Happy Cybersecurity Awareness Month! This month, we’re excited to feature Galina Antova. Galina is a cybersecurity entrepreneur, board director, and investor. She is currently leading an AI-powered cybersecurity venture (in stealth). 

Galina co-founded Claroty in 2015 with the mission to secure cyber-physical systems across industrial, healthcare, and critical infrastructure environments. Today, Claroty is a pre-IPO  multi-billion cybersecurity leader, having raised $740 million in funding and protecting many of the world’s largest Fortune 1000 organizations. Galina now serves as a board member for Claroty, as well as for Elisity, Cloud Range, and Bulgaria Innovation Hub (BIH). 

Before founding Claroty, Galina led Industrial Security Services at Siemens, where she established and scaled one of the first global industrial cybersecurity practices. Earlier in her career, she was a technical leader at IBM’s Software Group, focused on large-scale software and systems innovation. 

Recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on critical infrastructure cybersecurity, Galina has advised corporate boards and CISOs worldwide on shaping the strategic direction of digital transformation and effectively communicating cyber risk and remediation priorities at the Board Level. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from York University in Toronto and an MBA from IMD in Switzerland.

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1. You’ve had a remarkable journey from co-founding a pioneering Internet of Things (IoT) and Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity company to now building an AI-driven cybersecurity startup. Looking back, what moments stand out as the most defining for you as a leader?

When I look back, there are a few moments that really shaped who I am as a leader. Early in my career at Siemens, I helped start their Industrial Security Services back before “OT security” was a common term. That experience taught me how important it is to bring clarity to emerging markets (new or rapidly growing areas of opportunity). You can’t always wait for someone else to define the path — sometimes you have to create it yourself. It was also about learning to lead through ambiguity, to define the rules instead of following them.

Later, when I co-founded Claroty, turning a small idea into a global company that protects real-world systems was both exciting and humbling. We had to earn the trust of industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and energy, where safety has to come first, no matter what. Each success reminded me that leadership isn’t just about having vision; it’s about taking action, staying disciplined, and understanding what customers want.

One of the biggest lessons came as I watched cyberattacks evolve from digital disruptions to geopolitical events that could impact entire cities and communities . It made me realize that what we build in cybersecurity isn’t just software; we help keep people safe in the real world. That changed the way I think about leadership and responsibility: it’s not just about success; it’s about making a real, positive difference.

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2. You’ve become an active advocate for women in cybersecurity and venture. What are the most impactful ways you’ve found to mentor and support other women and what advice would you give to leaders who want to do more?

The most meaningful impact comes when mentorship turns into sponsorship. Mentorship is about advice; sponsorship is about action. It’s about using your voice and influence to open doors for others. I’ve made it a practice to go beyond conversations to make introductions, recommend women for speaking opportunities, board roles, or funding rounds, and publicly amplify their work. When you help someone shine, it creates momentum for others who come after them.

For leaders who want to do more, I’d say: start by being intentional. Pick a few talented women each year and actively champion them in rooms they’re not yet in. Don’t just share feedback - share access. And finally, remove friction where you can: standardize interviews, clarify compensation bands, and create transparent growth paths. The goal isn’t just to “help women advance"; it’s to redesign systems so that fairness and opportunity becomes the norm, not the exception.

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3. Beyond the startups and the boardrooms, what keeps you grounded and inspired?

Purpose has always been my anchor. Knowing that our work directly protects critical infrastructure — hospitals, factories, cities — keeps me deeply motivated. There’s a tangible connection between what we do and people’s safety, and that’s an incredibly grounding realization.

Outside of work, my family keeps me centered. I’m a mom, and being engaged in my daughter’s school and community gives me perspective that no quarterly goal can replicate. It reminds me that leadership is also about showing up with empathy, patience, and presence.

And I’m a lifelong learner. I read widely, study other industries, and constantly look for ideas that challenge my assumptions. Staying curious keeps me both humble and energized - it’s how I continue to grow alongside the technologies I help build.

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4. Many people talk about the “next frontier” in cybersecurity. How do you see AI shaping both the defense and offense sides of the cyber landscape?

AI isn’t the future — it’s here and now. It’s already changing how we think about cybersecurity and how we protect people and systems online.

On the defense side, AI is helping us shift from reacting to problems to actually preventing them. Instead of people sorting through thousands of security alerts every day, AI can now handle much of that work by finding issues, checking how serious they are, and even fixing some automatically. This lets humans focus on what really matters: solving the toughest and most important problems.

But AI can also be used by attackers. Hackers can use it to gather information, create smarter attacks, and spread them faster than ever before. That’s why cybersecurity experts have to stay one step ahead by building smarter systems that learn, adapt, and respond in real time.

In the future, the people who succeed in this new world will be those who can prove results — not just promise them — and show real improvements in how quickly they stop threats, how efficiently they work, and how much safer they make systems. And in industries that protect lives, trust is just as important as technology.

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5. What skills should young people build to become the next generation of tech and cybersecurity leaders?

Start with systems thinking — understanding how technology, people, and processes all fit together. Cybersecurity isn’t just about coding or hacking; it’s about how everything connects. 

Work on clear communication. You won’t always have all the answers, but being able to explain your thinking and decisions builds trust with both technical and non-technical teams. Learn how technology reaches people. Even if you build something amazing, it only makes an impact if others can use it. So understanding how companies and organizations adopt new ideas is key.

And remember: this field takes grit and discipline. Cybersecurity moves fast. The wins aren’t always visible, but success comes from consistency, teamwork, and persistence — not just having a vision.

Finally, never forget about community. The best cybersecurity experts share what they know, mentor others, and lift people up. When one person grows, the whole field gets stronger.

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this: Get really good at your craft, but stay curious about everything. Lead with purpose, communicate with clarity, and help others rise with you. That’s how future leaders will shape the next decade of cybersecurity.

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