Sahithi Somavarapu

My career in cybersecurity began shortly after completing my Bachelor of Information Technology at Central Queensland University (CQU). As part of my academic program, I secured an internship at Hollard Insurance in their Cybersecurity team. This hands-on experience provided me with a solid foundation in real-world cybersecurity practices. During the internship, I was honoured to receive the “Best Employee of the Month” award, which I believe contributed to my transition into a full-time role as a Cybersecurity Analyst at Hollard. In this role, I had the opportunity to work across various aspects of cybersecurity, including threat detection, incident response, and policy enforcement. It was a valuable learning period that helped me refine my skills and gain confidence in a professional environment. After a year and a half at Hollard, I was offered a position as a Cybersecurity Engineer at Razilio, where I currently work. Over the past 18 months, I’ve expanded my technical expertise and taken on more strategic responsibilities, contributing to the design and implementation of security controls and frameworks. To stay current in the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity, I have also completed several industry-recognized certifications. Throughout my journey, I’ve been committed to continuous learning and growth, both professionally and personally.

As a Cybersecurity Engineer at Razilio, my role involves designing, implementing, and maintaining security measures to protect the organization’s systems, networks, and data. I work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure that security is integrated into every layer of our infrastructure. My day-to-day responsibilities include monitoring for vulnerabilities, performing risk assessments, and implementing security controls such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and endpoint protection. I also respond to security incidents, conduct root cause analysis, and help develop mitigation strategies to prevent future occurrences. In addition to technical tasks, I contribute to security awareness initiatives, help improve security policies and procedures, and ensure compliance with relevant standards and regulations. I regularly review logs and threat intelligence reports to stay ahead of emerging threats, and I’ve been actively involved in security tool integrations and automation projects to improve efficiency. Overall, my role is a combination of proactive defence, continuous improvement, and collaboration to ensure the organisation’s cybersecurity position remains strong.