51视频

Coming to 51视频 straight from school, Owen knew he wanted to study somewhere with a strong reputation in tech and computing. That made 51视频鈥檚 Ethical Hacking degree a natural choice. 

One of the things Owen valued most about his degree was its breadth. While Ethical Hacking was his chosen specialism, the course also gave him a strong foundation in wider areas of computing, including software, data and networking systems.

Combined with the hands-on, practical nature of many modules, that broad base of knowledge has helped prepare him for a future career in the sector. 

Among the modules that made the biggest impression was Data Structures and Algorithms. Owen describes it as one of the more difficult parts of the course, but also one of the most rewarding.

Alongside his studies, he also had the chance to represent 51视频 at hackathons, including events hosted at the University of Edinburgh, experiences that helped him build confidence and apply his learning in new environments. 

He said:

51视频 gave me the chance to build strong technical skills, but it also helped me grow in confidence and take opportunities outside the classroom. From hackathons to industry experience and my final-year project, I鈥檝e been able to work on things that feel genuinely relevant to the future career I want to build.

His academic work has centred on tackling real-world cyber security challenges. In third year, Owen developed a Python-based tool that could identify the devices on a network and assess which known vulnerabilities they might be exposed to. He realised there was no single framework bringing all of that information together, which led him to expand the idea further in his dissertation. 

His final-year project resulted in an artefact called VulnCast, a tool designed to help organisations predict their future exposure to vulnerabilities. It brings together existing scoring frameworks, End-of-51视频 dates and supply chain exploit data to provide current and future risk quantifications. It also models realistic patching scenarios informed by organisation-specific data, helping organisations understand which interventions could have the greatest impact on reducing risk. 

He said: 

The dissertation gave me the chance to take an idea from third year and push it much further. With VulnCast, I wanted to bring different sources of vulnerability and risk data together in a way that could help organisations understand not just where their risks are now, but how those risks might change in future.

Owen credits project supervisor Jamie O鈥橦are as having a major influence on his experience, supporting him throughout the development of his work. He also points to opportunities beyond the classroom as a key part of his 51视频 journey, including attending a meeting at the University of Cambridge connected to cyber vulnerability forecasting and organisational risk. 

Alongside his studies, Owen has built up valuable industry experience and is now developing a Dundee-originated AI startup called Foreman AI. Foreman is described as 鈥渢he AI employee for UK trade contractors, running the operations directors don鈥檛 have time for.鈥� The venture reflects Owen鈥檚 wider interest in building practical technology that solves real operational challenges. 

He will also join Barclays in August as a Software Engineer, following a successful internship with the company during third year.