Interview – CyberSoc

We interviewed two committee members of Newcastle University’s Cyber Security society, CyberSoc, to get some insight into what the society does and the different ways it can help you.

Who are you and what are each of your roles in the society?

Eddie: I’m the president of CyberSoc, so my role is to guide the general direction of the society as well as lead the committee and manage their work. This includes things like making sure our technical officers have events prepared with enough time to spare, chairing committee meetings, representing the society at external events and finding new and exciting opportunities for our members.

Last year, I ran many of the society’s technical events as I was one of our technical officers. While I’m in a different role this year, I’m continuing to do so unofficially because it’s a part of the society that I really enjoy. I’m taking a slightly less significant role in the writing of tech events nowadays as we have so many great new technical officers (and the role of president comes with its own workload!), but it’s definitely something I want to keep doing within CyberSoc.

Sophie: I’m secretary of the society so my role is more on the admin side of things. I’m in charge of taking notes at committee meetings, making sure deadlines are met, making sure our members are kept informed of news and events, and that sort of thing.

I do sometimes help out with other aspects of the society outside of my role. My background in cyber security has meant that I’ve been able to get involved with the planning and running of some of our technical events. I also enjoy designing posts for our Instagram page.

What is your society in 10 words or less?

Eddie: A great way to have fun learning to hack safely!
Sophie: The society for all things cyber security

What do you do in your society?

Eddie: In short, we teach people how to hack. Even if you’re a complete beginner to cyber security or even computer science and programming in general. Of course, when we say hacking, we really mean ethical hacking – all our tech events such as workshops, demos and talks take place in safe, isolated environments where you won’t be causing any damage to the outside world. It could be attacking a server we’ve set up with specific vulnerabilities, attacking each other’s code or taking part in dedicated hacking competitions (often called Capture the Flag competitions), and our Technical Officers are there to teach and help you at every stage. We also run occasional socials for those who want to take a break from the tech side of things!

Sophie: We run technical events that aim to teach people about cyber security and ethical hacking in a fun and safe environment. These events include workshops, talks, demonstrations, competitions and more! We aim for all of our technical events to be suitable for all skill levels so there’s something for everyone. We also run social events from time to time to allow our members to get to know each other and make new friends.

What do you want to do when you finish university?

Eddie: I’m interested in the security of embedded systems, things like smart appliances, industrial control systems, network equipment, entertainment devices and many other devices that aren’t just general-purpose computers. I could see myself working in something relating to IoT device security, perhaps.

Sophie: I don’t have anything specific in mind just yet, but I definitely want to work somewhere within the field of cyber security as that’s the area of computer science that I’m most interested in.

What makes your society different from something like NUCATS?

Eddie: At least in my opinion, CyberSoc runs mostly technical events with occasional socials, whereas at NUCATS it’s probably more the other way around. NUCATS is the general computer science and tech society. While we at CyberSoc do focus mostly on cyber security in our tech events, there’s often overlap with general computer science and programming since we teach everything from the absolute basics with no prior tech or programming experience required.

If you’re mainly looking for socials in a society then you might be best suited to NUCATS, whereas if you’re keener to explore the tech side of things then CyberSoc is probably the society for you! That being said, there’s no reason you can’t join both – in fact, we do share a lot of members and occasionally run joint tech or social events together. Neither one is objectively better than the other, so it just depends on what you enjoy! I’d recommend anyone thinking of joining either society to check out both our Instagram pages (@newcastlecybersoc and @nucats_) to see what kind of events we’ve each run in the past.

Sophie: NUCATS is more about general computer science and technology, whereas we are specifically focused on cyber security and ethical hacking. In practice, NUCATS tends to be more of a social society for computer science students, whereas we tend to attract members from a wider range of courses who are interested in cyber security and want the opportunity to learn and gain hands-on experience in the field. There is some cross-over between us and NUCATS and we do sometimes work with them and run joint events, but in general, we tend to fall more on the technical side of things whereas they are more on the social side.

Do you have any Corporate Sponsors, and if so, what do they help you do?

Eddie: We do! Our corporate sponsors vary from semester to semester, but they always have great opportunities for our members like industrial placement schemes, graduate schemes, careers events and mentoring opportunities to name just a few. We’re always careful to ensure our sponsors are relevant to our members’ needs and interests so that there’s always something great to engage with!

Membership to CyberSoc is only £5 per year, but it’s our additional funding from sources like sponsors who really help us provide so much more value than that to every member. Our society wouldn’t be what it is today without having the funding for the tools and equipment at many of our workshops, so it’s something we really value.

You can find specific details of our current sponsor(s) and the opportunities they’re currently offering on our Instagram page (@newcastlecybersoc).

How do you think CyberSoc will help you get a job?

Sophie: Being on the CyberSoc committee has allowed me to improve my employability skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership. Furthermore, it gives me the opportunity to attend (as well as help at) events on a wide range of cybersecurity topics which helps me to gain a broad understanding of the field.

Eddie: In terms of running the events, my public speaking skills have really improved. When I first started, I was really nervous any time I had to speak in front of everyone, basically just sticking to a pre-written script. But now it comes naturally to me!

Committee work has also been a great experience for me in project and time management. Ideally, we usually have around 4-6 weeks between the idea for an event and the day it runs, so we’re always working to a deadline and re-evaluating different parts of the event if they become unreasonable to complete in time. Since we’re all students, this is especially important as we’ve got to plan around our studies too. There are many different elements that go into planning an event and delays (often beyond our control) are to be expected – it’s down to us to handle these without having to reschedule or cancel events wherever possible.

What three things do you think your society brings to help improve employability?

Sophie: Our society allows members to learn about a wide range of cybersecurity topics, which they may not have otherwise encountered. Many of our events provide the opportunity for members to try out various ethical hacking techniques in a safe environment, allowing them to gain hands-on experience with tools and methods that are used in industry. Furthermore, we have also run events that allow members to create their own artefacts that could be used in a programming portfolio. For example, our OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) top 10 hackathon taster event gave members the opportunity to find and fix security issues within a website that we created. We then gave participants detailed feedback on their submissions, as well as presented them with a certificate to show their achievements.

Eddie: We think in the 21st century, cyber security awareness is a critical skill to have in any role, but especially those within large organisations or national infrastructure.

For the computing students among us, it’s great to know about security risks, attacks, and defences to help protect the software you’re developing. CyberSoc allows you to work with these fundamentals even if you aren’t on a security module or degree specialism, as we feel it’s important that all developers understand the basics of cybersecurity.

For those not on computer science degrees we think participating in CyberSoc events still greatly improves employability, as these days detailed knowledge of cyber risks and defences can be critical in any role in any industry. They say humans are the least secure part of any system, so it’s no good for the developers to secure their applications if the end users can be phished or use insecure passwords! Therefore, participating in CyberSoc events can help anyone stand out to employers.

Have you got any events coming up?

Eddie: We do! On Tuesday the 22nd of November we’re running an “Introduction to Cyber Security Tools and Concepts” workshop, and the Tuesday after on the 29th we’ll be hosting a reverse engineering/buffer overflow workshop (both beginner-friendly!). At the time of writing, we’re yet to have the exact times and venues of these events confirmed, but they’ll likely be from around 6:30 PM in a computer lab in the Urban Sciences Building, as is the case with most of our tech events if they’re running in person. Additionally, some of our events are run online so there’s something for everyone.

We have even more events planned that we’ve yet to announce, so be sure to take a look at our Instagram page (@newcastlecybersoc) or the events tab on our Discord server (cybersoc.org.uk/discord) to learn more!

7 November, 20227 November, 2022

Breaking up your employability journey – Stage 3

For most, university is about gaining the necessary skills and knowledge to enter a certain field or industry. It is this reason why a lot of people quite easily fall down the rabbit hole and assume they must have their whole university time planned, with placement along the way before concluding in the perfect graduate role.

Especially for those who are just starting, the untapped potential you have at your fingertips over the next few years can be really overwhelming and you can’t help but try to plan everything as soon as possible (I know I did). This isn’t sustainable and will likely lead to early burnout.

To hopefully help you with the process, the following article lays out a method of breaking down how you can improve your employability over the course of your university career. This is just a rough guide; some stuff will work for others that doesn’t work for you. And that’s okay.

If there is one thing you do learn though, it is that you do not need to do everything straight away and even the smallest step is important.

This is the third article of three, focusing on what stage three students could be doing in this final part of their degrees. If you are interested in any other stage, Stage 1 or Stage 2 please click the respective link.

Semester 1

Polish and Self Promotion

Whether you are returning from a placement, or have just finished your second year, congratulations on making it this far. Regardless of what grades you’ve received, the fact that you’ve already committed this much time to your degree is impressive and won’t go amiss by employers.

For many, this year is a big one. You get to specialize and focus on a certain field by picking modules, a dissertation and the looming threat of securing a job for when you’re done. It can be a lot, and it can be stressful. But remember, you already have two years of knowledge and skill to show off, so be sure to do just that.

To avoid the stress of trying to sort out your CV and portfolio, applying for jobs and doing a dissertation all at the same time. Be sure to try and break them up. I recommend starting with your CV and portfolio.

In the previous articles, I kept mentioning that you should be improving and iterating on your portfolio to the point that you are probably sick of the word. But it really is that important! By now you should hopefully have a nice-sized portfolio of work, including things like your team project. Take some time to fine-tune and make your portfolio something you can really be proud of. Check out this article for some more tips. As the year progresses and you work on more specific projects for your chosen career, be sure to include them in your portfolio and maybe even do a few shameless promotions on LinkedIn!

Semester 2

Apex of Applications

Except for some roles at larger companies like Google and Microsoft, the window for most of your applications will be within your second semester. And there is no point beating around the bush, it will be a stressful period.

However, if you have a portfolio and cv ready before you even start applying, it will mean you have one less thing to juggle. Having a “generic” cv is a great starting point for any application but be sure to take the time to specialise it for the role you are applying for, much like how you would do with a cover letter.

Keep a spreadsheet of roles you have applied for, as well as how far along the application pipeline you are, with the relevant cover letters and CVs for each role. This means that if you progress to the next stage, you don’t have to scramble around to figure out what you said in your application.

If you start to notice trends in your applications with either no responses or immediate rejections, be sure to reflect on why this is happening and actively change your applications. Use the Careers Service to help with this!

Semester 3

Securing Those Graduate Roles

Hopefully, between semesters 1 and 2, you will receive responses from the various companies you have applied for. If they like your application, you might have progressed to the next stage in their application process. It varies from company to company what the next step might be, but it could include any of the following:

Assessment Centre
Coding Interview
Classic Interview (1-1)
Group Interview

Presentation
Personality Test

Any of these can be nerve-racking to attend but all you can do is try your best. Remember, you are already on good footing because they liked your application. They want to fill their open roles!

Don’t get disheartened if you aren’t successful with your first, second or third application. The job hunt is an iterative process. After each one, reflect on what went well and what didn’t. Where you can, ask for feedback from those who conducted the interview or managed the application process then apply what you have learned the next time.

And again, please make use of the Careers Service. It is there to make your life easier and has the main responsibility of helping you get a job.

7 November, 20227 November, 2022

Breaking up your employability journey – Stage 2

If there is one thing you do learn though, it is that you do not need to do everything straight away and even the smallest step is important.

This is the second article of three, focusing on what stage two students could be doing at this next stage of their employment journey. If you are interested in any other stage, Stage 1 or Stage 3, please click the respective link.

Semester 1

Securing Placements

Stage One done! Congratulations on completing your first year. Regardless of how it went, don’t dwell on the past, because from here things truly begin to ramp up. While in first year I recommended maybe spending about half an hour working on your employability, now you should probably start ramping up a little bit. Especially if you want to get a placement.

For many, you may be thinking that you have plenty of time to secure placements for third year, but they can be extremely competitive to get so the sooner you start the better. This is even more important for larger companies like Microsoft and Google who tend to search and hire earlier in the year.

Be sure to make use of the careers service to help improve your CVs and Cover Letters before you start applying, as they will be able to spot any weaknesses in your applications that could cost you an interview. It might take some time for companies to get back to you about applications but in the meantime, you will be confident in the fact you have applied for roles in a calm and collective manner rather than rushing to send applications off later in the year while juggling assignments.

For some students, a placement year might not be the thing for you (I know it wasn’t for me). That is perfectly fine, but it doesn’t mean you’ll have nothing to do. It just means you have more time to fine-tune your portfolio! Working on extra projects is a fantastic way to get companies to hire you. And you may also want to consider applying for shorter roles you can either do alongside your studies, or over the summer between stages 2 and 3 (The MyCareers page is great for this as it advertises roles done with the University).

Semester 2

Networking and Interviews

After that initial rush of applying for placements, be sure to try and catch up with your studies. It can be a difficult thing to juggle both your degree and employment, so don’t feel bad if you drop slightly behind!

Hopefully, you will start receiving responses to applications at some point during semester 2, or even semester 1, and if they like what they see, you may be in with an interview. In a post covid world, a lot of interviews might be over video, but there are some cases where they may ask you to come to their offices. This might mean that you must miss some lessons but if you let your personal tutor and module leader know, it should be fine. The Careers Service also has resources to help you prepare for interviews and assessment centers so that you can really shine out to employers.

Regardless of if you are going on a placement or not, there is something you must start doing. Networking. Certainly not the happiest word in the English language, networking can fill you with existential dread, but it does work. Whether it’s talking to other people at an interview or attending a short conference, just talking to people will help down the line, especially if you manage to get some LinkedIn connections!

Semester 3

Portfolio Progression

Hopefully by now, if you tried to secure one, you have a placement for next year. Fantastic! What now? You might think you can put your feet up for the rest of the year and to a certain extent you can. But there are other things you can be getting up to. At around this time of year, you might be working on your team project, which is something great to include in your portfolio. But what else should you include?

If you haven’t been working on anything outside of your degree, you might have a solid portfolio of work, but it will look exactly like everyone else’s. Spending time working on your own projects, be it a mobile game, recreation of a piece of software or just something fun you made in your spare time, is a great way to stand out. If you want more tips on how to improve your portfolio, check out this article.

7 October, 202222 December, 2022

Forage: Free Lessons from Industry

Your university degree allows you to learn a lot about a range of topics, but with the broadness and speed at which it progresses, it’s impossible to learn everything you want by just focusing on your degree. This is where Forage comes to help!

Forage is an online virtual work experience platform that hosts several online programs built and endorsed by a slew of big companies. These courses offer great experience in technology and related roles like software engineering, cyber security, or data science. Here are some of them:

Each of the courses contains tasks engineered to simulate the real-world experience of the industry and each only takes a few hours to complete.

As part of your degree, you get access to all the courses for free and you can do as many as you want. I recommend experimenting and trying different roles as this resource is a perfect addition to career development or career decision-making. And it lets you experiment with fields you might otherwise not get the chance to learn from!

With each course completed, you receive a certificate that you can add to either your CV or LinkedIn account.

I was able to experiment and try a range of different courses that helped test skills and give insights into careers I could go into in the future. One of these was a Software Engineering course run by Electronic Arts.

They covered a range of insightful and helpful topics through 4 different challenges that only took an hour or so each to complete, which made it a great extracurricular activity.

This was particularly beneficial to me as I hope to work in the game industry following university, but that didn’t stop me from looking into other courses for fields I wouldn’t want to commit an entire module to, like data science. Cognizant provides an interesting bite-sized look at data science and its applications through its Artificial Intelligence Virtual Experience Program. Introducing things like Google Collab and machine learning, the course provided a nice overview of a part of computer science I didn’t know much about. Here are the different sections:

I could keep talking about some of my favourite courses, but we would be here for a while. Instead of learning about my experiences with forage, I wholeheartedly recommend you try it out for yourself as soon as possible as not every step to employment is massive, but rather a mere 4 to 6 hours addition.

16 July, 2018

Careers – IOTech Systems – Software Engineers

WANTED: WORLD CLASS SOFTWARE ENGINEERING TALENT

With at least 40% of IoT data forecast to be stored, processed, analysed at or near the Edge, Software Platforms will play a pivotal strategic role in the $195b Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market

IOTech’s vision is to create the pervasive open and secure Edge platform, which will be deployed across a variety of IIoT vertical markets including smart factories, process automation, autonomous vehicles & drones, smart cities, smart energy, and new medical applications, all of which will have dramatic and positive impact on people’s lives in the future. Our markets and customers are global.

This is an unrivalled opportunity to be at the forefront of software product innovation covering a broad technology spectrum; you will also be a part of a truly world class team that will deliver on this vision.

OPEN POSITIONS

Software Engineers across a range of technology skills and experience

Locations: Newcastle and Edinburgh

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