February 13, 2023

How I landed a Cybersecurity Job at the Royal Bank of Canada after my MBA

Nidhi Vaidya

Job Title: Senior Manager, Transformation Solutions
Company: Royal Bank of Canada
Country: Canada

In an exclusive interview with EC-Council, Nidhi Vaidya now a Senior Manager at Royal Bank of Canada’s Transformation Solutions division shared her incredible journey of discovering her passion for ethical hacking. While pursuing her MBA at Symbiosis International University, she stumbled upon the information security and knew right away that it was the path for her. “I was immediately drawn to the C|EH program because it provided a perfect blend of theoretical concepts and hands-on experience with the tools and phases of ethical hacking,” she said.

CEH also helped me get better jobs and a raise in salary and ensured I was on par with growing industry needs and requirements.

Tell us about your journey as a cybersecurity professional.

While doing my MBA at Symbiosis International University, I came across information security as a subject and instantly fell in love—there was no looking back. I was so intrigued that I wanted to explore different aspects of information security, which is how I came to the domain of cybersecurity. In the past 11 years, I have worked in areas including governance, compliance, audits, and implementation of information security and cybersecurity.

What caught your attention about the C|EH program?

As I learned more about information security, I came across ethical hacking. I came across the C|EH program because I was looking for a course that would help me learn concepts and terminology as well as give me hands-on experience with the tools and phases of ethical hacking.

How did the C|EH benefit your career?

With the evolution of existing technology and rise of new technology, the risks and types of cybercrime have exponentially increased. Ethical hacking has quickly moved from an extra skill to a mandatory skill for cybersecurity professionals. My experience with the C|EH helped me understand concepts such as types of exploits, types of tools, the basics of cryptography, and the hacking life cycle. This helped me grow my career and change domains from governance and compliance monitoring to audit and implementation.

How recognized is the C|EH in your organization and industry?

For many security professionals, it is a mystery how exploits evolve to take advantage of vulnerabilities. The C|EH gives a deeper understanding of how to secure exploits before hackers do. For this reason, the

C|EH is one of the most widely recognized certifications in the industry, which really helps with job progression.

Did the C|EH positively impact your career?

Getting the C|EH certification has benefited me and my career in a lot of ways. It not only helped me understand my current role and responsibilities at a much deeper level—CEH also helped me get better jobs and a raise in salary and ensured I was on par with growing industry needs and requirements.

Did the C|EH help you give back to the community?

I’ve always wanted to give back to the community, and I’ve always been an advocate for women in information security. At the last few companies I’ve worked with, I initiated and have been part of a group called Women in Cybersecurity, where I mentor women who want to learn more about the cybersecurity industry.

What was your favorite part of the C|EH program and why?

My favorite part of the C|EH course, apart from building fundamental knowledge, is that

the material is always up to date with the requirements and expectations in the industry.

The C|EH trains learners on tools and methods that can be used within the industry, meaning they can instantly enter a job and implement the knowledge and expertise learned in the course.

Do you attribute any part of your success to EC-Council? If so, do you have a message for the team at EC-Council?

If you want to learn and understand more about ethical hacking, there is no better institution than EC-Council.

EC-Council is one of the most well-reputed institutions in the industry.

I have a couple of EC-Council certifications, and I am grateful to EC-Council for help me build my career and professional aspirations.

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