How Allianz Cyber Educator Puts People First to Build Human Firewall
How Allianz Cyber Educator Puts People First to Build Human Firewall
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/interviews/allianz-cyber-educator-daria/
Publish Date: 2026-03-23 10:15:00
Source Domain: www.infosecurity-magazine.com
For Daria Catalui, top cyber educator at Allianz and an advisor at European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), effective cybersecurity starts not with technology, but with empowering people to become part of the human firewall.
From contributing to early cybersecurity education policy programs for the ENISA and the European Commission, to heading up cybersecurity awareness at the financial services firm Allianz, she has long championed a people‑first approach to security.
Her focus is on equipping individuals with the information and behaviors they need to stay safe online, both in the enterprise and at home.
In this conversation with Infosecurity, Catalui details her passion for cybersecurity education, the concept of the ‘human firewall’, how to deliver appropriate, futureproof cybersecurity training in the age of AI and how she balances the roles as top cyber wducator at Allianz and an advisor for ENISA
Infosecurity Magazine: How has cybersecurity and your role in promoting cybersecurity awareness changed throughout your career?
Daria Catalui: When I started, it was an emerging topic and part of my role at ENISA was building up the human firewall aspect for the EU and all the member states. Another part was making sure they had a cybersecurity strategy and topics like cybersecurity awareness and training were embedded there.
I was involved in building something called the European Cybersecurity Challenge competition, building the skills of tomorrow which we started [in 2014], now it’s really building momentum.
Now I take care of and lead the human firewall aspect of Allianz. I enjoy the topic a lot, which is good, as I’ve spent my entire professional life in it.
IM: Can you explain what it the Human Firewall is and how it can help people and businesses stay cyber-secure?
DC: The human firewall is complimentary to the technical firewall. The idea of the human firewall is that you and me, the people…
