As the pace of technological evolution and innovation continues to outstrip society’s ability to process its implications, and the exponentially increasing number of digital threats coming at the speed of light, the world needs leaders who see past systems and into the very essence of security. Leaders blending intellect and, precision and intent, and technologists with the power to lift actual human beings.
One of these rising forces is Enas Al-Atawneh, a name that is quickly becoming linked with Management excellence, cybersecurity, perseverance and empowerment. Currently she is a Technical Advisor and an Escalation Security Network Engineer at Cisco System, one of the most powerful tech giants in the world. However her tale starts from anything but a corporate boardroom or global network, it begins from curiosity, guts, and an unshakeable faith in the importance of knowledge.
A Journey Forged in Determination
When Enas talks about her career, her voice is warm, firm, human, and you hear the person behind all the professional achievements. When she attended Hashemite University to pursue Computer Engineering, this interest was spurred to life with every course.
However, the classroom was not her true path, it was a fast safe world of unpredictable cyber world.
Her early internships put her in high-pressure situations where decisions needed to be made quickly and accurately, based on nuanced knowledge. It was here that she learned the importance of responsibility, integrity, and lifelong learning; her moral compass was built.
One of those defining moments came early in her career. At the time of a multi-faceted security incident on the third party that brought organizations to their knees, most took a step back, unsure, overwhelmed. Enas stepped forward.
She was young. She was new. But she chose courage.
That decision changed everything.
Not only did she meet the problem with a solution, she earned trust and respect, and the confidence that would define the leader she was becoming.
Cisco, Where Expertise Meets Impact
For a lot of you Cisco is the behemoth in the sky. That is for Enas, a living ecosystem of innovation, collaboration and purpose.
In her role as a Technical Security Advisor, she represents the front line of the globe’s most vital infrastructures, working to make sure systems are maintained and thresholds met. That takes patience and problem-solving; the ability to stay calm and collected when under pressure: she manages escalations.
However, faced with the question of what gives her the most satisfaction, she gives an impressively human response:
“Helping people. Providing clarity, stability and comfort when everything seems up in the air — that is real RE-COM-PEN-SATION.
Her day job involves much more than simply configuring firewalls or security protocols; it’s about protecting people, communities, and the digital future they need. A technologically-shaped mind, leadership-shaped heart
Change is a constant in Tech, Management, and Cybersecurity and it’s always daunting. But Enas is making his home in this space. Her future is not simply something to which she is adapting but rather an archetype that she is studying, anticipating, and prepping the rest of us for.
Her observations regarding the transformations driving substantial changes in the industry are precise and compelling when she articulates them.
- AI-driven threat detection.
- Automation and orchestration.
- Zero-trust architectures.
- Identity as the new perimeter.
- Cloud-native security.
While these innovations hold the promise of a safer digital world, they also require a new breed of leader.
“Innovation means nothing without reliability. Security: We must innovate responsibly.
For Enas, because the hero is never the technology, it is people; While AI can predict a threat, it is ultimately a human event for a reaction. Automation may speed up some processes but people define the values that drive them.
This belief serves as a foundation for her leadership philosophy:
“AI is the assistant. Humans are the leaders. Technology has to be an enabler to judgment, and not a replacement of judgment.
And that mentality is what puts her in the top tier of the kind of security leaders that are going to define the future.
The Protectress Who Inspires
Enas also has another mission that goes beyond her technical brilliance, her mission founded on compassion, representation, and empowerment: uplifting women in technology.
Personal experience and sense of collective responsibility drive her motivation. She has seen skilled women hold back, second-guess themselves or absorb societal biases.
However, what Enas firmly believes in; is the ability of women to lead.
“Every woman needs to know she is in the right room, even in the rooms of which she was told she was not.”
She promotes mentorship and visibility, and support systems, the tools that helped her grow, that she hopes to provide for the next generation.
What are the largest obstacles she sees women up against?
- Lack of representation
- Limited mentorship
- Bias in leadership spaces
— The dread of failure or not being “enough”
- Social expectations and stereotypes
But she believes those barriers can be broken down by educating people, creating opportunities, and the bold women deciding to speak out.
And her Words for Young Women are simple yet powerful and deeply inspiring:
“Don’t wait for permission. Know all that you can, trust your voice, and find your place. “You are Fairly able to, since before you observe it”.
Our Commitment to Digital Equity & Community Impact
Heights of positions and titles do not define success for Enas. Impact, for her, means touching lives and creating opportunities.
She dreams of a world where:
- Breaking down walls for digital literacy access to underserved communities
Young girls are exposed early to Tech, MGMT, and cybersecurity
- Safe spaces for women to rise in tech
- Approaches that make technology a tool of empowerment and reduce exclusion
It is bigger than just her journey. Her vision is to transform mindsets, pave pathways for a new generation of leaders, and build networks of support that outlive her impact.
“If you want to invade the future, you will invade people. You change generations when you empower minds.
Being Humble In A High-Stress Environment
How many times have someone drop you a hint that white collar work is often ruthless? Escalations are stressful. Threats are constant. The stakes are high.
However Enas is so cool, strong and rooted.
It is how she welcomes challenges, develops community, and focuses on self-care to keep up her balance. Every occurrence becomes a learning opportunity, every challenge an ascension, every encounter an inspiration.
Her strength is not steel, it is grace under pressure.
The Legacy She Is Building
When you pose the question to Enas, what legacy do you want to leave?
“Confidence. Tracey Spencer: I want all girls to think they can get anywhere.
Women should see themselves as leaders.
And I want everyone to see that knowledge can change their life.
Her vision for what she wants to impact in Security and Management Field is not through aggression, but through empowerment, through influencing others to dare to believe in themselves so that they can step into the future with confidence and purpose.
- Enas Al-Atawneh is more than molding systems.
- She is shaping people.
- She is shaping perspectives.
- She is shaping the future.
But it’s 2025 now, and the world is slowly starting to see the strength of leaders like her: women who guard, muse, create and carry us forward with every footfall.
