And so, I begin another journey in the field of cyber security…
June this year 2017, I had the rare opportunity to be #SelectedForChevening scholarship to study in the United Kingdom (UK). I call it a ‘rare’ opportunity because I happened to be among the 43 successful candidates of the 6,043 applications submitted from Nigeria.
The prestigious Chevening scholarship is a UK government-funded scholarship aimed at high flyers who are likely to make an outstanding contribution to their country, to study in the United Kingdom at postgraduate level, develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK.
The scholarship gave me the choice of attending two other universities in the UK, but after looking through the course contents in the various universities, Cardiff University’s appeared to be more business and practical-oriented and so, I happily settled for Information Security and Privacy at Cardiff University in Wales.
At the induction session, the module leader, Professor Omer Rana gave us an overview of what the one-year programme has in stock for us. “Some 10 years ago, if you were on a train and somebody seated next to you, whom you dont know begin to ask you questions like Where are you from? Where do you live? How many siblings do you have? When was your last vacation? etc you would feel very uneasy, right? but now, we put the same information out there on social media… these are privacy issues“
The first lecture was a lab session that ran from 9am to 5pm (with short breaks in between) and I had the opportunity of working in the “Cyber Security and Forensic Lab” I had read about before coming to Cardiff, at the entrance is a notice that reads “Extensive Command is required here..” I didnt know if that should be a notice or warning though – In the days to come, I hope to discover why it is termed a ‘warning’ and not simply a ‘notice’ .
It has been an exciting journey since the first day and I hope to make the most of the programme.
My special appreciation goes to @Cardiff University and the @FCO secretariat for setting me on the path to realizing my career dreams.
