Moving to New Zealand from Germany 10 years ago, I have grown to love this windy little capital. After graduating from College, I decided to stay in Wellington to study a Bachelor of Engineering, majoring in Software Engineering. Although I had never programmed before attending university, I had always been interested in computers, especially the security aspects. Three years into my degree, my interest in security and computers is still present, and I can’t wait to see where this degree takes me. While I am studying, I have had the opportunity to be a tutor for the university. This has been an incredible opportunity, which has allowed me to encourage and help other students with their understanding of cybersecurity and software development.
Throughout my time at university, I have realised that Cybersecurity is an ever increasingly important topic. This year in particular, I have learnt about how important it is to keep security in mind throughout all my projects, not just those ones which have an explicit focus on it. Over the past few months, I have been developing a server, mobile application and websites, all of which have required security measures to fully function. As I move through my third year of Software Engineering, at the Victoria University of Wellington, I have tried to spend this year focusing on not only making things work well, but also on making them safe for clients and customers to use. As I learn more about cybersecurity, I am continuously thankful for InPhySec, and the opportunity that they have given me to learn about Cybersecurity and Software Engineering, with the help of their scholarship.
Written by Luisa Kristen, recipient of a 2020 InPhySec Scholarship at Victoria University