Sophia McCall

Sophia McCall is a CREST-Certified Threat Intelligence Manager and is a leading voice in cybersecurity. With expertise spanning the retail, financial, and automotive sectors, she has developed a distinctive blend of skills in regulatory threat intelligence-led penetration schemes, automotive security, and penetration testing. She currently serves as Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst with an FTSE100 retailer, where she is responsible for anticipating, analysing, and countering complex cyber threats that face large-scale organisations.

Sophia’s journey into cybersecurity began as a Technology Intern at JPMorgan Chase & Co, an experience that introduced her to the intricacies of securing critical infrastructure. She went on to gain technical grounding as a Level 1 Engineer at Samsung Electronics before moving into consultancy roles at Information Risk Management and NCC Group. While studying, she demonstrated strong leadership as President of the BU Cyber Security Society, positioning herself early on as an advocate for community-driven knowledge sharing. She later joined NCC Group’s Next Generation Talent Programme and steadily progressed to Strategic Threat Intelligence Team Lead, establishing herself as a trusted authority in the field.

Her professional contributions have been matched by an impressive list of achievements. Sophia co-founded Security Queens, an award-winning cybersecurity blog, and gained public recognition as a cyber hunter on Channel 4’s Hunted. She has collected numerous accolades, including Outstanding Young Cyber Security Professional, Top Female Cybersecurity Leader, and Most Inspiring Women in Cyber. Her blog received the award for Most Educational Blog for User Awareness at the European Cybersecurity Blogger Awards. Beyond this, she has been a driving force in the Ladies of Cheltenham Hacking Society and served as both competitor and coach for Team UK at the European Cyber Security Challenge, mentoring aspiring ethical hackers to success.

Sophia’s credibility as a cybersecurity speaker comes from her ability to translate complex technical issues into practical, accessible insights. Her talks, delivered at high-profile events such as BSides, Infosec Europe, DTX Europe, CyNam, and the Cheltenham Science Festival, demonstrate not only technical expertise but also an engaging and inspiring presence. She is set to appear at CymruSec in October 2025, adding to her growing reputation as a thought leader. Alongside these appearances, she has hosted workshops for major banks and institutions, and has been invited onto television and radio programmes to share her knowledge. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in technology and motorsport, Sophia uses her platform to motivate future generations, particularly women, to enter and thrive in cybersecurity.