Roberto Ishmael Pennino is challenging the industry to stop talking about code—and start talking about people.
When it comes to cybersecurity, most professionals talk about systems, software, and firewalls. Roberto Ishmael Pennino talks about people. Known simply as Ishmael to friends and colleagues, he has built a career, and a mission, around the belief that cybersecurity is not just a technical discipline, but a human one. His focus is on what he calls human-centric cybersecurity awareness: helping everyday people understand how digital risks touch their lives and empowering them to act. “I’ve seen too many organizations focus entirely on systems,” he says. “If that approach worked, we’d have solved cybersecurity years ago. The missing piece is the individual, understanding what they need, how they learn, and what makes security relevant to them.” It’s an unconventional message from someone with an unconventional path.
From Knowledge Translation to Cyber Transformation
Before entering the cybersecurity field, Ishmael worked in education and healthcare, specializing in knowledge translation, a field dedicated to making complex research understandable to non-experts. His job was to bridge the gap between scientists and society, taking technical information and turning it into practical insights people could use.
“I was helping make health-related research understandable to the everyday individual,” he explains. “Not just so they could understand it, but so they could see its value and how it affected their lives.” That skill, translating the complex into the relatable, would later become the cornerstone of his cybersecurity philosophy.
Ishmael’s transition to cybersecurity began through the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst program at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), in partnership with the SANS Institute. The training was rigorous; ranging from foundational courses to hands-on incident response labs, but his determination carried him through. “Coming from a non-technical background, I had to work twice as hard,” he says. “But with hard work and perseverance, I succeeded.” He didn’t just succeed, he graduated as valedictorian of his cohort, proving that passion and persistence can overcome even the steepest learning curve.
Cybersecurity for Everyone
What drives Ishmael is not prestige or title, but purpose. “I want to give back to people and to society,” he says simply. “Cybersecurity awareness is something everyone needs, from small children to seniors.” He believes the field has lost its way by focusing on technology instead of people. The conversation, he argues, has been dominated by tools, acronyms, and fear. “Most people don’t understand the language of cybersecurity,” he says. “It’s over their heads, so they tune out. But when you show them how it affects their family, their finances, their daily routines, that’s when it clicks.”
His message is resonating. Through the Canadian Cybersecurity Network (CCN)—Canada’s largest technology and cybersecurity community, he’s become a visible advocate for public awareness, helping shape initiatives that bring cybersecurity out of the server room and into everyday life. “CCN has been a beacon in my journey,” he says. “It’s a community built on collaboration and giving back.”
A Voice in the Community
Ishmael’s writing and public outreach have made him a respected voice in the Canadian cybersecurity community. His articles, supported by CCN, have appeared in national media, including the Financial Post, where his thoughtful take on cybersecurity awareness reached thousands. He also spearheaded a new initiative titled “Cyber Security Awareness for Everyone,” launched in partnership with CCN. The project publishes monthly articles exploring how cybersecurity touches different parts of society, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations such as children, teenagers, and seniors.
“The people most at risk are often those least equipped to protect themselves,” he says. “That’s why awareness has to be inclusive. It’s not about scaring people, it’s about empowering them.” His approach blends education, storytelling, and empathy. “You have to personalize it,” he explains. “People relate to stories. If you can package cybersecurity in a way that connects emotionally, it sticks.”
Hands-On Learning and the Human Element
Beyond writing and advocacy, Ishmael champions experiential learning. His own training with SANS included intense, interactive sessions, something he believes is critical for building real understanding. “People learn differently,” he notes. “Some are visual, some are auditory, and some learn by doing. For me, if I can see it and do it, I truly understand it.”
That belief shapes his community work. Whether speaking at libraries or mentoring students, he focuses on hands-on experiences that leave people not only informed but capable. “I want people to walk away not just knowing about cybersecurity,” he says, “but being able to apply it in their own lives.” mentorship, too, is central to his philosophy. “Relationships make all the difference,” he says. “From day one, find mentors and learn from them. Every single person I’ve worked with has taught me something valuable.”
The Human-Centric Future
Ishmael’s next chapter begins with TELUS, where he recently joined the company’s cybersecurity awareness team. The role, he says, feels like destiny. “I’m ecstatic,” he says. “TELUS has long been a believer in the human-centric approach, and that aligns perfectly with my passion. I feel like this is where I’m meant to be.” His message to those entering the field is straightforward: resilience, persistence, and heart. “Never take no for an answer,” he says. “A no is just a delayed yes.” He also believes in destiny, but not passivity. “I’m a firm believer that everyone has an ideal role, something they’re meant to do. But you have to work for it, believe in it, and be ready when it comes.”
A Broader Mission
For Ishmael, the journey is about more than career milestones. It’s about reshaping how Canada thinks about cybersecurity, moving from fear-driven messaging to education and empowerment. He sees a future where cybersecurity awareness is treated like public health: part of everyday life, taught in schools, discussed at dinner tables, and practiced by everyone. “Cybersecurity is really about protecting people,” he says. “It’s about making sure technology serves us, not the other way around.” In an industry often defined by technical jargon and digital walls, Ishmael Panino is building something refreshingly human, a bridge. And as cyber threats evolve, it may be that the next great breakthrough in cybersecurity won’t come from a new algorithm, but from a new understanding of people.
You can reach out to Ismael here.