Cybersecurity students win prestigious ISACA case study competition

A team of students from Northumbria University’s London campus has won a high-profile award at the influential ISACA annual cybersecurity conference.

Formerly known as the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, ISACA is a global professional association set up more than 50 years ago to advance and promote digital trust. With 170,000 members worldwide it is regarded as an international voice for the risk management and cyber security industry.

Northumbria London Campus MSc Cyber Security and Advance Practice students Osama Akram, Isuru Arachchigie, Pubudu Wado and Rubina Siddique have been named as winners of the recent ISACA London Chapter’s Annual Cybersecurity Case Study Competition 2024. Their work involved analysing a real-world case study, and showcasing their understanding of information systems, controls, cyber security and artificial intelligence. Participating in the competition offered networking opportunities, engaging with industry leaders, professionals, and fellow students, and expanding professional contacts.

Professor Hamid Jahankhani, MSc Cybersecurity Programme Leader, said: “Entering students to these types of challenges is not about winning only, which of course is always nice, but it is about, preparing our students for their career aspirations. Events like these provide platforms for our students to develop self-confidence, presentation and research skills on their chosen topics and above all add extra thrust required for their future employment endeavours.”

Commenting on the win, Cyber Security student Rubina Siddique added: “Participating in and winning the ISACA London Chapters first Cybersecurity case study competition was a wonderful experience for me and my teammates, as it validated our hard work and dedication and also boosted our confidence in addressing real world cyber threats. This competition not only provided a platform to show our understanding of complex security issues but also taught us the value of teamwork, presentation, and problem-solving skills.”

The student team also expressed their gratitude to Professor Jahankhani for his support and the opportunity to showcase their work.

The ISACA London Chapter Cyber Case Study competition strives to further the professional development of university students pursuing degrees in Information security, cybersecurity, information systems, risk management and provides student teams the opportunity to address a real-world issue currently impacting the industry.

As one of the largest chapters in the world, ISACA London has over 4,000 members who come from a wide cross-section of business including the accountancy and information systems professions, central and local government, the banking, manufacturing and service sectors and academia.

The MSc Cyber Security programme is delivered at the Northumbria London campus in partnership with QA Higher Education

For more information on studying at Northumbria’s London campus please visit: www.northumbria.ac.uk/london

Northumbria University has a global reputation for research and teaching in AI and was recently awarded £9 million by UK Research and Innovation to establish a Centre for Doctoral Training in the field of AI. Known as the Citizen-Centred AI (CCAI), it will focus on the inclusion of citizens in the design and evaluation of AI – helping to make the rapidly advancing technology work for ordinary people.