Meet Window Snyder, Trailblazer Who Helped Secure the Internet and Billions of Devices

This article is a profile on Window Snyder, the founder and CEO of Thistle Technologies, who has made significant contributions to cybersecurity as a Black woman in a male-dominated field. Here’s a summary:

Background: Snyder grew up in Baltimore and developed an interest in computers at a young age. She attended Johns Hopkins University, where she became involved in the hacking community.

Career: After graduating from college, Snyder joined Microsoft, where she worked on several security-related projects. She later joined Mozilla as their Chief Security Something (a role that didn’t exist before), and was responsible for leading the organization’s security efforts.

Achievements: Snyder is credited with:

• Helping to develop secure coding practices at Mozilla
• Co-authoring the book "Security Engineering"
• Creating a new type of bug bounty program, which allowed organizations to pay hackers to find vulnerabilities in their systems

Impact on women and minorities in cybersecurity: Snyder has been an inspiration for many young people who may not fit the traditional mold of a hacker. She has spoken publicly about her experiences as a Black woman in a male-dominated field and has advocated for greater diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity.

Thistle Technologies: In 2020, Snyder founded Thistle Technologies, which aims to make security more accessible and affordable for small businesses and individuals. The company offers a cloud-based platform that allows users to detect and remediate security vulnerabilities.

Personal story: The article also provides a personal account of Snyder’s experiences as a Black woman in cybersecurity, including the racism and sexism she has faced in her career. Despite these challenges, Snyder remains committed to making a positive impact on the industry.

Overall, the article presents Window Snyder as a trailblazer in the field of cybersecurity, who has made significant contributions through her work and her advocacy for greater diversity and inclusion.