Creating a Safer World through Cyber Security

Chathuranga Jayasekara (CJ) has always been interested in technology. He started his career as an Associate Systems Engineer in Sri Lanka where he enjoyed using new technology and networking tools to solve a wide range of industry problems. But he knew to advance his career he would need to upskill so he started looking for a masters program that would help him excel. 

CJ first enrolled in a Master of IT program at an Australian university, but found the course content did not meet his expectations and he found himself losing motivation. Discouraged, he started to again research reputable institutions, when he came across Kaplan Business School (KBS).  

CJ was impressed and inspired by what he read about KBS’ program, and chose to enroll in the Master of IT program at KBS with a specialization in Cyber Security. At KBS, CJ excelled, and while looking for opportunities, he took advantage of KBS’ student services and sought guidance from a Careers Advisor at KBS. CJ’s advisor helped him to tailor his resume to the local market and gave him tips on how he could achieve his career goals, but she provided CJ with much more. Knowing his interests and background, CJ’s advisor notified him about an opportunity internally with KBS, and CJ secured a part-time role as an IT Support Officer role at KBS, an opportunity he enjoys, saying “I love that my role has diverse responsibilities with room to develop soft skills such as communication and problem-solving.” 

In his new role, CJ supports KBS by conducting classroom equipment (e.g. projector) checks and fulfilling IT service requests such as software updates and Wi-Fi connectivity. CJ also works with the Kaplan IT security team and Support Analyst team to ensure that their security software is updated and compliant and helps with troubleshooting. The most important part of his job is assisting the Kaplan staff, teachers, and students with their IT issues. 

During his studies, CJ also started attending IT networking events. Through these, he found out about IT community programs that some schools have. Inspired by what he heard through networking, CJ set out to create a new IT program for students within KBS. CJ submitted a proposal to the IT Academic Head at KBS for a new Discord IT Cyber Security group where students can network, enhance their technical and soft skills, and stay updated on what’s happening in the cyber world. The proposal was approved, and CJ now runs the page, which offers webinars with a focus on general cyber security safety, ransomware and data breaches, as well as providing information about upcoming cyber security events and resources.

If all this isn’t enough, CJ also started a YouTube channel and blog called CyberMED, which highlights his research and experiments with new cyber security tools. CJ calls CyberMED his passion project, and says his favorite thing about the page is seeing which topics and tools appeal the most to others. “The most popular topics on my channels have been malware development, info stealer malware, and malware reverse engineering. People need to know that anyone can be a victim of malware threats and how they can prevent security breaches with some simple safety precautions,” he says. 

CJ’s passion lies in aiming to create a safe cyber and digital world for the global online community and sharing his knowledge and experience in the industry. To learn more about his success story, click here to read the full article and watch his story.