Miguel is a Governance and Law in Digital Society LLM student.  Below is an interview with him regarding the internship he started as part of his studies in the programme. You can learn more about why he chose GLDS and what he thinks about the interactive nature of the master In this video.

Where are you interning?  
I am currently working for a cybersecurity company/consultancy firm called Lemonshark. I am primarily conducting research related to pentesting and streamlining the process of it via certain variables such as judicial, organizational and structural variables. Penetration testing, or pen testing, can be defined as a security testing method to identify the vulnerabilities in the information systems of an organization. This research I am doing for them is also my thesis.

What are the day to day tasks at the company? 
My tasks consist mostly of trying to find literature and research on the topic. Furthermore, I also talk to the team about their knowledge and experiences related to pentesting. In this way I can mix both the theoretical side of research with the practical side of experiences. I work to a large extent individually in the sense of finding research and literature. However, I also work as part of the team when it comes to asking about practical experiences and attending meetings. Finally, I work alongside them on some of their projects and provide some consultancy insights as I previously worked as a cybersecurity consultant.

How has it been to integrate into the company during corona? 
I feel that there is generally a shift towards working remotely, and I think the company and myself have acclimatised to that. I had my first introduction online and most communication, contact, meetings and sharing of experiences and progresses goes via online. I haven’t been to the office that much but occasionally have been able to go there physically.

Has this internship experience helped you learn more about what you want to do after your studies?  
The GLDS degree itself has proven to be very valuable in the context of my research and the consultancy services I am doing for Lemonshark. Before I started the GLDS programme I was a cybersecurity consultant and thus quite familiar with the technical aspects of cybersecurity and also a bit of the organizational side. The GLDS programme has helped me be able to look more at the organizational and judicial factors involved in cybersecurity. For example, in the context of pentesting, a huge factor that separates it from hacking is the aspect of consent which changes the legal classification of the action. Following my studies I would like to continue working for such consultancy firms but also bring in the policy and legal knowledge I have gained throughout the GLDS programme.

- Interview by:  Lucas Haitsma, PhD Researcher in Human Rights and Artificial Intelligence

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Interested in more information about our Governance and Law in Digital Society LLM programme? You can ask questions directly to the Faculty by filling out our  information request form.