For Atdhe Ferati, the Advanced Diploma of Cyber Security had the right mix of units to keep him interested and wanting to learn more.

Cyber security is one of the fastest growing areas of information technology, and with so many online risks, it’s not hard to see why.

“The reason I was interested in cyber security is because the work itself is fun and rewarding,” says Atdhe. “Cyber security allows you to feel good about your work knowing that you’re helping to protect people’s livelihood and privacy. You can also find great satisfaction in a job that keeps your mind active and keeps you on your toes.”

After finishing high school, Atdhe took a gap year and worked for a while, then eventually started a Bachelor of Information Technology at a university.

However, he found the university course was too broad and wanted to home in on an area that really interested him – cyber security.

Atdhe enrolled in Chisholm’s Certificate IV in Cyber Security, then followed it up with the Advanced Diploma of Cyber Security.

“Cyber security is like a big puzzle that you’re trying to solve,” he says. “Learning about data forensics and cyber law and policies has been my favourite part of the course so far.

“In Data Forensics, you study the factors that influence how data is utilised, as well as the many ways it may be manipulated and retrieved using the technologies we have access to. Cyber Law and Policies teaches you about the ethics of cyber security and what it takes to operate in an organisation where certain rules must be followed.”

Atdhe did exceptionally well at Chisholm and was nominated as Vocational Student of the Year at the 2022 Chisholm Education Awards.

He was also selected to represent Chisholm in the 2021 regional and national WorldSkills Competition.

Atdhe won a bronze medal at the national championships for cloud computing and will go on to the International WorldSkills competition in October 2022 in Shanghai, training with Chisholm teachers and AWS (Amazon Web Services) to prepare.

He is really looking forward to kicking off his career in cyber security. Once Atdhe finishes his Diploma, he plans to complete more Certificates to enhance his employability.

“The more Certificates you have, the more sought after you are with employers,” he says. “This is a vital and fascinating field. If the idea of defending the internet from cybercriminals appeals to you, cyber security may be the profession for you.”

Are you interested in becoming a cyber security expert?

Chisholm’s Advanced Diploma of Cyber Security equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to get started in the industry.

The course teaches you everything from performing security risk assessments for organisations to assessing and securing cloud services.

Graduates can seek employment as cyber security professionals in the commercial and government sectors or work as freelance cyber security consultants.

What’s more, the career prospects are good. It’s expected that Australia will need 17,000 more cyber security workers by 2026 to accommodate rising demand, including cyber security analysts, engineers and penetration testers.