Case Study

I had been working at multiple factories such as Nissan and realised that my passion for computing was where I’d end up. I’d just had my first kid and was at the stage in my life where I wanted to start a career which I can continue for the rest of my life. I noticed that Sunderland offered a course in computer networks and cybersecurity which was my main passion. It actually all started when I watched the first series of 'Mr Robot'. I thought how fascinating it would be to deal with real life hackers but realised I couldn’t turn this into a career without studying for my degree.

I didn’t go through the traditional route of education when I was younger; I didn’t gain many GCSEs or any A-Levels so I would have found it incredibly difficult to get a place at university. Sunderland was different because they offer foundation year degrees. The course leader spent a lot of time going over my cover letter and industry experience and decided to offer me a chance. Sunderland gave me that chance when other universities wouldn’t have.

The hands-on experience I gained on the course was invaluable. Having access to network racks and the software the University offers has really set me up for industry! I currently work as a Security Operations Specialist at Monzo bank. It actually started off as a customer service role when the first lockdown happened and I was still at university. As I progressed my degree I started talking more with the security teams at Monzo and showed my keen interest in cybersecurity. I managed to get a role as a junior analyst just as I was finishing up my degree where I would respond to security alerts. I’ve now worked my way up to being a specialist where my role is looking at threats which could target the financial tech sector in the UK and applying defenses, as well as helping our analysts triage more complicated cases.

One thing I quickly realised, especially since becoming a specialist, is that cybersecurity isn’t all about being technical. I write a lot of reports and research into threat actors to help different teams priortise what we need to do to apply mitigations. This report and research level experience I gained throughout my degree has been invaluable and definitely something I apply day to day as will most folk who go into cybersecurity.

My advice to prospective students is to go for it. Honestly, it was the best decision of my life and the end gains you’ll get will set you up for life. The tech scene we have in the north-east is really good, especially within cybersecurity. The University changed my life by giving me a chance and has allowed me to have a life-long career."

Published 17 October 2024