ability to contribute effectively to the team.
Knowledge transfer can often be challenging; however, our team excels in documentation, which makes it easier for new hires to get up to speed. While it's one thing to be shown how to do a task, retaining that information, especially as a newcomer can be quite difficult. Therefore, having clear documentation along with thorough explanations is invaluable, as it provides essential resources for onboarding and helps reinforce learning.
The sector has transformed dramatically even in the relatively short time Jennifer has worked in it. When she began, the focus was primarily on writing detections. Now, artificial intelligence and machine learning enhance the team's ability to identify and respond to threats. The tools have evolved too as organisations no longer rely on single products but require versatile solutions that integrate across platforms.
Perhaps most significantly, cybersecurity has moved from a reactive, isolated function to one embedded throughout the organisation. "Now, we emphasise the importance of embedding security into the design process of new applications from the outset," Jennifer explains. It's a shift that requires collaboration across teams and a proactive rather than reactive approach.
For all the talk of automation and AI, Jennifer's greatest satisfaction comes from seeing how her work helps colleagues. A small piece of automation might give an analyst back 30 minutes per incident—time that could prove critical when investigating a genuine threat. "I feel fortunate to collaborate with a network of highly skilled professionals who are dedicated to knowledge sharing," she says.
Her productivity advice is refreshingly simple: focus on one task at a time rather than constantly multitasking, and block out dedicated calendar time to concentrate on specific work. In a field characterised by constant alerts and shifting priorities, maintaining focus matters.
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For those considering a move into cybersecurity, Jennifer's advice is unequivocal: don't delay. Build foundational knowledge through qualifications like CompTIA Security+, gain experience with Python programming, and familiarise yourself with current tools and solutions. But perhaps most importantly, maintain curiosity about emerging threats and technologies.
"This sector is one that certainly does not sit still," she observes. In an environment where yesterday's defences may not stop tomorrow's attacks, that restless evolution isn't a challenge,
it's the point. For those with the curiosity to keep learning and the determination to stay ahead of threats, cybersecurity offers a career that's never boring and increasingly essential.
Sync NI's Summer 2025 magazine celebrates women in tech across Ireland as we continue to encourage more women to enter the thriving sector and address the current gender imbalance. Read the Summer 2025 Sync NI Magazine online for free here.
