F-Secure’s VP of Research, Laura James, Shares Her Vision for Women in Security, Using Tech for a Better World, and More

TechNadu had the honor to take forward the cause of encouraging women in security by inviting Laura James, the VP of Research at F-Secure. We learned a lot about her work, her determination, and the various ways a woman in tech can use her skills for a better world.

James shared about cyber security innovations, protection from cyber attacks, identity protection, and more.

We were thrilled to receive answers to pressing questions from a leader in the field and are glad to share them as part of our LeadHER in Security campaign.

Read on to learn what Laura James, VP of F-Secure had to say about what motivates her, work culture, and the need for diversity in the cyberspace.

1. F-Secure was founded in 1988, which makes it one of the oldest cyber security companies. Please share some insights about the company’s history, starting with what the name F-Secure stands for.

F-Secure was actually established under the name Data Fellows and, years later, rebranded to F-Secure. For more than three decades, F-Secure has been a pioneer in cybersecurity innovations. Since 1988, their industry-leading innovation, award-winning products, and net­work of top partners have protected millions of people around the world. F-Secure's story can be read in depth here, but some notable highlights include:

In 1991, F-Secure embarked on its first major software project, creating the first heuristic scanner for antivirus products. By 1994, they launched the world’s first computer security website, and in 1995 launched their inaugural antivirus product for Windows PCs. In 2005, F‑Secure became the first anti­virus company to release root­kit detection technology, F‑Secure Black­light. Over the next several years, F-Secure launched even more cutting-edge features including VPN and ID Protection.

In 2022, F-Secure introduced a modular, co-branded offering for channel partners that combined endpoint protection, privacy, and identity protection—all within a single application.

That same year, F-Secure renamed its corporate cyber security unit to WithSecure, and the two sectors separated into two independent companies, with F-Secure Corporation listing on Nasdaq Helsinki in July 2022. In 2023, F‑Secure acquired the consumer security business Lookout Inc. Driven by a shared commitment to protect people’s digital lives, the acquisition greatly strengthened F‑Secure’s presence in the US.

Today F-Secure protects more than 30 million users with their anti-scam technology, featuring AI-driven tools like Shopping Protection, SMS Scam Protection, and Banking Protection. More than 200 telecom providers, banks, insurance companies, and other key players in digital security partner with F‑Secure to integrate its features into their apps, providing their customers with a complete, all-in-one security solution.

2. Can you provide details about some of the products and solutions F-Secure offers?

F-Secure offers a range of consumer cyber security products and solutions tailored to both direct consumers (Total) and businesses looking to protect their customers (Embedded Security). Their cutting-edge scam protection solutions identify and block digital threats as soon as they appear.

F-Secure's flagship consumer security app Total gives millions of users comprehensive online protection with a single subscription. This includes VPN, password management, ID monitoring, antivirus, Wi‑Fi protection, and much more.

F-Secure Embedded Security enables businesses to integrate comprehensive cyber security features directly into their own applications, devices, and services. These features include AI-powered SMS protection, anti-scam shopping protection, banking protection and more.

This integration is achieved through F-Secure's Software Development Kits (SDKs) and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), allowing for a seamless and customizable user experience.

By embedding these cyber security and scam protection features, businesses can enhance their offerings, differentiate from competitors, and increase customer loyalty. This approach not only adds value for customers but also opens new revenue streams for businesses.

3. Please share your professional experience and what motivates you to start your work every day.

I'm an adaptable engineering leader, building practical and innovative internet tech systems and organizations in diverse contexts. My work has delivered practical high-tech products, services and systems in different contexts and across sectors, including commercial startups, academia and non-profits. I strive to use my skills for public good, serving and respecting the needs of people, society and the environment. 

What motivates me? Working with smart, caring people, collaborating to solve complex problems, and make cutting edge technology useful for people, at scale.

I’m a co-founding trustee at CoFarm.co (an agroecological community market garden) and board chair at experimental gaming festival Now Play This. Recent roles include Engineering director at Overstory (using satellite imagery and machine learning to prevent wildfires), CTO at the OPEN (supporting progressive campaigns around the world), Head of Delivery at lowRISC (open source silicon), and Technology Principal at Doteveryone (the responsible technology think tank).

I’ve also worked as CEO of Open Knowledge, working to open up data and make it used and useful around the world, and in technical leadership roles at humanitarian manufacturing NGO Field Ready, conversational AI startup True Knowledge/Evi (which became Alexa), and pioneering connected home startup AlertMe.  

4. What gives you a feeling of fulfilment as a woman entrepreneur?

I’ve always been motivated by having a practical impact in the world. This was an early factor in deciding my career – I loved physics and math and then realized that by working in engineering I could combine this passion with impact. I’ve been lucky to have opportunities to contribute to a range of projects and organizations over the years, and each time knowing that my work is likely to make life better for people in some way has been essential.

More recently, I’ve really focused on opportunities with a clear social or climate impact. Knowing that my work is used and useful is very fulfilling, even if working with new technologies and trying to tackle tough problems can be challenging sometimes!

Creating things that can sustain and last is also very appealing to my entrepreneurial side. I’ve been part of new and growing organizations, including co-founding, several times – not always in the ‘classic’ tech form of a for-profit company!

For instance, I cofounded a makerspace in my city, a non-profit community workshop. After the space had been open for more than 4 years, I was able to step back and leave the board of directors, and it has been wonderful to see the space continue to thrive and develop in the years since. Makespace Cambridge will celebrate its 13^th birthday next week!

5. As a woman in tech, do you feel that women face any different challenges as compared to men? Does the complexity of this field have a bearing on women in particular?

I don’t think the complexity of cyber security has a gender aspect – being effective working in complexity is an important skill, and people of all genders have more or less of this.

Over the years in tech I’ve sometimes encountered discrimination and frustrating behaviours from men, and it’s sad that this is still happening, although I think less than it used to. Outdated attitudes in the workplace are not a unique problem for tech, though.

I do hope we continue to see more workplaces that support diversity of people in all its forms, and maybe one day the queues for the restrooms at mainstream tech events will be as long (or as short!) for women as they are for men.

At F-Secure I get to work with incredible colleagues, and it’s great to see women represented well at all levels of the business, including leadership.

6. Based on your experience, do you have any advice or insights to share regarding the approach women can have while joining the tech field or cyber security?

I’ve only recently moved into cyber security, although I’ve been in tech for most of my career. Cyber security has so many different kinds of opportunities – kind of like tech! There’s a really wide range of aspects of security, and types of role, from deeply technical (lots of maths or computer science or network engineering or…), to much more people-centric; and from research to production and operations.

For me, I love the variety of skills and backgrounds in the folks I work with, and the diversity of viewpoints and approaches to problem-solving is really powerful. There’s lots more going on across the field than you might think from the outside.

My advice would be to have confidence to ask for what you want. I’ve been lucky to have opportunities in fascinating organizations, and a lot of those opportunities didn’t come through me spotting a job ad and applying. Often, I’ve networked, reached out to people, had a lot of interesting conversations over coffee, and found that there’s a way we could work together.

In startups in particular, there’s often space to create a role that works for you and works for the company, even if it’s not a conventional job with a straightforward title and set of responsibilities. If you think there are cool companies or technologies or sectors you would like to work with, get in touch with folks and have a chat! You never know what might be possible.

Also, always be learning. I’ve got to try my hand at a wide range of roles, technologies, and sectors. So, I am always learning all kinds of things, and I think that helps me do great work in broad and cross-cutting or multidisciplinary fields (such as cyber security).

The jobs and technologies of today are very different to what they were when I graduated, and you never know what is coming around the corner. So be curious, be ready to learn (both learning new things, and letting go of old ways of thinking that are no longer useful or relevant) and keep your mind flexible and agile.