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"I mostly enjoyed the technical things I learned at Abertay. I especially enjoyed digital forensics and cracking small programs by changing a few assembly instructions."Isabel Hoekstein | CME Group | Cybersecurity Automation Engineer
Why did you choose to study at Abertay?
I did my Bachelor in Computer Science and after working for 2 years as a Java developer I wanted to learn something more as I felt a bit stuck. I wasn't really sure what to go for but and a relative of mine came across the Cyber Security & Ethical Hacking course at Abertay and told me about it. At the time I knew a lot about programming but nearly nothing about cyber security and after reading the curriculum and more about the course I wanted to learn more about it. I did look at a few other Universities offering a similar course, but none of them seem to cover all the different areas in such detail as Abertay.
What did you most enjoy about your time at Abertay?
I most enjoyed the technical things I learned at Abertay. I especially enjoyed digital forensics and cracking small programs by changing a few Assembly instructions. That was absolutely amazing and taught me a lot for my job later.
Favourite memory from your time at Abertay?
My favourite memories are the times I spend with my classmates in class and afterwards. We had a small class of around 10 students and during class we normally had a great time and a lot to laugh also with our professors and after class me and some of my classmates often met up at Blend for a coffee.
How did you find the transition between University and the real world of work?
I worked before I did my bachelor in computer science, during my bachelor, and also worked in between bachelor and master degree. So going back to work wasn't really a big transition for me. The biggest change I find is going from a schedule that you can mostly decide on your own (when to study) to a fixed working schedule.
Tell us a wee bit about your journey to this point in your career since leaving Abertay.
After I graduated from Abertay I started looking for jobs in Cyber Security. I was interested in DFIR (Digital Forensics and Incident Responds) from the courses I took and I found a job in Belfast as an Incident Responds Analyst. While I enjoyed working in incident responds I also enjoyed scripting and automating some of the daily tasks which then allowed me to later swap internally to become a cyber security automation engineer.
What are your future aspirations?
I do enjoy very technical work and would like to stay in my current role and become a tech specialist. My work gives me the opportunity to learn new things, get certifications and do what I enjoy.
Do you have any advice for prospective students thinking about getting into your profession?
I have help with quite a few interviews for open cyber security positions and I did notice that Abertay teaches a lot more practical things than a lot of other universities, which is in the end what a lot of interviewers want to see in my experience. I would advise anyone who wants to go for a career in cyber security to be curious, don't stop learning, play CTFs (HackTheBox, TryHackMe, ImmersiveLabs, ...), and read books (HumbleBundle often has some great deals for Cyber Security Books).
