Gaining cyber security experience
Prajyot Kavalekar came from India to Plymouth to study MSc Cyber Security
I was always interested in studying cyber security
Before applying to any university, I first researched the modules and course topics offered by Plymouth and other universities for the MSc programme for cyber security. Most universities offered courses which were theoretical and less practical and personally I learn better though practical sessions, so I selected Plymouth.
In addition to the programme offered by the University for the MSc, they also offer certification such as CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) and ACE (AccessData Forensic Examiner). This certification helps in adding additional qualifications for the resume.
My favourite modules were COMP5003 Ethical Hacking, COMP5004 Digital Forensics & Malware Analysis and COMP5005 Security Architectures & Cryptography.
All the professors and lecturers I have interacted with during my MSc are friendly and helpful. Professor Nathan Clark always takes time to talk personally about his module. I like his teaching style and the way he interacts with other students.
I would suggest that before doing the programme, consider studying basics of Linux and working of network.
My project is closely related to digital forensics investigation
Steganography is a process which is suspectedly used by criminal organisations to communicate over the internet and due to the nature of how steganography works, it is exceedingly difficult to figure out if the communication is taking place in the first place, much less figuring out what the communication is.
Even though the steganography process is considered as old, the process of steganalysis (figuring out whether file is stegged or not) is not that developed. The project I am doing will be my contribution to solving this age-old problem.
Support from the University
My biggest challenge was academic writing. Being a very technical person, I had little experience with how a document should be written in a professional manner. This was a major problem as most of the assessments for each module required drafting reports. To solve this issue, I took help of The Writing Café which is a free service offered by the University. In addition to that I talked to the professors and classmates who were proficient in writing. After a trial-and-error experience, I think I have finally had some handle over academic writing skills.
The one time I took support from the University was for my accommodation. The University website plus support from staff helped me to look in the right direction. The atmosphere and environment in Plymouth are incredibly beautiful. As an introvert, it is difficult for me to engage with new people but people in Plymouth are very friendly.
I am planning to stay in UK once my MSc is complete. I want to gain experience in the cyber security field and considering that companies in UK can offer opportunities that allow me to work with diverse group and different environments, I think this will be good for my career.
MSc Cyber Security
Cyber security is essential for all organisations, with hacking, malicious code and social engineering ever present threats to data. This programme provides holistic coverage of cyber security, from governance and policy, to cryptography, penetration testing and digital forensics. Grounded in core computer science, the programme develops the knowledge and skills to design, develop and manage secure systems to produce highly employable cyber security professionals.
Being very applied in nature, you will spend a significant proportion of your time in our Security and Forensics Laboratory putting theory in practice whilst working alongside world-leading academics.
