“Taking students to FBI headquarters in America was a career highlight."

First published by Macquarie University

Specialising in the relationship between cyber security and human behaviour, Dr Jennifer Williams is an award-winning rising star in the field who recently won Best Cyber Technician or Specialist Under 35 at the Defence and National Security Workforce Awards 2024.

Teacher: Dr Jennifer Williams is a lecturer in Cyber Security Analysis at Macquarie University's Department of Security Studies and Criminology, specialising in behavioural cyber security.

Groundwork: Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Psychological Studies from Western Sydney University and is completing her PhD in Cyber Security and Human Behaviour at Macquarie University.
Gold stars: Jennifer was recently awarded Best Cyber Technician or Specialist Under 35 at the Defence and National Security Workforce Awards 2024 for her contributions to the defence industry. She was also a finalist for Best Female Technical Specialist Under 35.
How Jennifer’s students describe her: Engaging, bubbly and high energy.

What Jennifer says:

My approach to teaching is to always keep it as relevant as possible because in cyber security things can change hour to hour. Sometimes I am updating my teaching slides five minutes before the class starts to ensure all the information is up to date. The rapid dynamic of cyber security means it is automatically engaging, and the angle I take in terms of looking at it in a political, social and individual context gives a very new perspective. Because it is so new, and cyber in general is so ingrained in society, a lot of students find it naturally interesting and engaging.

There are a lot of incredible career pathways available to cyber security graduates. The Department of Security and Criminal studies is very diverse and we have students from computer science, arts and information technology degrees as well as cyber security. A lot of graduates go into intelligence, technical cyber security and threat intelligence, and as high up as chief information security officers, as well as roles in the Australian Federal Police and NSW Police Force.

I recently took 21 students on a post-graduate study tour to the United States to visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Headquarters and The Pentagon. We arrived in Washington DC and really hit the ground running. We stayed on the University of Maryland campus where we had in-person lectures, and visited the FBI Headquarters and The Pentagon. We also went to the Centre for Strategic International Studies, the Australian Embassy and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. We also spent time in New York where we saw the World Trade Centre 9/11 Memorial Museum and did a tour at the United Nations Headquarters, where we were really lucky to meet directly with Australia's Ambassador to the United Nations.

What I love most about teaching is when I explain something and see it ‘click’ with a student – that never gets old. I love it when I explain a complicated concept and see everyone light up and say: ‘Wow, I didn't think of that.’ Seeing people experience that insight is very fulfilling. I also really like instilling a passion in my students. Watching them go from being quite nervous about certain things to feeling very confident and having fun at something they thought they would hate is really enjoyable. I love fostering curiosity and passion in students, even if they do not end up going into cyber security or research.

I would like my students to view me as someone they can trust. Someone they can ask something that they might feel is a ‘stupid question’ — I'm not going to judge them for that. I want them to see me as someone who is passionate and inspires them to do difficult things. Cyber security is a very intimidating topic for many people, so I want to encourage them to look past the fact that it is difficult and a little scary sometimes.

The perfect student is someone who is open to new ideas and a new way of thinking. They don't necessarily get High Distinctions. They don't necessarily always ask the perfect question, but they do ask questions and they are willing to learn and take on feedback.