
S36 Ep27: Emily Holyoake - Beyond Infrastructure: The Case for Putting People First
From ISF Podcast by Information Security Forum Podcast
April 28, 2026 · 24 min · Season 36 · Episode 27
About this episode
Emily Holyoake discusses the human impact of cyber attacks and the importance of diversity in the cybersecurity workforce.
Today’s episode might sound a little bit different, but it’s a really important conversation. Steve sits down with Emily Holyoake, co-founder of Not A Standard and the brain behind the FRAME Network, to talk about the human harm of cyber attacks, gender-based violence, tech-facilitated abuse, and diversity in the cybersecurity industry. Steve also asks Emily to envision the future of the cyber workforce, one that creates safety for society and people, not just machines and data. Key Takeaways: Every attack begins and ends with a human and a breach can have an existential impact on people’s lives. Attribution too often is aimed at individual humans, when we should look at the systems that enabled the person to cause the harm. Diversity within your teams enables a richer environment for problem-solving. Tune in to hear more about: The SAFE Framework ( 1:57 ) Why Emily pen-tests her personal life – and why you should, too ( 18:44 ) Building a cyber workforce for a safer society ( 20:56 ) Standout Quotes: “A person clicks on a phishing link that results in a breach. So we blame the individual instead of thinking what did the system, literally or figuratively, allow to happen that…
People in this episode
Host: Steve
Guest: Emily Holyoake
Topics covered
- cybersecurity
- human impact of cyber attacks
- diversity in tech
- gender-based violence
- future of cyber workforce
Keywords
- cyber attacks
- human harm
- diversity
- gender-based violence
- cyber workforce
- SAFE Framework
- tech-facilitated abuse
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Not A Standard, FRAME Network
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- 342: Betsy Cooper - The Policy Gap: Navigating AI, Risk and Regulation · May 19, 2026 · 26 min
- 341: Dr. Keith Morneau - AI & the Resilient Workforce: Thriving in the Next Decade · May 12, 2026 · 25 min
- 340: John "Jock" Brocas - Gut Instinct: The Intuitive Edge in Cyber Security · May 5, 2026 · 23 min
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