Women in Cyber: Noelle Hori

In celebration of Women's History Month, we're spotlighting the incredible women of Cobalt throughout March. Each feature will share their unique cybersecurity journeys, insights, and career lessons they have learned.

How long have you been working in cybersecurity? How did you get started in the field? 

My journey in cybersecurity started a little over three and a half years ago when I joined Cobalt. I was a Community Operations Manager in my previous roles so I had experience in community/team management however from very different industries. I clicked with the team at Cobalt during my hiring process and will forever appreciate the chance they gave me as I didn’t have experience in cybersecurity at the time. I have learned so much not only about cybersecurity and pentesting but also about our incredible Cobalt Core community. 

What has been the greatest reward of your career? What do you love most about your job? 

I don’t know if there is a single ‘greatest reward’ of my career but I’m proud of how much I’ve developed professionally over the years and the connections I’ve built along the way. I have been able to adapt to constant change, wear many hats, and continuously learn and challenge myself in every role I’ve had. 

It is an absolute joy working with the Cobalt Core Community being able to connect with security experts around the world everyday. I have onboarded over 200 Pentesters to the Cobalt Core in my tenure thus far and being part of their journey has been so rewarding. It is so much fun supporting collaboration amongst teams, championing career/Cobalt milestones, and showing appreciation for all of their hard work. I feel lucky to work with such talented individuals who I have learned so much from every day. 

What has been the greatest challenge you faced in your career? 

The most challenging but rewarding experience I have had thus far professionally and personally was owning a business. My fiance and I owned and operated a wine bar for 3 years together as a passion project for me and full-time work for him. I gained so much insight from owning a business from building a brand, budget management, creating and executing a full restaurant menu, marketing, maintaining employees and last but certainly not least, the importance of work/life balance. 

What impact has female mentorship had on your life? Was the impact in a personal or professional setting? 

I have been involved on several female committees and have predominantly had female leadership thus far in my tenure at Cobalt. I have greatly appreciated the guidance and support from women who are navigating their career development alongside me. It’s also been so valuable having strong female leadership in a male-dominated industry, especially when I was just starting out and feeling the imposter syndrome. 

What is your advice to young female professionals coming into the workforce or into cybersecurity? 

Networking can be intimidating, but it is incredibly valuable when starting your career. I recommend always being genuine and personable while building connections with colleagues or people you look up to in your company or industry. If you put time and energy into getting to know others, you will build trust and a support system that can empower your growth, be a sounding board, your next mentor, or your referral for your dream role. 

What’s your biggest inspiration or motivator when you are down? 

Cooking! For me, cooking is a way to de-stress, be creative, and take time for myself to listen to a podcast, or music or talk to someone on the phone.  I’m not a big recipe follower but love to cook new meals inspired by books, videos online, or recipes shared by friends and family. It’s so much fun having the ability to cook almost anything from scratch or to challenge myself to learn something new. I made almost everything in-house for my wine bar and never received a bad review which I’m very proud of. I show appreciation through food and cooking for others so this is a fulfilling (& filling) hobby that makes me happy. 

Learn More About Noelle

What are your favorite hobbies?

I love reading, hiking, camping, making pottery, and, most recently, golfing!

What are your favorite musical artists? 

I love so many different genres of music but constantly have these artists/bands on repeat: Hozier, Nathaniel Rateliff, Chappell Roan, Odesza, Florence and the Machine, RKS, Bad Bunny, Jurassic 5, Fleetwood Mac and many many more.