Booz Allen’s Rashi Narain On Her Holistic View of Cybersecurity

This piece profiles Rashi Narain, a lead associate with Booz Allen’s Cyber group. Rashi optimizes program delivery by leveraging data analytics for strategic decision-making and execution. In addition to serving as the firm’s Washington, DC, Regional Ambassador for the Society of Women Engineers, she uses her project management skills to run a dance school. Read more about how Rashi got her start in cyber and her current role as cybersecurity and arts mentor, below. 

How did you get involved in cybersecurity? 

I come from a family of immigrants. We always tried to save money and fix things when they were broken. Problem-solving and understanding how things work, along with the artistic potential of creating things, got me interested in engineering. I’ve always been intrigued by the visual side of things and felt that I could potentially sketch products and create innovative solutions. 

What cyber accomplishment are you most proud of?

Having started a dance school, I mentor other women in dance and technology. Being a role model for them is something I cherish. One of my students mentioned that seeing me work in technology and still teach dance gave her a vision of what she could be. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to show people that more women can work in cyber and continue to pursue art.

How would you describe your role at Booz Allen?

When I joined Booz Allen after graduating college, it felt odd to be on a team where I was the only person not to have an IT or information systems-oriented background. With my engineering thinking, I took on a role of understanding key concepts, but not necessarily being the implementor. Since I had a holistic understanding of what was going on and who was responsible for what, I worked with requirements and building architectures. It was just a little more natural to me to see all the moving parts and how they fit together. 

From there I realized that I have a knack for managing and organizing teams. I enjoyed my work in project and program management so much that I pursued a master’s degree in it.

You don’t have to be a technical SME to work in cybersecurity. You can communicate risks, manage cyber projects, or even help grow business. If we’re able to convey a basic understanding of cybersecurity to the general population, it translates into more opportunities for more individuals to work in the field.

Learn more about Booz Allen’s key women in cyber and tech here.