Rising Cloud Security Leader Nnennaya Halliday Is Changing the Narrative in Cloud Security

From traveling the world as a diplomat’s daughter to helping global companies secure their cloud infrastructure, Nnennaya Halliday is proving that women not only belong in cybersecurity,they can lead the way.
When you speak with Nnennaya Halliday, what strikes you first is how down-to-earth she is. For someone managing enterprise-level cloud security systems and guiding companies through complex configurations, she’s remarkably relatable.
Born in London to parents from Abia State, Nigeria, Nnennaya spent most of her childhood traveling from one country to another due to her father’s diplomatic career. The constant moving came with its challenges, but it also taught her to adapt, think quickly, and be open to new experiences, skills that would eventually serve her well in the tech world.
“It gave me perspective really early on,” she says. “Everywhere we lived, I learned how to adjust to different environments and ways of thinking. That’s something I carry with me today in my work with clients across industries.”
Today, she works as a cloud security engineer at Netskope, a leading cloud security platform, where she supports premium clients around the world, helping them deploy, configure, and troubleshoot Netskope’s suite of products.
“A big part of my job is making sure organizations are protected in the cloud,” she explains. “That includes setting up policies the right way, helping clients understand where their risks are, and making sure everything runs smoothly. It’s technical, but there’s also a human side to it, which I love.”
Nnennaya didn’t start her career in cybersecurity. She began as a support engineer, focused on solving network-related issues and learning the ropes of IT infrastructure. Over time, her curiosity about security kept growing.
Eventually, she pivoted into network and cloud security, a space that allowed her to blend her technical skills with her growing interest in systems protection. Today, she has over five years of experience in cloud security under her belt and holds top industry certifications like AWS Solutions Architect, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, and Netskope Cloud Security Administrator.
She’s most experienced with AWS environments and uses Netskope extensively as a CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) solution, particularly for service providers.
While companies continue to invest in cloud infrastructure, Nnennaya believes many still underestimate one of the most basic (but critical) risks: human error.
“You can have the best tools and the best cloud provider but still end up exposed because someone misconfigured a policy or gave access to the wrong person,” she says.
It’s a perspective grounded in experience. Nnennaya has seen firsthand how lack of training, poor communication between teams, and overlooked policy settings can create vulnerabilities, even in big organizations.
She’s also a strong advocate for AI as a partner, not a problem, especially when it comes to detecting and responding to threats. “I know some people are nervous about AI taking over jobs or introducing new risks, but the reality is,it’s already transforming how we work,” she says. “AI can help us spot patterns faster, automate responses, and reduce the time it takes to catch a threat. That’s a good thing.”
For Nnennaya, it’s all about balance: trusting the tools, training the people, and staying flexible enough to adapt when things change.
The tech world isn’t exactly known for gender balance, and cloud security is no exception. Still, Nnennaya says she feels confident in her role and is seeing more women join the space than ever before. “There’s this idea that it’s a male-dominated field, and that’s true to some extent. But things are changing. I’ve worked with brilliant women, and we have strong communities like Women in Cybersecurity that are helping us connect and grow.”
She’s also exploring new opportunities to speak, write, and share her knowledge, particularly around AI’s role in cybersecurity, secure cloud adoption, and diversity in tech.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about the cloud; people think it’s inherently unsafe. But it’s not the cloud that’s the issue; it’s how it’s used. With the right configurations, policies, and people, the cloud can be one of the most secure places for your data.”
As the conversation around cybersecurity evolves, one thing is clear: leaders like Nnennaya are helping shape not just the tools but also the culture behind safer systems