Candace S. Williams, a dynamic cybersecurity leader, has spent nearly 20 years in the field, working across the Department of Defense and the Aerospace & Defense industry. Candace’s passion for cybersecurity has driven her to walk boldly in her purpose as an influential speaker, collaborator, and change agent.
As a Cybersecurity & Risk Senior Manager Candace oversees regional program operations to ensure that information system security risks are identified, managed, and mitigated to acceptable levels. Her tactical and operational strategies are critical in ensuring business operations are executed to customer and contractual standards.
Before transitioning into the civilian sector, Candace proudly served in the United States Air Force as a “3Charlie” within the Computer Communications and Operations (CCO) field. Her military career took her worldwide, from the United Kingdom to South Korea and Iraq. During that time, she served in multiple roles within the CCO field, from Help Desk and Small Computer Support Technician to Information Assurance Officer.
Candace’s experience in the field has given her a unique perspective on cybersecurity program execution. She is well-versed in risk analysis and management, process/system improvements, performance and practical metric analysis, vulnerability/risk assessments, audit gap analysis and remediation, standards and compliance, and customer engagement.
In addition to her professional work, she founded Cyb(H)er Ally Cybersecurity Solutions, LLC, to help micro and small businesses develop cybersecurity programs and protect their valuable information-based assets. Candace understands that organizations with weak cybersecurity cultures, policies, and procedures are more vulnerable to cyber breaches, data loss, regulatory penalties, missed business opportunities, and customer retention. She is dedicated to accelerating cybersecurity cultural transformations within small businesses by assessing and bridging cybersecurity gaps to mitigate vulnerabilities.
Candace’s commitment to increasing the representation and visibility of women in cybersecurity is inspiring. She organizes the Cyb(H)er Brunch event series in Tampa, FL, which connects women in cybersecurity to curate a synergistic network of powerful allies to increase and elevate women’s presence in cybersecurity.
Candace believes that including more women in the field is crucial for confronting the shortage of cybersecurity professionals and will lead to more diverse and creative problem-solving, resulting in unconventional and innovative solutions that help increase an organization’s capacity to establish and maintain a solid but agile cybersecurity posture.
Additionally, Candace provides mentoring and training under Cyb(H)er Ally to support individuals entering and navigating the cybersecurity ecosystem to start and maintain thriving careers.
Overall, Candace’s journey as a cybersecurity leader is a testament to her passion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to helping organizations bolster their cybersecurity posture while also increasing the representation of women in the field.