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Exploring Cyber Security: A Student’s Journey at Nihon Cyber Defence
Dive into the CyberFirst world with Robbie Hunter, a student from Northern Regional College, as he shares insights from his work experience at Nihon Cyber Defence. Learn more about CyberFirst and how you can get involved here: https://www.nicybersecuritycentre.gov.uk/cyberfirst.
My CyberFirst Work Experience by Robbie Hunter
I have always enjoyed working with and learning about computers in school and in my personal time. Once I heard about cyber security and the predicted growth in the field, I knew it complemented my skills too much to miss out on. I pursued this passion by conducting my own research and experimenting with numerous free tools available online.
My first day at Nihon Cyber Defence (NCD) was a big eye-opener as to how cyber security companies operate. Initially, I was surprised by the amount of support each employee receives and the abundance of resources available to them. From tangible resources to educational courses, everything was provided to enhance their abilities to perform at a high standard. This not only benefits NCD but also enhances their personal portfolios with the new qualifications they acquire.
My favourite part of my experience with NCD was definitely seeing all the open-source material that is free and accessible to everyone. It was quite alarming to realise the amount of easily accessible information about people and how even those who think they are secure online may not be. This has made me aware of the critical importance of cyber security, especially for businesses and organisations.
The knowledge I gained was crucial for my future in cyber security as it opened up various career paths and introduced me to different qualifications. Some topics, such as digital forensics and malware analysis, particularly piqued my interest. Moving forward, I have a lot of information to consider that may alter the trajectory of my future career.
NCD has not only encouraged me to pursue further studies but has also influenced me to seek the highest level of education possible. I am now eager to delve into digital forensics, a topic I had little insight into before. Having gained a professional standpoint on these topics, any further research can be related back to my time at NCD.
I can now envision myself working in a job role similar to those at NCD more clearly and can’t wait to hopefully start working with a company soon. There are countless skills I am now aware of that are far more important than I initially thought. Developing some of these skills, such as communication and time management, will be my new goals as I progress through my education and into the workplace.
I have received a lot of guidance on the best route into the industry and how to specialise in certain topics. Learning about the staff’s personal journeys into the industry and seeking their opinions has enabled me to plan out my path as well. This guidance has definitely eased my mind about my future and helped me narrow down my personal preferences.
Overall, I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and to all the staff at NCD for taking time out of their busy schedules to educate me on their personal interests in the field. The staff are all passionate about their work and have developed numerous skills that I too hope to acquire. To any other students interested in the field of cyber security, I urge you to follow my example and seek out some work experience to see if this will be a suitable career path for you too.
Learn more about CyberFirst and how you can get involved here: https://www.nicybersecuritycentre.gov.uk/cyberfirst.