Hi, I am Ryan (he/him), a Cyber Security & Networks student from Glasgow Caledonian University. My key interests lie in the fields of network administration, optimisation, and security. Currently, I'm looking for work placement opportunities for Autumn 2025.
My career goal is to pursue a Master's in my field of interests. I'm working with Dr. Rajiv Singh on my undergraduate project regarding implementing lightweight cryptography in firmware deployments in smart home IoT.
I'm training as a Network Engineer with WorldSkills UK. WorldSkills's work is important since it helps young people worldwide achieve world-class standards through competitions-based training and assessment. I earned a Medallion of Excellence at the 2022 WorldSkills UK competition, and in 2023, I represented Team UK at WorldSkills Asia in Abu Dhabi.
During my undergraduate life, I have active pursue opportunities that allow me to develop both academically and personally. My involvement in various IT competitions helped me refine my technical skills, culminating in being selected as a WorldSkills IT-NSA Squad UK member from 2022 til 2026. I was also elected as the class representative for my final year in university, working with staff to enhance the learning experience for current and future students.
I’m an adaptive person with a great work ethic, always eager to expand my knowledge and skills. With experience in both leadership roles and team settings across academic and personal projects, I strive to give my best in every responsibility I take on.
Education
BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Networks
Glasgow Caledonian University | May 2025
Expected Classification: 1st
Enterprise Networking,Internet Security,Cloud OperationsApplied Penetration Testing,Security Operations Analysis,Web Application Security
HND Cyber Security
New College Lanarkshire | June 2023
HND Graded Unit: A
Secondary Education
Scottish Highers: ABBB | 10 x GCSEs inc. ICT (8), Maths (8)
Research
Evaluating Lightweight Cryptography for Secure Firmware Updates in Smart Home IoT
Undergraduate Thesis
Supervisor: Dr. Rajiv Singh
This undergraduate thesis evaluates the performance and security of different lightweight cryptographic protocols for securing firmware over-the-air updates, in a simulated smart home IoT environment. The project examines protocols like AES-128, ChaCha20, ECDSA, and Ed25519 using tools like OpenSSL for encryption and signing, mitmproxy for Man-in-the-Middle attacks, tcpdump for capturing network traffic, and Wireshark for analyzing that traffic. The goal is to identify the protocol that provides the best balance between security and performance for firmware updates in resource-constrained smart home devices.
Projects
Dijhitech Research Labs: Internal Penetration Test
Applied Penetration Testing: Graded Group Project
For our university project, we conducted a black-box penetration test in a simulated environment. The final report offers a detailed analysis of nine vulnerabilities identified, along with recommended remediations for each. This project also provided valuable leadership experience, as I took responsibility for task delegation and organizing team meetings. I was fortunate to collaborate with a talented group of classmates throughout the process.
Security Assessment of a Simulated Chemical Plant ICS
Cyber Physical Systems Security: Coursework
This individual project provides a comprehensive security assessment of a simulated chemical plant's Industrial Control System. We aim to identify vulnerabilities within the ICS and evaluate its resilience against a variety of cyberattacks. The assessment involves creating an asset inventory through network scanning and traffic analysis, identifying and analyzing ICS devices, and conducting vulnerability assessments and attacks, including a perception layer attack and a man-in-the-middle attack.
Skills
Technical
Network Design,Network ImplementationTroubleshooting,User SupportCisco,Windows,LinuxGit,Python,Powershell
Interpersonal Skills
Communication,Team Collaboration,LeadershipAnalytical Thinking,Project ManagementDocumentation,Continuous Learning
Security Tools
LogRhythm,Wireshark,NmapSSLScan,DIRB,NetcatHydra,tcpdump,mitmproxy
Certifications
- ACE Practitioner Cyber Security Graduate - Dec 2022
- (tba)
Achievements
IT-NSA Squad UK Member
Nov 2022 - Aug 2026
Elected Class Rep: 4th Year (BSc) Cyber Security and Networks @ GCU
October 2024 - August 2025
IT-NSA WorldSkillsAsia 2023 Team UK
Dec 2023
ITST WorldSkills UK Medallion of Excellence
Nov 2022
UK Mathematics Trust Pink Kangaroo Merit
March 2020
Hobbies
Game Dev.
I've recently started developing a 2D puzzle platformer called Watson using Unreal Engine 5. It's a collaborative project with my partner—I'm responsible for all the programming, while she handles the art. This project has been a great way to combine our skills and creativity and has helped me grow in game development. We’ve focused on creating unique mechanics and an engaging visual style, drawing inspiration from games like Stardew Valley and Celeste.
osu!
As a passionate osu! player, I’ve consistently demonstrated commitment and skill, reaching rank #1 UK and #22 global. I've also represented the UK in the osu! World Cup in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and have captained numerous international osu! eSports teams. Here is my entire osu! Tournament History. I take pride in my video game achievements, and aim to inspire others with my performance.
Badminton
Badminton has always been my favorite sport, and I actively pursued it throughout high school, representing two of the three high schools I attended. Along the way, I earned several trophies, as the game came naturally to me and I reached a competitive level. These days, I play badminton casually and have recently taken up basketball as well.