Meet Abdullah Khan: Cyber PATH Supervisor
Cyber PATH Supervisor Abdullah is part of the team at NCRCG rolling out and growing the Cyber PATH programme – working to ensure university students and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across all sectors continue to benefit from the initiative’s offer.
“First and foremost, Cyber PATH is a unique asset which SMEs and charities across the country can tap into. We often find that businesses don’t know where to start when it comes to cyber resilience. A small charity, for example, may not have an IT or dedicated cyber department. Through our Cyber PATH services, we give them an understanding of their cyber security posture, what they are doing well and where they need to
improve, in a way that is easy to understand and importantly, affordable.
“For students, Cyber PATH is kickstarting their career in the cyber space and giving them both the technical and wider workplace skills they need to succeed. From the feedback we have had from our first cohort of graduates this year, we know that employers are very interested in the programme. It is really helping the students to stand out in the job market.”
Abdullah first graduated with a degree in Computing and Artificial Intelligence from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2005 before securing a master’s degree in Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity from Abertay University in 2020. Whilst there, he joined the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) as an ethical hacker before becoming part of BRIM as their Senior Ethical Hacking Lead and, upon its launch, NCRCG.
“When I went back to university to do my master’s degree as a mature student, I wanted to make the most of every opportunity. I was my class representative, part of the ethical hacking society, and delivering outreach programmes to schools. SBRC has a close connection to Abertay University so when I saw there was an opportunity to apply to join the team, I immediately took it. It was SBRC that led me to join BRIM and later NCRCG.
“In my role now, I am primarily focused on student recruitment to Cyber PATH – engaging with universities across the country, delivering presentations to students, interviewing applicants and helping to onboard them to the programme. My fellow Cyber PATH supervisor, Savva, has oversight of the project delivery side of things at the moment, so is providing training to students and supporting them in successfully delivering services to clients. I also lend a helping hand on this front whenever needed.”
Through the programme, students are being given real-life, practical experience in a work setting which Abdullah notes is key to their future success in the industry.
“Within their university courses, students learn within a closed lab, secure environment; Cyber PATH enables students to experience the real world. Equipped with the in-depth technical training we provide, and guided by the support of a senior Cyber PATH supervisor, students carry out real-life investigations and present their findings to businesses. A lot of the debriefs we have with our clients are purely because they want to meet with the students and thank them personally for their work.
“Many young people have ambitions to enter the cyber industry and become a Pentester or Red Teamer but there is so much groundwork that needs to be put in to fill these kinds of roles. Let’s say you have a saw and a piece of wood and want to build an Executive Chair – you are not going to be able to do it straight away. You first need to master what it is like to build a small wooden box and grow your skills and confidence from there. That is the type of developmental training and experience Cyber PATH provides.
“Cyber PATH also strengthens the softer skills required to become a well-rounded cyber professional, such as team working, presentation and communication skills. We want our students to understand that cyber is not an entirely technical pursuit – as evidenced by our varied services – so everyone can bring something to the table.”
For Abdullah, it isn’t technical acumen that ensures individuals thrive in the cyber industry. Instead, it is an eagerness and willingness to learn.
“You can’t become complacent in cyber as advancements are always happening – nobody is the bearer of all knowledge. You can of course specialise in a particular field but everyone I talk to in the industry is always doing new things and learning each and every day. That is why it is so important that we are attracting the best and brightest minds to cyber, so that we can continue to evolve in this space and build a strong talent pipeline for the nation’s future.”