Cybersecurity has never been short on technology. What it often lacks is clarity, especially when leaders are expected to make high-pressure decisions in fast-moving situations.

For International Women’s Day, we spoke with Mélanie Sandlarz, Senior Global Solutions Marketing Manager at Kudelski Security, about the realities behind modern cyber risk. Why “good enough” security breaks down in practice, where AI is helping and where it cannot, and what it means to build confidence in an industry where women are still underrepresented.

From Pharma to cybersecurity

Mélanie’s move into cybersecurity was intentional.

She spent the early part of her career building deep marketing experience in pharmaceutical advertising. Over time, she found herself wanting to apply those same skills in a space where the mission felt more closely aligned with protection, trust, and resilience.

That shift took her into cybersecurity, first through consumer-focused security and then into the enterprise world. What has kept her there is the blend of purpose and pace. The work is complex, the stakes are real, and the opportunity to help organisations reduce risk and respond faster is tangible.

Risk is unavoidable. Readiness is a choice.

One of the most useful parts of Mélanie’s perspective is how plainly she talks about risk.

Businesses cannot opt out of exposure. To operate, they need to connect systems, adopt new platforms, work with partners, and move faster. That inevitably expands the attack surface. Risk is part of the deal.

The mindset issue Mélanie sees again and again is this. Organisations try to manage cyber risk by cherry-picking controls. A bit of monitoring here. A tool there. Maybe an incident response plan that looks good on paper.

But cybersecurity is an ecosystem. Gaps have consequences.

Her point is simple and practical. You do not prepare for the best-case scenario. You prepare for the moment something goes wrong.

MDR, simplified: support that shows up when it matters

Mélanie works closely on Kudelski Security’s MDR positioning, and her framing is refreshingly grounded.

Organisations will still face phishing, ransomware, and human error. The question is what happens next, and how quickly teams can move from detection to action.

This is where MDR becomes easier to understand. It is not only about seeing alerts. It is about having the expertise and operational capability to investigate, contain, and respond at speed. It is also about reducing uncertainty for teams who are already stretched, especially during an incident when every minute matters.

In plain terms, it is support that shows up when it matters, not after the damage is done.

The other arena where risk is real: Seven Summits

Outside of cybersecurity, Mélanie channels that same “respect the risk, prepare properly” mindset into mountaineering.

Her Seven Summits goal, climbing the highest peak on each continent, did not come from a lifelong climbing background. It started with a decision to try something hard, then to keep going. That journey is also very real right now. She is training for Denali in Alaska, one of the most physically demanding and unpredictable climbs on the list.

What stands out is how practical she is about it. This is not a story about chasing adrenaline. It is about discipline, systems, and support.

On a mountain, you do not get to pretend risk is not there. You build the right structure around you, or you pay for the gap. You plan. You train. You lean on a team. You rely on safety systems. You make decisions based on conditions, not ego.

That is why the parallel with cybersecurity feels so natural. Businesses cannot remove risk either. But they can be better prepared, with the right coverage, the right expertise, and the ability to respond quickly when conditions change.

“We’re underestimating the power of human connections.”

With AI dominating cybersecurity headlines, we asked Mélanie what she thinks leaders are underestimating right now.

Her answer was not another prediction about tools. It was about people.

We are in a world that is increasingly AI-driven. That will continue. But Mélanie believes many leaders are underestimating something essential. Human authenticity and connection.

AI can accelerate decisions and automate tasks, but it cannot replace what leaders still need at the core of cybersecurity. Trust. Communication. Judgement under pressure. Teams that can work together when the situation is messy and time is short.

Her point is grounded. Technology will change workflows and roles. It will reshape how organisations operate. But people still need purpose, and organisations still need humans who can connect the dots, read the room, and act decisively when the playbook is not enough.

Confidence, visibility, and being heard

Mélanie is candid about what it feels like to build a career in spaces where women are still a minority.

Representation is improving, but slowly. The challenge is not only numerical. It is cultural. It is about being heard, being taken seriously, and not having to work twice as hard for the same level of credibility.

She has also noticed a pattern that will feel familiar to many people. Women often bring well-considered ideas to the table, then soften them, second-guess them, or wait for the right moment to share. Meanwhile, others speak early and confidently, even when the thinking is not fully formed.

That is why Mélanie is deliberate about backing other women in the room, especially those earlier in their careers. If someone has an idea, she wants them to say it. If a point gets lost in the discussion, she brings it back. Not in a performative way, but in a practical one. Visibility matters, and so does reinforcement.

Her advice is simple and useful. Learn from the confidence, not the nonsense. You do not need to copy the bluster, but you can borrow the willingness to speak up, to take space, and to trust your preparation.

Confidence is not a personality trait you are born with. It is a muscle you build. And sometimes the most important step is saying the thing out loud before you feel completely ready.

Making ambition practical

One line Mélanie wanted to include sums up her approach to both work and life.

We can always do more than we think we are capable of.

For her, that is not a motivational quote. It's a practical framework.

Start by turning the ambition into something concrete. Build the knowledge. Use your network. Put the right tools and support around you. Then keep taking small, deliberate steps until the goal has real momentum.

It's the same mindset she applies in cybersecurity and in mountaineering. Confidence does not arrive first. It follows action.

A note for International Women’s Day

Cybersecurity does not need more noise. It needs more voices willing to be clear, human, and direct, especially in moments when leadership and confidence matter most.

For Mélanie, that starts with a simple shift. Stop waiting to feel ready.

Speak up sooner. Back other women sooner. Turn the ambition into a plan sooner.

Because capability grows fastest when you give it room to show up.

To learn more about how Kudelski Security supports organisations across security strategy, detection, and response, get in touch with our team.

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