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Arlene Worsley

My Expertise

Everyone deserves a red carpet, a hall of fame

Strategy, Risk & Compliance

As a certified information security professional, I bring more than 16 years of experience in risk and resilience strategy, planning, advisory and compliance across enterprise, IT, and cybersecurity functions. This experience spans within highly regulated industries including energy, mining, utilities, financial services, media, technology and the public sector.


Specialties: Strategic planning, operating model development, data analysis and metrics measurement, enterprise and operational risk management, General IT Controls (GITCs), cyber risk quantification, risk analysis and maturity assessments, third party security management, cybersecurity control frameworks (NIST, ISO/IEC 27X, ITSG-33), ERM frameworks (ISO 31000, COSO), IT Governance framework (COBIT), CSOX, PCI-DSS, NERC-CIP

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Certifications: CISM, CRISC, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, FAIR Analysis Fundamentals

Business Resiliency

I mastered my craft in IT web operations and enterprise reputation management leading organizations in preparing for and navigating the four pillars of business resiliency - crisis management, incident response, disaster recovery and business continuity. I spent countless hours as a crisis management lead in incident command centers wearing a neon vest through workplace fatalities, natural disasters and evacuations, environmental incidents, anti-industry campaigns, physical protests, provincial regulatory hearings and sophisticated cyberattacks resulting in data breaches and online brand abuse.

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Specialties: Canada Incident Command System (ICS), ISO 22301 

Operational Management

I have more than 10 years of operational management experience building centers of excellence (COE) from ground zero including establishing an operating model, service delivery model, data analytics informing KPIs/KRIs/OKRs, demand management, project management, client relations, vendor management, budget management, resource management, and more. 

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Specialties: ERM frameworks (ISO 31K, COSO), practice transformation, operational change management, dynamic risk governance (DRG)

Mentorship

“The greatest project you’ll ever work on is you.” – Sonny Franco

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When I decided to transition into cybersecurity mid-career, I knew it would take a vast amount of courage, sacrifice and a village to see it through. As a single mom and a working professional with no technical background, there were times when I doubted my decision and feared the consequence of failure. There was just so much more at stake with two kids to support on my own.

 

It was on the shoulders of my family and dear friends where I asked, “What if I fail?” Because of their enthusiasm and encouragement, I learned to embrace the right question, “What if I succeed and more?” 

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I have been in your shoes and I understand what it takes to pivot into a successful career in cybersecurity. For practical and actionable insights, scroll down to learn more about my published book Because You Can: Your Cybersecurity Career. 

Reputation Management & Communications

Before cybersecurity, I mastered my craft in communications and IT web operations. My specialization focused on reputation management within the following disciplines: crisis communications, operational change management, digital communications, corporate communications, media relations, marketing communications, writing and editing.

 

Behind every incident, business case or campaign is a compelling story. By mastering techniques in the science and art form of storytelling, I continue to be instrumental in helping shape and influence technical and non-technical audiences of all ages.  

Speaking Engagements

As an ISFJ (Myers-Briggs), taking the stage has always scared me. Yet because of my journalism background, I am also a storyteller by nature. I bring people along a journey and try to make an impact where it matters. 

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Today, I boldly take the stage at conferences, in classrooms and in boardrooms as a national cybersecurity assistant instructor, an ambassador of the York University cybersecurity program, a career mentor, a woman of color in cybersecurity and a trauma survivor.

 

Sometimes all it takes is for the right words in the right moment to make all the difference in the lives of a few or many. This is what inspires me every day to take the stage and tell my story. 

Published Works

Today, I have come full circle bringing my passion for the written word into the cybersecurity profession with my self-published book Because You Can: Your Cybersecurity Career with co-authors Ali Khan and Gaurav Kumar. 

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Designed as a Q&A handbook, we provide practical and actionable methods and insights for anyone starting or pivoting into a high-demand and high-impact career in cybersecurity. #becauseyoucan

Available on Amazon!

My first career choice was to become an investigative journalist. At the University of Oregon, I was a freelance reporter for The Daily Emerald where my published articles included a gripping cover story about 9/11 called "Terror Strikes Home" and the impact to victims in the Eugene community. Of hundreds of students from across the U.S. who applied, I was selected as one of eight interns for The New York Times internship in New York City and the Asian American Journalist Association internship in San Francisco. I was also the recipient of The New York Times Thomas Morgan award and several scholarships in recognition of my success as an aspiring journalist.

 

Back home in Calgary, AB, Canada, I joined Weigl Educational Publishing where I authored educational textbooks and non-fiction reference titles for children ages 6-12, such as Bald Eagles, Cinco De Mayo, Veterans Day and For the Love of Gymnastics.

Featured In

From news articles, magazines and video campaigns, here is a snapshot of where I've been featured over the years. 

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