International graduate helps strengthen New Zealand’s cyber-security
With cybersecurity threats on the rise, Taiwanese national Eric Wang is working hard to protect New Zealand companies from the threat of ransomware, phishing, and denial of service attacks.
Image above courtesy of University of Waikato
Qualified with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Taiwan and a Master of Science from the United States, Eric saw further international postgraduate study as a good opportunity to enhance his overseas life experience.
So, having spent many years working in the IT industry in Taiwan across a range of roles including systems engineering, information security, and personal data protection, he decided to move his family to New Zealand in 2018 to pursue a Master of Cyber Security at the University of Waikato.
“The University of Waikato is recognised among the world’s best in computer science and has the country’s first Master of Cyber Security focusing on malware analysis, penetration tests, cloud computing and legal compliance,” he says.
Master’s programme “challenging and complex”
Eric says he enjoyed the challenge of the master’s programme.
“Security in the IT field is challenging and complex, and covers many technical and non-technical aspects. Being a trusted IT security player is an intellectually and financially rewarding job, which can make our lives, communities and society better by ensuring IT is applied and managed securely.”
While at Waikato, Eric spent much of his time working on assignments in one of the computer labs. “I have many unforgettable memories that took place in the 24-hour computer areas where classmates and I would have countless discussions, exchanges of ideas, and even arguments.”
Since graduating in 2019,he has been working as a professional consultant at an audit firm in Auckland, putting his cybersecurity skills to good use implementing adequate security controls and incident management procedures to protect his clients.
Eric credits his international education experience at Waikato for putting him on a pathway to success. “The new literacy of cybersecurity risks, cloud computing technologies and legal compliance requirements I received from studying at Waikato has equipped me to make professional judgements on each security assessment, which has been extremely beneficial for my clients.”
New Zealand a great study destination
Based on his experience, Eric is keen to encourage any aspiring international student to seriously consider New Zealand as a study destination.
“Studying abroad is an exciting journey,” he says. “If you want to earn a qualification from a prestigious university, study new things in a multi-cultural environment, and have a laid-back and affordable lifestyle then New Zealand is the place for you.”