ASD’s success is founded on our people. We seek to recruit and develop a diverse workforce who are curious, imaginative and not deterred by difficult challenges.
Meet some of the people who are currently working at ASD.
Nicole – Cyber Threat Intelligence
At university, I did mostly programming and IT security subjects. In general terms, my job is cyber threat intelligence. Essentially, I identify, monitor and understand new and emerging cyber threats targeting Australia. My programming and IT skills allow me to analyse what a cybercriminal is doing and how I could disrupt them. I chose a career in STEM because it was challenging and exciting. I’ve been able to be creative and inventive when tackling complex problems. Cyber security or IT security is cutting edge and is constantly evolving, so the ability to be on the front line of an expanding industry is super exciting. The work at ASD is unlike anything else. You get to work on projects and deal with problems that just don’t exist anywhere else.
Nguyen – Electrical Engineer
I started my work career as an apprentice electrician, and the experience has been a solid foundation to my career. At university, I studied for an Associate Degree in Electrician Engineering. I have gone back to uni a few more times to gain additional qualifications in economics and finance, project management, and I finally finished up with a PhD in Information Systems. Regardless if one works in the field or in the office, electrical engineering is technically challenging and I am always learning something new. I am a problem solver. Giving me problems to solve makes me happy at work, which is why I love working at ASD.
Prakesh – Digital Forensics
At university, I did a double degree in arts and science. In arts, I studied sociology and literature, while in science, I studied biochemistry and molecular biology. At ASD, I primarily do digital forensics in support of incident response and threat hunting. This involves using my knowledge of computers to reactively (in response to suspected compromise) or proactively (suspected target of compromise) find bad activity. I regularly draw on my ability to formulate hypotheses about what I think happened, devise a plan to test whether this is true, and evaluate available evidence – all of which are skills that I developed during my science degree. I chose a career in STEM because I really enjoy the intellectual stimulation that comes with tackling complex problems.
Avi – Team Leader, Cyber Security Incidents
After changing my uni courses a little, I ended up with a Bachelor of Business but with a focus on ecology/conservation (marine resource management) and business law. After I graduated I also went on to complete an MBA (International Business). I knew very little about ASD when I was accepted into the grad program and have never looked back. The opportunities have been amazing. I have worked across a number of teams, including overseas. My colleagues are exceptional, which is inspiring. To be able to work in a STEM field and on national security matters is incredibly rewarding. I lead a team of technologists and analysts who focus on managing and triaging cyber security incidents. The one thing I have learnt working in cyber security is that every day is different and new days bring new exciting challenges.
Sophie – Capability Building
When I was younger, I either wanted to be an author or astrophysicist. At university, I did a Bachelor of Science in physics in bio-anthropology. I always loved STEM and was very passionate about it, particularly physics. I work in the capability-building side of ASD, liaising between our organisation and academia on higher-degree research programs that benefit ASD. What I love about my work is that I bridge a lot of disciplines, teams and work styles and don’t feel boxed in to a particular definition of STEM, but work across multiple STEM and non-STEM areas in a fluid and organic way.