How to Write an SOP for Cybersecurity with Sample SOPs

“Security in IT is like locking your house or car – it doesn’t stop the bad guys, but if it’s good enough they may move on to an easier target.” - Paul Herbka

Inspired by my father’s career as a software engineer, I also wanted to follow the same pursuit of working in the IT field. Although I’ve always enjoyed using computers, it was not until high school that I decided to study computer science that I started to marvel at the prospect of making a career out of it. Consequently, I learned about the programming basics and enhanced my technical aptitude as a college student. As I knew that I wanted to build a career in the field of computer science; however, the nature of my study was not decided until high school. Reading ‘Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World’ by Joseph Menn helped me realise the need to protect our privacy in times where our sensitive data is just a click away. This gave me a totally new perspective towards computing information and I decided to delve deeper into network management and get a specialised degree in cybersecurity, hence upgrading my skills as a network engineer.I believe that my technical aptitude paired with my analytical and problem-solving skills would help me to build a fulfilling career as a network security engineer.

While attending school, I was an ardent student who performed well in academics as well as sports. As a student, I have been an active hockey player and participated in inter-school hockey tournaments at both city and state level. I was the goalkeeper of my hockey team and our team has won U15 and U17 hockey tournaments in the south India zone. I then went on to pursue Bachelors of Computer Applications from Bangalore University, where I gained knowledge about programming languages such as Javascript, Python along with computer systems, which interested me greatly.After completing my BCA, I completed two years of work experience as a network engineer at CN Labs, where my key responsibility was to monitor, configure, and maintain the network. I particularly enjoyed working in the networking field, however I realised my limited skills and career scope at the same time.

As a network engineer, I realised that network management is a vast field, and getting a specialised degree in one of the areas of network management would accelerate my career.For the same reason, I decided to apply to Coventry University’s Cyber Security MSc program. I believe that Coventry University’s Computing, Mathematics and Data Science Faculty will give me access to the best coursework. The course will help me not only to understand the theoretical concepts of network security, cryptography, secure design, and development but also to learn the practical techniques used in addressing the relevant issues.As an aspirational student who looks forward to working as a network security engineer, I am highly impressed with the university’s Cisco lab, which has been accredited by the market leader in the field of networking, Cisco. During my time at Coventry University, I also hope to become a part of the hockey team and play for the university’s team, owing to my previous accomplishments as a hockey player. Receiving a masters degree from Coventry University will help me gain more hands-on experience while studying to become a network security engineer and participate in a range of activities and competitions that will help me broaden my perspective and knowledge.

After completing my master's programme, I intend to work as a network security engineer for a renowned IT company. I believe my job role would provide me with the opportunity to apply my knowledge of programming languages and incorporate it with ethical hacking and legal frameworks, which I will learn during my masters.In the long term, I aspire to advance towards a leadership position within my company.On a bigger note, I feel that working as a network security engineer will help me contribute to the betterment of society by preventing any instances of cybercrime from occurring in the future.I therefore feel that a Cyber Security MSc program from Coventry University, London, will help me move a step closer to my ultimate goal of working against the increasing tide of cybercrimes and help make the world a better place for our future generations.

“Privacy – like eating and breathing – is one of life’s basic requirements.” - Katherine Neville

From an early age, my journey has been shaped by a profound interest in law and driven by the passion to bring justice to the masses. As I progressed in my legal studies and gained practical experience, I found myself drawn to the dynamics of cybersecurity. I believe that cybersecurity in today’s world poses challenges that demand legal expertise. With the increasing number of cyber crimes, many individuals and businesses have been threatened. I believe that as a law professional who aims to work as a cybercrime advocate, I need to get a strong understanding of cybersecurity. By learning the basics of data and related crimes, I can comply with my legal knowledge and understand legal infringement in the digital realm. In addition to this, I need to first fully understand how the systems operate, from the highest level of user interaction to the lowest level of machine code unseen by most people. The decision to transition from law to cybersecurity mainly stems from the realisation of the need for legal individuals in this field. For the same reason, I have decided to pursue a postgraduate degree in cybersecurity, which I believe will become easier for me with my foundational knowledge of computer systems and law coupled with my strong work ethic.I aspire to be a cybercrime advocate and provide legal help and consultation to clients related to cybercrime.

I hold a B.B.A. L.L.B degree from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies. My educational journey in law has equipped me with a strong foundation in legal frameworks, ethical considerations, and the basic understanding of data protection laws.In terms of professional experience, the internships during my college years have helped me to diversify my skill set and learn about the industry. My law internship during the final year at HK Associates provided me with the platform to hone my skills as a lawyer. It was during my internship that I also learned about the practical application of legal databases and how to conduct searches through them. This made me proficient in finding relevant statutes, case law, and legal commentary to support the ongoing cases.In addition to this, at the onset of working in cybercrime, I took Harvard University’s CS50's Introduction to Computer Science course to build my foundational knowledge of computers and programming. The course helped me develop my basic knowledge of the Python programming language coupled with CSS and HTML.

Nonetheless, I still lacked the technical know-how of cybersecurity to work and advocate for cybercrimes and realised the need for a postgraduate degree.I chose to apply to the Cyber Security MSc programme at King's College London, as it is the perfect course for me to fulfil my career aspirations in a shorter time period. I was particularly impressed with the programme’s course content, which covers a vast number of modules totaling 180 credits over the course of one year. Furthermore, the college’s support for international students, facilitating part-time work opportunities, is a relief for students like me, who belong to middle-class backgrounds and are burdened with the expenses. I look forward to joining the university’s Art Society, where I can use my artistic abilities alongside my studies. By being an active participant in the Art Society, I wish to contribute by volunteering in the organisation of art exhibitions and events.

I feel that my postgraduate degree at King's College London will pave the way for a successful career in law. After completing my degree, I aim to get an entry-level job in a law-firm that specialises in cyberlaw. I feel that working in a law firm would help me solidify my knowledge of cybersecurity while combining it with my previous legal knowledge.Nonetheless, in the long term, I intend to climb the corporate ladder and work in a good position as a cybercrime advocate for a law firm.With my career, I believe that I can not only fulfil my career aspirations but also add value to society by fighting against the misuse of data on the internet.In order to achieve my short and long-term goals, I believe that studying the Cyber Security MSc programme at King's College London will help me achieve them.