We sat down with Anandhi, a passionate cyber security teacher at VU Polytechnic, to hear her thoughts on the rapidly evolving technology sector.
What do you enjoy most about teaching/working in technology/cyber security?
I have always loved to teach and I have a passion for IT. So, teaching cyber security is something that interests me. The best part of teaching technology is the learning involved in it. As a teacher, you will have to keep yourself up to date with the technology. Cyber security is an ever-growing field and there is so much to learn every day.
Teaching is also a two-way process where I could teach my students as well as learn from them. It is a very rewarding job and I have felt happy to see my students get into work in their chosen field after completing their studies.
How does the cybersecurity training at VU Polytechnic help prepare students for work in the tech industry?
VU Polytechnic offers the Certificate IV in Cyber Security 22334VIC on-campus as well as fully online. The course is offered in full-time and in part-time. These options help students choose their preferred method of study, which will help them to complete the course without compromising their work and other personal commitments.
The units are designed to include current and relevant technology which are used in the industry. VU Polytechnic provides its students with Microsoft Azure labs, where they can build their own lab setup and test the systems.
The students get access to enrol in Splunk Fundamentals course, which teaches them to use the Splunk interface to search and get data statistics using Search Processing Language (SPL). The data is then used to create reports and alerts.
The students are provided with their student accounts to access the AWS platform to complete their final project. This helps them to understand cloud computing by using the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. VU Polytechnic strives hard to ensure that what is taught in the classroom is what is used in the industry today and thereby helping our students to be job-ready once they complete the course.
In your opinion, what do you think are the most important skills needed to work in cyber security and technology?
In my opinion, some of the most important skills that are required to work in cyber security are:
- desire to learn new skills
- curiousity and a passion for cyber security
- adaptability and attention to detail
- an understanding of security from a white-hat and a black-hat perspective.
- excellent communication skills to convince the senior management to understand the need to implement security strategies to protect an organisation’s infrastructure and to interact with staff from other departments and educate them to have cyber awareness.
What do you see are the opportunities for the digital tech sector? And how do you wish to contribute?
The digital tech sector adds value for various businesses to work more efficiently. After the pandemic, I think that the opportunities have expanded widely in the e-commerce sector and the education sector. Several businesses opened their digital platforms in the past two years which helped the customers to shop online. Digital technologies have also changed the way we teach students. Students are increasingly using digital platforms to access resources and completing qualifications online.
However, with an increase in the digital platforms, the risk also increases. Therefore, it is important to ensure that we have skilled cyber security experts to protect businesses from cyber-attacks. I wish to contribute to this by creating awareness and developing students’ knowledge of cyber security.
What are your top tips to current or prospective students who are trying to secure a role in cyber security or tech or who are looking to commence training?
My advice to students who wish to secure a job in cyber security is to develop their skills through formal education, online learning, and industry certifications. There are several learning resources available online. Once you gain the knowledge, practicing the skills you have learned is essential and this can be done by setting up virtual machines.
I also recommend they develop their network by being a part of different networking groups and cyber security governing bodies. Participating in webinars, training, and Capture the Flag events will help them to improve their knowledge and skills in cyber security.