Luke O'Sullivan Griffin

Current Student Mobile communications & Security

What Do I study at UL?

I study B.Sc Mobile Communications and Security which is one of the pathways from the Computer Science Common Entry programme.

What does a typical day look like for me?

My typical day has varied quite a bit since the current COVID-19 situation.

Pre-COVID, majority of my day would be spent attending lectures and working in one of the computer labs. I liked the labs on campus as they are filled with high spec equipment and provide students with access to real world hardware/software used in industry. We frequently got the chance to be hands on, for example, in a networking module, we were able to work with physical equipment which kept things interesting.

Currently, nearly all my work is online. While it is a stark contrast to previous years, I think it is great to build up experience with remote work as it is being adopted by companies worldwide. We are still able to cover all aspects of our course online so there has been no interruption to learning.

My experience on Cooperative placement?

Cooperative placement was definitely the highlight of my college career. I was a Customer Support Engineer at FireEye, Inc.

FireEye is a cyber security company that provides hardware, software, and threat intelligence services to protect against malicious threat actors.

As an engineer, I helped other companies with a wide range of issues they may be having when using our products. There was a bit of a learning curve, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and everyday was kept interesting as a result. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to continue working part-time at FireEye during my final year.

Placement helped me decide what I would like to do in the future, and I plan on pursuing a career in Red/Blue teaming or a Security Analyst role.

What's my favorite UL memory?

As corny as it is, the friend’s I’ve made along the way. It’s tough to decide on one particular memory but every thought that springs to mind involves someone that I have met throughout my 4 years in college.

Why should you consider studying Mobile Communications & Security at uL?

Mobile Communications & Security has given me expertise and knowledge that are perfect for starting a career in the cyber security and networking field. I’ve learned about data forensics, ethical hacking, software development, cloud computing, and my personal favourite, security. I found the material covered is very relevant and up to date which is crucial in a computing course. Most importantly, there is a huge demand for skilled graduates to fill roles in the IT sector.