Alex Spigel admits that work has been her priority for most of her adult life. The co-founder and COO of Choice Cyber Solutions, a compliance and cybersecurity consulting firm based in Owings Mills, Md., has plenty to show for her efforts—a successful career, a growing company and a global network of peers and other tech leaders.
Her list of just GTIA accomplishments is long: The outgoing chair of the Cybersecurity Community (now known as the Cybersecurity Committee), member of the GTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) Subject Matter Expert Council, Cybersecurity Trustmark volunteer leader and North America Community Executive Council member. And now Spigel can now add one more accolade to the list—GTIA 2023 Member of the Year.
As she reminisces about what she’s done and how she got to where she is today, she credits not only her work ethic, but also the people she’s surrounded herself with—her community.
Fanning the Entrepreneurial Flame
As a young girl, Spigel remembers playing with old computer equipment while visiting her father’s MSP business. Although she didn’t know what any of it did at the time, her interest was piqued. “My dad let us be involved when and how we wanted. He never forced anything but I was always very interested and wanted to learn,” she said.
Her desire to continue learning led her to a Cisco CCNA magnet in high school where she fell in love with technology. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and international business at Drexel University. Post graduation, Spigel spent a few years at her father’s MSP before moving onto stints in IT staffing and sales. But nothing really fit. It was time to start something new.
With her dad as her business partner and co-founder, Spigel created Choice Cyber Security in2017. “We wanted to spin off and provide security and compliance services in the MSP space,” she said. Today, the company now known as Choice Cyber Solutions has 13 full-time employees and serves clients all over the United States and around the world.
Starting—and growing—a company from scratch takes a lot of time, resources and discipline. Other pursuits may need to take a backseat but there’s a lot to learn, and do, along the way, said Spigel.
“Entrepreneurial life is pinch hitting wherever needed,” she said. “Owning a business requires me to be a chameleon.”
For example, in2017, Spigel found herself doing the bulk of the client work—while she now does it when she can. As the COO, she is tasked with organization-wide operations and the challenges that come with it. In her words, she is in charge of all things involving people, processes and technology. The majority of her days are spent in internal meetings, with a select group of complex clients and helping with client and employee escalations as they arise.
“Oprah Winfrey once said, ‘Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.’ I’m proud to have grown my business to that point. I get to be strategic about my time. I love creating systems and processes. I like to be in the trenches to help make things better where I can,” she said.
Leaning on People
Successful leaders will tell you that their success is in large part due to the people they surround themselves with—and Spigel is no exception. She says her affiliation with GTIA has helped her both professionally and personally develop meaningful relationships.
“I’ve been lucky to be a part of the [GTIA] community. I’ve been introduced to so many people through [GTIA] that have helped me along the way. I’ve learned a lot and surrounded myself with amazing people,” she said.
"Alex is an invaluable member of GTIA. She came in and immediately became one of our most engaged members, generously contributing her time and expertise,” said Lisa Person, senior director of cybersecurity engagement programs at GTIA. “Her combination of cyber and business knowledge has been instrumental in numerous initiatives, including the recently launched Cybersecurity Trustmark. Her passion to give back to the community inspires others to get involved.”
One of the best examples of how people come together to share knowledge and experiences in the cybersecurity world is the GTIA ISAO. As the liaison between the North America Community’s executive council and GTIA’s cybersecurity programs team, Spigel is very involved with the GTIA ISAO and encourages others to reap the benefits that it offers.
“The GTIA ISAO is a great community of subject matter experts mixed with those learning and growing their knowledge,” she said. “The monthly member meetups are a great way to connect with peers. It’s totally unscripted and always starts with: What can GTIA do for you? You can share challenges, problems, what’s working, what’s notworking and experiences with likeminded individuals.”
That collaboration is what it’s all about.
“I love to learn and build new relationships,” Spigel said. “Being a part of GTIA has helped me to do that. Working on the executive council for GTIA’s North America Community introduced me to parts of
GTIA that I didn’t know existed. Pioneering new initiatives is exhilarating. I enjoy building something new that brings people together and gives them a larger sense of global community.”
Securing the Industry
Spigel loves a good challenge and thrives on finding creative solutions to complex problems. “At the end of the day, the puzzle pieces have to fit together. But how you solve the puzzle is up to you.”
One of the biggest challenges in the cybersecurity space is governance and regulation. When Spigel started working on the executive council of GTIA’s then Cybersecurity Community (now Committee), they were tasked with updating legacy GTIA Security Trustmark controls.
“It was important to me to accomplish this task in the last year that I was chair,” she said. “We put together several subcommittees to create the best possible resources to protect the MSP from every angle.”
According to Spigel, the updated Cybersecurity Trustmark pulls from different regulations and standards to provide a foundational level of protection—and easier path—for solution providers of any size or maturity level as they move on to address other frameworks like CIS and NIST 800-171.
The GTIA Cybersecurity Trustmark is designed to cut through the noise and provide solution providers with a holistic view of what cybersecurity is and also a clear path to improvement.
“Cybersecurity can be overwhelming on the best days,” Spigel said. “Many MSPs are stretched so thin on a day-to-day basis and may not have the time or resources to dig into all the layers that are needed for security. The trustmark can help guide them to where they should be, where they need to be.”
Setting an Example
Spigel’s take-action attitude has served her well. While she says there isn’t a secret to her success, it’s obvious that her recipe includes a healthy dose of self-awareness and trust.
“I try to learn from everyone, and I am constantly evolving, growing and adjusting,” she says. Her biggest piece of advice to staying on top of it all is delegation.
“I once asked [GTIA chief community officer] MJ Shoer how he can blindly trust his team. His answer was simple. He said, ‘I surround myself with great people that I trust to do their jobs well.’ That really stuck with me, and I try to practice that.”
Spigel also says she isn’t shy about asking for help.
“I ask for help when I’m unsure of things. I don’t spend time going in circles when there is an expert—or GTIA friend—that can help me be more efficient with my time and energy. I try very hard to stick to the areas of expertise where I shine.”
That approach works well within her organization as well.
When it comes to the success of the company, Spigel says having a diverse group of employees is key. “Each employee’s experiences have given them different tools to come at a problem and resolve it,” she said. “Our diversity has given us a team that can support each other and give our clients the best experience.”
Of course, part of that diversity initiative includes encouraging more women to consider cybersecurity careers. Having been the only female in her high school magnet class and one of a handful enrolled in technology courses at Drexel University, Spigel understands this obstacle first-hand.
“My passion is encouraging women to consider tech and cyber careers. It is such an exciting industry to be in and women have so much they can bring to the table. I’ve met incredible women in the GTIA community, and it’s enlightening to see powerful women in the room and watch them conduct business,” she said. “It’s not always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding.”
Understanding Your Value
To those wanting to pursue and advance a career in technology, Spigel’s advice is to find a mentor and surround yourself with great people.
“I’ve always felt varying degrees of imposter syndrome, and I still get that feeling from time to time,” she said. “But I’ve been fortunate enough to surround myself with amazing mentors, industry leaders and friends thanks to this community.”
She says being named GTIA Member of the Year is surreal because she feels as though she receives just as much, if not more, than she gives. But it’s apparent that what she gives is more than enough.
“My goal is to help build up others and help them feel comfortable in the GTIA community and understand the value they bring to the table.”
Interested in the GTIA Member of the Year Award? Learn more.
