Michel Huffaker

ThreatQuotient 

Director, Threat Intelligence 

What do you do at ThreatQuotient?

I’m a bit of a jack of all trades, so I help out with sales and customer success when I can. Most recently, I joined our professional services team where I’m creating new consultative service offerings to help organizations build and strengthen their threat intelligence programs.

How long have you worked there?

2 years

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The threat intelligence platform space is really interesting. I think it’s something that was looked at as a bit niche product in the beginning, but we’re seeing the market evolve to prove out what we always knew – that it’s critical to security operations. Watching that transformation — and being a part of it — is really enjoyable.

What do you enjoy most about the company?

We’re fun. Our culture definitely has a “work hard/play hard” vibe, and many of us are friends outside of work. Plus, we help save rhinos. Who wouldn’t love that?

How did you get into cybersecurity?

I started my career in intelligence in the US Air Force and the Department of Defense. Then I had an opportunity to parlay that into a position in the cyber division of the Diplomatic Security Service at the Department of State. The switch to cyber intelligence was an interesting one, and I had phenomenal leadership there that provided a springboard for me to get into some cutting-edge work in the private sector.

What are your hopes for women in cyber security in the future?

The same as they are for everyone – success. Society has chosen convenience over security for a while now, and the consequences of those decisions are being amplified by advances in technology every day. We have complex problems to solve, and we need complex teams to do it. It’s time to harness everyone’s expertise – that means being inclusive.