Firstly, welcome!
My name is Jane Frankland. If you're responsible for cybersecurity and want to increase your knowledge, grow your business, or reach your career potential, then you've come to the right place. Through my training and consulting I make this simple and effective. By using my proven frameworks and methodologies, I help you understand what you have to do and in what order. I guarantee you more career fulfillment, and increased opportunities, salaries and revenue. So who am I and what's the story?
The corporate version…
Jane Frankland is an award-winning entrepreneur, best-selling author and international speaker. She is the Founder of Cyber Security Capital, a training and consulting company. She specialises in business strategy and high performance and is a world authority on attracting and retaining women in cybersecurity. Jane works with a wide range of clients from leaders at listed multinationals and fast-growth startups to practitioners, consultants and subject matter experts. This year IFSEC Global named her as as one of the world’s top twenty influencers and LinkedIn chose her as a LinkedIn Top Voices 2018.
Jane has over twenty years’ worth of experience in cyber security, has built and sold her own global penetration testing firm and held executive positions at renowned consultancies. Over the years she has launched, created and been actively involved in numerous accreditation organisations, forums and schemes including OWASP, CREST and Cyber Essentials. She has served as a Board Advisor for Club CISO, and as a judge for the European Technology Awards and the SC Awards (UK and USA). She is currently a Board Advisor for the BlackHat Executive Summit, an Editorial Board Advisor for SC Media UK, and a judge for the SC Awards UK and The Business Book Awards. She authors many articles, is regularly featured in industry and iconic British media and sought after for keynotes. Jane has a BA (Hons) in Woven Textile Design and is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM).
Jane is driven by her three children, an obsession to deliver outstanding quality and to make a positive difference in the world. Believing passionately in entrepreneurship, freedom and empowerment her vision is to strengthen cyber space with an optimised, diverse cybersecurity workforce. It's why she authored IN Security, and created the IN Security Movement and Tribe that stands behind a mission to connect, inspire and empower cybersecurity professionals. The question you'll hear her ask the most in business is ‘what's your objective.' The reason why is obvious. Unless you know why you're doing something why do it at all. Time is precious!
The story…
My greatest achievements are my three children. I'm a mum to two boys and a girl and this is my favourite job. It makes me proud every single day. After this comes my career. By the time I was 29-years old (as a single parent) I'd built a 7-figure cybersecurity business from the ground up, organically. Whilst many may think this a huge achievement it's not actually the hardest thing in business to do. The hardest thing is turning around a company that's failing. Ask anyone who's done it.
So let me start at the beginning and tell you more…
I'm an ambitious, driven and passionate individual – a ‘high achiever' who makes winning a habit. I'm sure you know the sort. I've a diverse background, from being nominated as a Young British Designer after graduating, to building a leading global cybersecurity firm (that specialised in penetration testing) and working with some of the world's biggest brands. It's a strange combination but you'll understand more in a moment.
My life changed direction when I fell pregnant straight after graduating.
As a child I wanted to be a vet but as I was creative I pursued art until my mid twenties. Highlights included being nominated as a Young British Designer; selling work in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo – to art galleries (including Christies) and fashion houses. Whilst it may sound glamorous, my life at that point was not. In reality I was broke and as a single parent could barely support my family.
So, a change had to be made. I was advised to leave my art behind and get ‘a proper job.'
I retrained and entered sales, working my socks off for Hays, a listed corporate that specialises in recruitment. I rose through the ranks quickly, and could do the job with ease. Seeking a new challenge, and when an opportunity presented itself, I decided to enter into a business partnership and build a security consultancy. The company had enormous successes winning clients such as Microsoft, Barclays, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, William Hill, Betfair, Bet365, Allianz, Legal & General, RSA, Axa to name but a few. It also had spectacular failures, which took every bit of effort – hard sweat and capital – to turn it around.
After 13 years, my business partner and I called time on our relationship. I left, with him in control. I ended up joining a £120 million revenue generating corporate – the largest cyber security company in Europe. There, I was an Associate Director of Operations for the SE of England, USA and Australian divisions; a Business Process Owner for SAP (a £6.5m project), led a pre ISO9001 audit, and played an instrumental role in re-branding the Group's latest acquisitions. After heading up business development for a South African company entering Europe, I decided it was time to take a leap of faith, show some courage, and get back to being an entrepreneur.
So, I resigned from that job and started a new venture. I felt compelled to champion cybersecurity entrepreneurship and to use all my business development skills to help other cybersecurity entrepreneurs. And, that's what I thought I'd be doing from then on. But, life has a funny way of steering you onto the right path, just when you think you've got it all worked out.
In November 2015, something happened. I read a report by (ISC)2 on the low numbers of women in cybersecurity, which utterly shocked me. Feeling compelled to write about it, I published my view on LinkedIn. Receiving positive feedback, I knew more had to be done. It began with more writing. It then turned into a Kickstarter project and a book was born. For almost two years I reviewed the situation, performed fresh research, conducted interviews, and gathered stories from all over the world. Late in 2017 my book, IN Security: How a failure to attract and retain women in cyber security is making us all less safe, was published and became and instant best-seller.
As a result, I've now become a champion for women and role model to many. I care deeply about getting more women into cybersecurity and remaining in the industry. I believe the digital world – cyber space – will be safer when that happens. Furthermore, that when this happens it becomes a catalyst for more diversity – of thinking, experience, age, ethnicity and so on. That's why I created the IN Security Movement, Pledge, Code of Conduct and Tribe. It's also why I'm acting as a bridge for further discussions around leadership and support within the whole ecosystem, from Non Executive Directors to the Board and C-levels.
By creating my own initiatives and contributing to others like GiveADay, The Analogies Project, ClubCISO, Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, BCS, CompTIA, ISSA, the Information Security Forum (ISF), OWASP, (ISC)2, and CREST, I'm able to work with some of the coolest people I know and affect positive change. I love it!
As Steve Jobs said in his Stanford Commencement Speech, “Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Love what you do. Then you'll achieve great results!”
Forever in gratitude and excited about serving you,
My guiding philosophies and values…
My values are based around entrepreneurship, freedom, and empowerment. They're central to everything that I do, in all my dealings with my clients, suppliers and business partners alike. I define them like this:
- Defy the norm. Don't let limitations (made-up or real) obstruct you. Get resourceful because where there’s a will there’s always a way. I believe in taking action, being professional and finding a way no matter what. Access your brain fully and be a lateral, creative and out-of-the box thinker. Get smart, resourceful and build your network. Excuses are saved for amateurs.
- Collaborate fully. We are better together. I know that in order to get the results you strive for we're always better doing this together. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey and often you're too close to your business and unable to see the wood for the trees. Having a coach and mentor helps as does having access to a network of like-minded entrepreneurs for support.
- Continuous improvement. School is never out for the pro. I love developing people so I foster an environment of high standards and continuous improvement. I remain open to learning, believe in education and making it fun.
- Trust your instinct. I take measured risks, listen to my heart, and trust my gut. If it doesn’t feel right to me then I walk away.
- Open, honest, and clear communication. I treat others how I want to be treated and communication forms a big part of this. I expect open, honest and timely communication from those I work with.
- Have gratitude and give back. I'm committed, proud and a difference maker. I genuinely care about your success, whether that’s in business, or your personal life. I also care about the environment as I'm sensitive, compassionate and socially responsibly. Giving back, helping others and paying it forward is built into my DNA.
- Deliver impeccable, remarkable services and products. I take pride in my brand as it defines me. I strive to be the best at my game and concentrate on serving the needs of my clients impeccably. Service and delivering beyond your expectations is everything to me. That's why I set expectations clearly and that includes my response times. If I can't do something I'll let you know in advance, and then find you someone who can.
My why…
Helping people in cybersecurity succeed puts fire in my belly, and I do everything in my power to ensure this happens. It's my greatest desire to impact the world positively and I desperately want to see more cybersecurity businesses and teams thrive. I also want to see more women joining and remaining in security. I believe a more gender balanced workforce will enable greater security, innovations and all round happiness.
Finally, just for fun – 20 unknown facts about me…
- Horses are in my soul and I started riding when I was 2 (note my parents are not horsey).
- I'm passionate about animal welfare and conservation, and I've been a vegetarian since I was 4.
- I love books and could read long before going to school.
- I also love fashion and designed (and produced) my first dress at 4.
- My first stab at being an entrepreneur was at 6 when my brother and I decided to put on a puppet show. My next was at 19 and it paid for a 2-week holiday abroad with “the boyfriend.”
- I taught myself how to play the piano when I was 6, the clarinet a few years ago, and have been applying the same principle to personal development and learning since.
- By the time I was 11 I'd been to 7 schools, lived in Brazil, Scotland and much of England.
- I represented my riding school for show jumping when I was 13, winning multiple prizes, and had my first horse at 15. I worked every weekend for 5-years to pay for him.
- All of my holidays as a child involved climbing and walking mountains in The Lake District and The Scottish Highlands, or surfing in Cornwall.
- I graduated in woven textile design from Loughborough School of Art (now part of the university), was nominated as a Young British Designer shortly after, and sold work in Christies art gallery.
- I had my first child a year after graduating; had 2 more children nine and ten years later, and have raised them on my own, as a single bread-winner, for much of their lives.
- My brother and I worked together for 7.5 years.
- I'm an empath and deeply drawn to the moon.
- I usually have a variety of animals (cats, chickens, rabbits) but now I only have a dog (Weimaraner).
- I'm an introvert, and although I like the city I prefer to live in the countryside.
- I'm very active and swim, snorkel, surf, ski, snowboard, walk, ride, cycle, dance and do yoga.
- I read every day and only watch films and TV series (The Crown, Billions, Suits, House of Cards…).
- The only thing I say I'm brilliant at is making pancakes; I suck at waiting tables and am pretty sure I wasn't created for domesticity! 😉
- If I wasn't doing what I'm doing now I'd be a photographer or an architect.
- If I could be granted one wish it would be to see more love in the world.