No Password Required: Education Lead at Semgrep and Former Czar for Canada’s Election Security

The No Password Required Podcast is dedicated to introducing and celebrating the practitioners, leaders, researchers, and individuals who are shaping the cybersecurity industry. Join us for an in-depth conversation that explores our guests' personalities, expertise, and the path that led them into cybersecurity. The team also discusses current cyber threats and readiness tips for security professionals and business leaders alike.

Tanya Janca, also known as SheHacksPurple, is the head of community and education at Semgrep and the best-selling author of Alice and Bob Learn Application Security. With more than 25 years of experience in coding, application security, and IT, Tanya has dedicated herself to "securing all the things.”

Tanya's career journey began in the Canadian government, where she initially served as a software developer before transitioning to elections security, eventually becoming the IT security coordinator (CISO equivalent) of the 42nd general election in Canada.



Her time in the public sector led her to a pivotal career hack. Tanya refused to let her agency's limited travel budget hinder her cybersecurity education, so she seized countless speaking opportunities at cyber conferences in exchange for the free ticket. These conferences ignited her passion for educating future cybersecurity professionals. Today, having pivoted to the private sector, all of Tanya’s educational materials are freely available at Semgrep Academy, fulfilling a dream of hers.



To kick off the show, Jack Clabby from Carlton Fields and Kayley Melton from KnowBe4 discuss the potential extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. Assange faces an 18-count indictment, including allegations of conspiracy to commit computer crimes and violations of the Espionage Act. The discussion also delves into the negotiation surrounding Assange's extradition, particularly concerning the world’s view of the U.S. prison system.
 

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