Once aspiring to build video games, today Sarah Wohlin is hacking systems to make them safer. As one of the few women in the highly technical world of penetration testing, she’s using her journey to inspire others, and to prove that cybersecurity has room for every kind of woman.
When Sarah Wohlin first enrolled in computer science at UCN, her dream was to design video games. But as she quickly discovered, Denmark didn’t offer many opportunities in that niche. “I tried web development, but it didn’t quite feel like me,” she recalls. “I knew there was something more out there, I just didn’t know what yet.”
For a brief period, she stepped away from IT entirely, working in marketing. Yet even there, she found herself drawn back to tech. “Every time something remotely IT-related came up, I volunteered. That’s when I knew I had to return,” she says.
Everything changed when she joined a digital forensics workshop with the Danish Police. Tasked with investigating a mock cybercrime case, Sarah found her passion.
“I walked into a room with thirty men, the only woman there, and thought: Can I really do this?” she says and continues: “But I was hooked. From that day, I knew I wanted to work in cybersecurity.”
Despite applying long after the deadline, she was accepted into UCN’s bachelor’s program in IT Security, and she’s been hooked ever since.
Breaking into the Boys’ Club
Today, Sarah works as a penetration tester (or “pen tester”) at itm8, where she tests the security of everything from websites and software to internal infrastructure. Her job? To think like a hacker, and find the vulnerabilities before the bad guys do.
“I hack for a living,” she says with a smile. “My job is to find the truth, to uncover where a company’s IT security isn’t holding up.”
In her field, women are still a rare sight. “When I studied, we were just two women in a class of twenty,” Sarah notes. “There are women in cybersecurity, yes, but in the offensive side of it, penetration testing, red teaming, there are almost none.”
Without female role models to look up to, she often relied on her male mentors.
“They’ve been incredibly supportive,but it makes a difference to see someone who looks like you. Sometimes, I’ve lost confidence and felt like an idiot for even trying. Having women to mirror yourself in really helps,” she says.
Her hope now is to be that mirror for others. “I don’t dream of being in the spotlight or giving interviews, but I feel it’s my duty. I want other women to know that if I can do it, so can they.”
Inspiring the Next Generation of Cyber Defenders
Sarah believes the change has to start early. “We need to reach girls before university, already in elementary school,” she says. “Show them that you can do so many fun things with computers and phones, and that IT is an exciting career path for women too.”
She’s previously been a part of IT-landsholdet, a national initiative where role models visit schools to inspire girls to explore technology. “The stereotypes aren’t true,” she emphasizes. “Cybersecurity isn’t just hoodie-wearing guys in dark rooms. It’s all kinds of people, including women like me.”
Redefining What’s Possible
Now based in Copenhagen, Sarah has gone all in on her career. Her current team at itm8 includes two other women, a rare setup in cybersecurity. But she’s not stopping there.
Her dream is to specialize in red teaming, the elite, advanced level of ethical hacking.
“To my knowledge, no woman in Denmark has done it yet. I don’t need to be the first, but I need to get there. Not just because it’s exciting, but also because I want women to see that it’s possible.”
Alongside her work, Sarah works with Sagalabs, helping build hands-on labs that train aspiring ethical hackers. “It’s a great way to keep learning and contribute to the community,” she explains. “And I hope it inspires others, women included, to explore this path.”