In the SecureWorld Spotlight Series, we learn about the speakers and Advisory Council members that make our events a success. In Q&A format, they share about their professional journeys, unique experiences, and hopes for the future of cybersecurity—along with some personal anecdotes.
Karen Harris is an IT professional with more than 20 years of global banking and finance technical knowledge and development expertise, including with threat modeling, which is her passion. She is Vice President, Lead Cybersecurity Architect, and Program Lead for the Threat Modeling Center of Excellence at JPMorgan Chase.
Get to know Karen Harris
Q: Why did you decide to pursue cybersecurity as a career path?
A: The ability to make a positive difference in helping secure products and services via threat and mitigation detection while also having visibility of new products and services being proposed are the two things that attracted me to cybersecurity specifically.
Q: What encouraged you to join your current organization?
A: JPMorgan Chase is a diverse global organization that acts with integrity and responsibility internally with employees as well as with its customers. The opportunity to lead the Threat Modeling Center of Excellence was a no brainer for me in that regard.
Q: How would you describe your feelings about cybersecurity in one word?
A: Compulsory.
Q: What has been your most memorable moment thus far working in cybersecurity?
A: The ability to join multiple lines of business and cybersecurity partners together to agree and implement new threat modeling policies and procedures at a previous firm.
Q: If you had to choose, what's the one cybersecurity practice people can adopt that would have the greatest impact?
A: AI and ML integration with threat modeling methodologies.
Q: What is an industrywide change you would like to see happen in the future?
A: Developing cyber functional skills for teens in marginalized communities and circumstances.
Q: If you could pass or change one regulation/law in cybersecurity and data protection, what would it be and why?
A: Lack of attention to personal data privacy and loss versus corporate is a concern. New federal and state policies are required to adequately protect and appropriately control data misuse.
Q: When you tell people what you do for a living, what do you say?
A: I tell folks I work in cybersecurity and leave it at that.
Q: What are you most looking forward to at your regional SecureWorld conference this year?
A: Obtaining information and details about new trends, threat assessment methods, products, and services in the cybersecurity space.
Q: In honor of our 2023 conference theme, CyberSonic: Security & Sound Remix, what is your all-time favorite song?
A: "Dreaming" by Pop Smoke.
To connect with Karen Harris and other cybersecurity leaders from the greater Houston area, attend the 13th annual SecureWorld Houston conference on May 18, 2023. Karen will be co-presenting on "Democratizing Threat Modeling Across the Enterprise." See the conference agenda and register here.
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