She's been in the room. Survived the politics. Broken the ceiling. Now she helps others get there faster.
Roberta Anderson has built security programs from scratch, negotiated the salary she deserved, survived boardroom politics, and spent her career making sure the women behind her had a shorter, clearer path than she did.
She speaks at conferences and corporate events, leads workshops for organizations serious about retention and leadership development, and is the author of Breaking the Firewall — the no-fluff career guide for women rising through cybersecurity.
Honest, experienced, actionable. Roberta moves audiences to act — with the precision of a military briefer and the warmth of someone who genuinely wants the room to win.
View Topics →Custom sessions for organizations with DEI initiatives and security teams. Negotiation, career development, retention, and building security programs that last.
Inquire →The book the industry has been waiting for. Entry-level to CISO — every stage of the journey mapped, with real strategies, real scripts, and no softening of the truth.
Learn More →I didn't plan on cybersecurity. I planned on medicine. Then my father died from a medical error, and everything changed.
I joined the Air Force instead — studied to become a linguist and intelligence specialist, studied Russian, and switched into IT along the way. Help desk. Network admin. Systems admin. Cryptographic systems. Security. It turned out the career I never planned was the one I was built for.
What I found when I got there was an industry that needed more women — and not enough support to help them rise. So I built my own path, credential by credential, role by role, until I became a CISO. Then I spent the next chapter of my career making sure other women didn't have to figure it out alone.
That's what the speaking, the workshops, and the book are all about. Not inspiration. Strategy.
Roberta has built and led security programs at Lockheed Martin, the City of Colorado Springs, Agilent Technologies, ServiceNow, Brightside Health, and Montrose Environmental Group, where she currently serves as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Her expertise spans GRC, risk management, and privacy across healthcare, DoD, government, and the Fortune 500.
She lives in Colorado with her husband Josh and is the proud mother of her daughter, J.
Roberta is available for keynotes, conference panels, corporate workshops, fireside chats, and academic lecturing in 2026.
Get in TouchHonest. Experienced. Actionable. No fluff, no filler. Roberta brings 25 years of real-world cybersecurity leadership to every stage — and the audience always leaves better equipped than when they sat down.
The roadmap from entry-level to CISO — certifications, career tracks, the mid-career cliff, and what it actually takes to reach the C-suite. Built for women in cybersecurity who are done waiting for permission to lead.
Salary negotiation, promotion conversations, counter-offers, and certification raises. Real scripts. Real strategies. The conversation most organizations are afraid to have — and the one every professional needs to hear.
Why women stall between senior professional and executive — and what organizations can do right now to stop losing their best people. A session for leaders, HR, and anyone who cares about building what's next.
How military experience translates directly into cybersecurity leadership superpowers — and why veterans are one of the most underutilized talent pipelines in the industry. A session that reframes what leadership looks like.
The fastest-growing lane in cybersecurity, and why women are already ahead. A forward-looking session for security leaders and the organizations building for what's next — especially in healthcare and regulated industries.
What diverse, high-performing security teams actually look like — and how to build one intentionally. Real strategies from someone who has done it, including what to do when the culture pushes back.
Available for in-person and virtual events. Audiences served include cybersecurity conferences, corporate DEI initiatives, security leadership summits, veteran transition programs, and university and academic institutions.
Roberta is now booking keynotes and workshops for 2026. To inquire about availability, investment, and custom topic development, reach out directly.
Inquire About Speaking"Only 7% of CISOs are women.
This book exists to change that number."
Breaking the Firewall is a practical, honest, and deeply personal career guide for women in cybersecurity who are done waiting for permission to lead. Written by a CISSP, CRISC, and CDPSE-certified CISO and Air Force veteran with 25 years in the industry, it covers every stage of the journey — from finding your lane in cyber to surviving your first year in the C-suite.
"This is not a book that softens the truth. From your first role to the C-suite — this is how you rise."
Whether you're looking to book Roberta for your conference, bring a workshop to your organization, or just want to connect — reach out. She reads every message.
Please include your event name, date, format (keynote / workshop / panel), expected audience size, and any specific topics of interest. This helps Roberta respond with everything you need right away.