Shehara Pillai considers herself cyber savvy - so she was shocked to get tripped up by a scam on the first day of a new job.
On her first day, she clicked on the link
The policy expert was applying for a corporate credit card when a phishing email arrived asking for financial details. She didn’t think twice and clicked on the link.
Fortunately, there was no damage done. Shehara quickly discovered the email was only a simulation, and part of her employer’s robust cyber security training.
“They tend to test us every now and then by sending us a phishing email to see if it will work, and I definitely failed the first test,” she says.
“I assumed it was something to do with the corporate credit card.
“We're dealing with a lot of sensitive data at my workplace, so they're really onto it.”
Cyber security is increasingly becoming a focus
The company’s strong culture of cyber safety has helped instil good habits that she is adopting in her new business.
On top of her day job, Shehara is building an app called PlayPass, to help parents find child-friendly activities near them.
The nature of the platform means she will handle sensitive information, including parents’ email addresses and, over time, insights about children’s ages and family needs.
Shehara says cyber security is increasingly becoming a focus for PlayPass, as she inches closer to releasing a minimal viable product.
The idea – which she compares to ClassPass, but for babies and toddlers – is already gaining traction, with more than 250 parents and 30 activity providers already on board.
In her biggest coup yet, she became a finalist in the prestigious 2025 Enterprising ME Kickstarter Challenge after impressing judges with her proposal and passion.
“There’s so much to think about when starting a new business and cyber security is something that can get put on the low priority list, even though it's so important,”she says."
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