Alumni in the Spotlight | Jay Banerji

Can you provide an overview of your career journey so far and what inspired you to pursue this career path?

I started out my career quite early - whilst studying at Macquarie University I quickly fell in love with the world of hacking. Luckily enough, Macquarie University was about to offer a dedicated Bachelor of IT majoring in Cyber Security, sponsored by the Optus Cyber Security Hub. Through the help of my lecturers and tutors, I began attending many professional meetups and interest groups relating to cyber security and discovered Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions. These are cybersecurity-related challenges in a gamified setting, whereby typically teams or individuals compete with one another to hack into specially configured IT environments the quickest and retrieve a "flag" file. These challenges were some of the best learning experiences I could hope for, being surrounded by some of the best minds in the industry doing cutting-edge work. Over time, I became quite good at these CTFs and found myself winning many, which quickly led to me getting a job in cyber security whilst still completing my degree. Being exposed to the various professional elements of cyber security, I felt a certain affinity towards Digital Forensics and Incident Response - it was far more exciting to me to deal with the real-life threats facing organisations, and I felt that it was a place where I would not only be heavily challenged but also make a true difference in the world.

This led me to work for Klein & Co. - at the time a small boutique Digital Forensics and Incident Response firm in Sydney, but arguably the best in the country at what we did. After a few years of working there, Klein & Co. was one of the many small companies that were top in their field that merged into what is now Australia's leading cyber security company - CyberCX - where I am still working. Throughout my tenure at CyberCX, I have been lucky enough to be at the pivotal front lines defending against some of the most significant and high-profile cyber-attacks against Australian organisations. If you've read about it in the news, chances are we've played a part (alongside the many, many others that do not make the news). And now, as a Managing Investigator leading my own team of experts (part of the largest team in Australia), I feel privileged to be in a position to mentor the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

In a strange twist of fate, I was one day approached to appear as a Digital Forensics Expert on the inaugural Australian series of the Channel 10 reality TV show - Hunted. I had no idea what I was getting into and had no experience in the world of television production. However, it ended up being some of the best fun I've had in my life - taking my professional expertise and thrusting it back into a gamified setting just like the CTFs which inspired me to get into the industry in the first part. Only this time, a lot higher stakes, blended with the world's greatest game of hide and seek, and broadcast nationally. Say what you will about reality television, but I am grateful for the opportunity it gave me to showcase the awesome work we can do to a huge audience!

What are your future aspirations? 

I would say it's to continue doing what I've been doing and be a mentor for people joining the industry who are interested in my line of work. Digital Forensics and Incident Response is perpetually understaffed, and not something everyone is cut out for in the long run with the high-stress nature of the work we do, so when people have a legitimate passion for it, I want to foster and grow that. I feel a great sense of fulfilment and passion from our mission to secure our communities, so being able to continue to do this and shape Australia's cyber security strategy in this ever-changing threat landscape is where I'd like to be.

What advice can you give to our Hills Originals? 

No matter where your interests lie, if something excites you then you only need to look hard enough, and you'll find a way to turn that into a career. And, where it doesn't exist, you can always make it yourself. At the same time, a career is only part of your life, so don't forget to keep having fun and never let anyone stop you from doing the things you love - because that's what will bring you happiness in the long run and retain your own unique interesting identity.