Ryan A. Cranie

Ryan's Homepage

Hi, I am Ryan (he/him), a recent Cyber Security & Networks graduate from Glasgow Caledonian University, where I achieved 1st Class Honours. My key interests lie in the fields of network administration, optimisation, and security. Currently, I'm looking for entry-level IT opportunities and working towards my CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) and CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) certifications.

My career goal is to pursue a Master's in my field of interests. I recently completed my undergraduate thesis on "Evaluating Lightweight Cryptography for Secure Firmware Updates in IoT", working with Dr. Rajiv Singh to explore secure, efficient cryptographic protocols for resource-constrained smart home IoT devices.

I'm currently training as a Network Engineer with WorldSkills UK as an ITNSA Squad Member (2022-2026). WorldSkills's work is important since it helps young people worldwide achieve world-class standards through competitions-based training and assessment. I'm working towards representing the UK at the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 competition, where I'll compete against the world's best young network engineers in complex technical challenges that test real-world professional skills.

During my undergraduate studies, I actively pursued opportunities that allowed me to develop both academically and personally. My involvement in various IT and networking competitions helped me refine my technical skills, culminating in being selected as a top-4 performer from over 200 participants for WorldSkills IT-NSA Squad UK. I earned a WorldSkills UK Certificate of Excellence in national competition, and in 2023, I had the honor of representing Team UK at WorldSkills Asia in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where I tackled complex network troubleshooting challenges under live audience pressure.

I'm an adaptive learner with a strong work ethic, always eager to expand my knowledge and skills. With experience in both leadership roles and team settings across academic and professional projects, I strive to give my best in every responsibility I take on.


Education

BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Networks

Glasgow Caledonian University

July 2025

Classification: 1st Class Honours

Notable Modules:

Secondary Education

June 2022

Scottish Higher Grades: ABBB

10 x GCSEs (8 - 5)


Research

Evaluating Lightweight Cryptography for Secure Firmware Updates in Smart Home IoT

Undergraduate Thesis

Supervisor: Dr. Rajiv Singh

In this study, we explored the implementation of lightweight cryptographic protocols for securing over-the-air firmware updates in resource-constrained smart home IoT devices. Our research examined the performance and security trade-offs of various protocols including AES-128, ChaCha20, ECDSA, and Ed25519. Through our testing methodology using OpenSSL for encryption and signing, mitmproxy for simulating network attacks, and comprehensive traffic analysis with tcpdump and Wireshark, we aimed to identify optimal cryptographic solutions that balance security requirements with the computational limitations of IoT hardware.


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.


Certifications


Skills

Technical

Interpersonal Skills

Security Tools


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 started dabbling into bouldering as well.