Grant Douglas

I joined Cigital after leaving Abertay. At the end of 2016 they were acquired by Synopsys - one of the world’s leading companies in electronic chip design automation. Traditionally Synopsys was all about hardware, but it's been building a portfolio of software services, including a security division, which they've bolstered with some top-tier acquisitions. 

My job mainly revolves around mobile security, but I do work for websites and desktop software too.

Mobile security is a big problem in the current cyber landscape and there is a conversational piece around whether or not mobiles are more secure or less secure than your typical desktop. I think in most cases, at least to iOS phones, they are actually more secure. I definitely feel a lot more secure when I use a mobile based version of a banking app than I do when I’m just using a browser on the laptop because of the controls I’ve seen put in place.

I was involved with Abertay's Ethical Hacking Society. It was good. It started off quite small and there were only a few people who’d attend. Now obviously the number attending is significant.

I was there when they ran the first Securitay. It gathers a lot of attention from the industry and the students have done a fantastic job at making a name for themselves.

It’s more impressive every year. I’m always blown away by how well the students do and by the sponsors they pull in. It’s very valuable for everyone, it’s a fantastic conference and the speakers are great. The quality of the topics and talks rivals that of other conferences and for that to be run by students is pretty impressive.

View the BSc (Hons) Ethical Hacking course