About a year ago I wrote an article about my mental health, the pandemic and what a positive impact The Cyber House Party had on not just my mental health, but my whole attitude to the industry.
Now I sit writing this eagerly awaiting to celebrate a year of The Cyber House Party tomorrow evening. I had huge plans for this week for the first time in sixteen months, I had a normal week booked in London and sadly got pinged by the NHS app yesterday so I am in isolation and back to working from home, the feeling of dejavu is real today. Cyber House Party to the rescue for me again this week.
I approached Marc, Funda, Chris, Sean and Clive and asked what I could do last July to help keep Cyber House Party going, the answer was simple just promote us wherever you can and from that day forward I have not stopped talking about it, why?
The answer to this is simple, it really was a light in the dark for so many last year when we all needed something to look forward to. Infosec has always done community well, but I think throughout the last year we have really been there for each other through happiness, sadness, loss and the tears ( there have been lots) and built each other up, it really is a very unique industry with a huge heart.
The other reason for wanting to get involved was to help raise money for the charities. They have helped raise an impressive amount of money for NSPCC Childline, Young Minds, Age UK, The Cyber Helpline, Tech Vets and many more. Charities this last year have suffered a devastating loss of funds and are so grateful for any donations right now to enable them to carry on the tremendous work they do.
To finish off I would like to personally say a huge thank you to Marc Avery, Sean Atkinson, Funda Cizgenaked, Chris Hepple, Clive Room and my beautiful friend Regina Bluman for bringing me along for ride and really pushing me out of that dark place I was in last year and helping me realise I am enough, I am a little different, but that it’s ok to not conform and it has helped me achieve things this last year I did not realise I was capable of. You are all very special people with the hugest hearts and passion, the industry is lucky to have you.
A final thank you from me to Custodian360 and Andy James who continue to support and encourage all my crazy adventures and causes, it really is appreciated more than I could say.
Hopefully the next time I will get to thank them all in person, fingers crossed. For now though please join us tomorrow night for The Cyber House Party at 5.30pm for an evening of laughs, diversity, no doubt a few tears, awesome DJ sets from the industries finest and a reveal of something we hope will change the industry for the better.
Stay safe guys and keep going, we are very nearly there.
Much love
Nikki
