#0185: (WIS) Leading with Strength: People, Strategy, and Security with Cindy Heiner

#0185: (WIS) Leading with Strength: People, Strategy, and Security with Cindy Heiner

From ILTA Voices by ILTA - International Legal Technology Association

June 1, 2026 · 28 min · Episode 614

About this episode

Cindy Heiner discusses her journey in cybersecurity, emphasizing people-first leadership and the role of AI in security operations.

Cindy Heiner, Chief Information Security Officer at Aiden Technologies, brings more than two decades of security leadership to this candid conversation about career pivots, people-first leadership, and the evolving role of AI in security operations. What began as a near-exit from IT (she was seriously considering opening a coffee shop and bookstore in rural Oklahoma) turned into a defining career in cybersecurity after a colleague recruited her to build one of the earliest application security teams in 2003. In this episode, Cindy shares how CliftonStrengths coaching helped her grow as both a leader and an introvert navigating a male-dominated field, why building the right team matters more than filling roles, and how she approaches AI and automation in security with enthusiasm balanced by a firm belief in human oversight. She also speaks directly to women considering a career in security, challenging the gatekeeping mindset and encouraging candidates not to let job descriptions scare them off.

People in this episode

Guest: Cindy Heiner

Topics covered

  • cybersecurity
  • leadership
  • AI in security
  • career development
  • women in tech

Keywords

  • cybersecurity
  • leadership
  • AI
  • CliftonStrengths
  • women in security
  • career pivots
  • application security

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Aiden Technologies, CliftonStrengths

Places: Oklahoma

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