Savannah Dockerty

SAVANNAH DOCKERTY

Savannah Dockerty grew up in Queensland and is in the first year of study for a Bachelor of Information Technology degree at CQ University.

Bachelor of Information Technology Student, CQ University

Suppose you met an old friend from your last year at school who, knowing nothing about cybersecurity or what you do, asks you what you are doing. How do you answer them to ‘sell’ them on the idea of a career in cybersecurity?

With all the coverage of the Optus data breach, cybersecurity is being discussed more on a basic level. Whenever people have wanted to discuss this breach I explain I hope to pursue a career fighting cyber crimes such as this and being involved in the teams tasked to track down those responsible for such breaches.

What cybersecurity role would you most like to be hired into when you graduate, and why?

I hope to secure a role more focussed on cybercrime and cyber criminals than other aspects of cybersecurity. Given how technology is changing, it is not farfetched to expect most criminal activity to soon be online. This would mean cybersecurity being prioritised and more people who can help track down such activity online being needed.

What was the reaction from parents, peers or career advisors to your decision to get into cyber? Did you face any opposition, if so, how did you feel about this?

Reactions were all very positive. Because IT is so heavily embedded into every workforce, everyone recognised how secure jobs would be.

Who, or what, would you say has had the biggest influence on your cybersecurity career journey to date, and why?

In high school we had a guest speaker discuss their job in cybercrime (specifically regarding cyberbullying cases). After this talk I thought about getting a job in IT.

We hear all the time that the world of cybersecurity is changing rapidly, particularly with the rate of threat evolution. Do you feel your course is doing a good job of being current?

I believe it is important for information on technology to be as up to date as possible. However, I recognise this is difficult to accomplish because of how fast cybersecurity is evolving. I think my course is doing a good job of being as current as possible. I believe we will always be learning new techniques, but this is more likely to be in a job or a placement. There is only so much content that can be covered in a general bachelor’s degree course.

What aspect do you find least interesting or useful?

Workforce specialised units are not too interesting, in my opinion. Most of them discuss topics that I understand and have practiced in my previous work (such as teamwork and communication skills). Although these units are easy to pass, I do understand there is a reason for them being present. People who undertake study are often considered ‘introverted’ (lacking effective communication skills), meaning it is important they understand how to work in a team environment. Hence these units are included.

Is there any aspect of your studies you find particularly difficult or challenging, if so what, and why?

A high percentage of people undertaking this course are online students—on-campus students are practically non-existent—so it has been a bit isolating. I have moved to study on-campus and have struggled to form friendships in a new place while studying a course that has only three other students present, on a good day.

Have you ever felt disadvantaged or discriminated against by being a woman in cyber, if so please provide details?

Although I have no workforce experience—only study—there have been challenges to being a woman in this field. I do not believe I have felt discriminated against as such, but I do find myself making sure I am not being taken advantage of. There have been a couple of occasions in my first year where male classmates have asked for a substantial amount of assistance from me. Although I have been happy to help with easy questions, I’ve had to terminate these conversations, for example telling them they should ask the lecturer themselves, or that all their questions were answered in the recorded lecture, etc.