Our Mission
Cyber Kia’i is passionate about helping businesses achieve their cybersecurity goals. We leverage industry-leading tools to provide managed security training for employees while using our deep knowledge of information security and technology to act as a collaborative partner with management to improve your cybersecurity posture.
About me
Charissa Wong, CISSP – President
Cybersecurity junkie, tech nerd, sports fan, mom – these are some terms often used to describe Charissa. In 2022, Charissa added some new terms to this list: consultant and business owner. With a career with over 15+ years in IT management, Charissa turned her focus to information security in an effort to adapt to the current times, and she quickly took to the subject. After leading many successful security-focused technology projects for her employer and for several other small businesses, Charissa realized that she had a passion for cybersecurity and for helping businesses improve their cybersecurity posture, particularly those who did not have this skill set on staff or who thought they didn’t have the resources to do so. She also realized that this was an emerging need in this space that was not being addressed, and she wanted to do something about it. Immediately upon working with her first clients, Charissa’s intuition was proven to be correct, as both Charissa and her clients were extremely satisfied with the process and the results of their collaborative work. Charissa Consulting was born!
When she is not reading the latest security bulletins or doing other cybersecurity-related things, Charissa enjoys spending her time being a mother and enjoying life with her family. She loves watching UH sports, boba, culinary arts, and especially wine!
Q & A
What do I want people to know about me?
My goal with starting this company was to help as many SMBs as I could. SMBs account for 99% of business in Hawaii and is the backbone of our economy. Helping these businesses brings me a great sense of pride, and being able to teach others about the importance of security is very fulfilling.
What is something people might not know about me?
I’m good at trivia!
What energizes me?
I am very proud to be a Native Hawaiian woman in the cyber security field. I want to get more women and minorities involved in the industry and am very passionate about creating more opportunities for women and other minorities.
Who are my role models?
My father is my role model. He’s had a really tough life and doesn’t have much but he’s always told me no matter how hard things are, love with all your heart and don’t forget to have fun. No matter how difficult of a situation he’s in, he has the perseverance and belief that better days are ahead.
What advice would I give my younger self?
Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from taking risks – have the courage to chase your dreams.
My most perfect night off?
Great food, friends, and WINE!