During her junior year in college, Atwell had been considering law school before an internship with the State Department completely reoriented her future. There, Atwell was “randomly” placed in diplomatic security within the cyber threat analysis division, as a threat analyst. When she returned to school, Atwell switched tracks from law school to intel analyst.

“I definitely was never exposed to anything like that before, I didn't even really know that was a field you could have a career in,” she says. “I always really liked investigations and thought that maybe I would be a lawyer. But coming down to DC and interning at the State Department, it opened up a whole new world for me. I was super excited.”

After her internship, Atwell earned a Master’s in Homeland Security while simultaneously working as a private investigator and in internal fraud investigation before landing a full-time role on the State Department’s insider threat team – where she worked for six years, eventually leading the team.

From there she was recruited by a former colleague to Capital One where she currently serves as the Director Cyber Insider Threat Program Management.

"My focus is on protecting Capital One from threats that come from the inside — whether intentional or accidental,” Atwell says. “We look at behavioral patterns, implement safeguards, and ensure sensitive data stays secure. And maintaining a culture of trust — that's really important too."

When Atwell joined Capital One in 2020, the insider threat team was made up of 12 people. Today it stands at 75.

"Taking the team from 12 people to 75, and everything that goes along with that — developing new sub-teams, building it from the ground up — has probably been my greatest accomplishment,” Atwell says, “I've never met a company that has a bigger insider threat team."

"I really do like solving puzzles. For me, security has been all about the human element — understanding why people do what they do and then figuring out how to protect the organization and them."

Sharing Security

Atwell says she wouldn’t be where she is today if it weren’t for the encouragement of mentors she’s met along the way. As a first-generation student, Atwell says connecting with a mentor helped provide guidance in grad school, internship and her career.

"Having a mentor who was willing to take me along with him on cases, expose me to what he was working on, and actually listen to my opinion — that really made me love investigations and security,” she says.

Atwell is passionate about helping others within the security industry and supporting their career growth.

"I'll never say no to a mentee. If I can share even a little bit of knowledge that helps someone, it's definitely the most fulfilling thing."

When asked what advice she would give to those looking to enter the security industry, Atwell said to stay resilient, positive and always lead with integrity.

"I really do like solving puzzles,” Atwell says. “For me, security has been all about the human element — understanding why people do what they do and then figuring out how to protect the organization and them."

She also highlighted the importance of investing in soft skills – saying communication and writing are just as important as technical credentials.

"Don't feel like you have to wait for the perfect certification or the perfect role to start. It's really just about getting your foot in the door,” she said. "Integrity is a huge one that people don't talk about enough. In a security field, you're often holding the key to the kingdom — and you have to use that responsibly."

With a career built on protecting people, Atwell finds a great sense of fulfillment in what she does each and every day saying the most rewarding careers in security are ones where purpose and people come first.

"Not everyone gets to do what they love,” she said. “I feel like that's my overall greatest career accomplishment — being able to do what I love."