Armen Pop
Cybersecurity Student
Building secure systems through access control design, risk management, and GDPR-aligned thinking — seeking a graduate role in SOC analysis or security operations.
About Me
Hi, I'm Armen Pop and I am a fourth year student studying Cyber Security at University of Staffordshire.
I've always known I wanted to specialise and build my career around technology, that's when I found Cyber Security and ever since then I have been obsessed; to be on the journey to join the Red Team and become a Penetration Tester.
My main inspiration to become a penetration tester was jailbreaking and then modding old consoles such as the original Nintendo Wii. This interest then evolved into a career prospect in secondary school when I took up computer science.
Professional Profile
Motivated Cybersecurity student at University of Staffordshire with hands-on experience designing secure systems, access control architectures, and risk management frameworks through academic and real-world project work.
Demonstrated ability to apply GDPR compliance thinking, threat analysis, and security design principles in a team environment.
Currently seeking a graduate role in cybersecurity — specifically SOC analysis or security operations — where I can develop technical skills alongside experienced professionals.
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Studying
- BSc (Hons) Cyber Security
- Institution
- University of Staffordshire
- Focus areas
- Access control, risk management, GDPR
Education
Key Projects
Led the solution proposal and technical development for a cloud-based portal designed for a care organisation handling sensitive personal data across multiple stakeholder groups.
- Produced a risk register with probability/impact ratings and explicit mitigations covering data breach, access control failure, AI misuse, and staff non-compliance
- Authored a structured security test plan covering functional, security, and user acceptance testing
- Used a weighted scoring matrix across seven criteria to produce a defensible, evidence-based solution recommendation
Completed a practical, exam-conditions CTF requiring flags to be captured across multiple offensive security phases using Kali Linux tooling.
- Performed reconnaissance and scanning under exam conditions to identify live hosts, open ports, and running services
- Captured flags through enumeration and SQL injection exploitation techniques
- Carried out simulated DDoS and traffic sniffing exercises using Kali Linux tooling in a controlled environment
Built and manage a self-hosted virtual lab in VMware to practise penetration testing techniques and traffic analysis in a fully isolated environment.
- Used Kali Linux as the attack host against a Metasploitable target to practise penetration testing techniques
- Simulated red-team style attacks, including DDoS-style traffic, against target VMs in a controlled environment
- Used Wireshark to capture and analyse traffic generated during simulated attacks
Designed and configured simulated LAN/WAN topologies to reinforce the networking fundamentals — routing, addressing, and device connectivity — that underpin firewall rules, segmentation, and access control design.
- Connected multiple LAN and WAN segments with correctly configured routers and end devices
- Verified successful end-to-end packet transfer between devices using Packet Tracer's simulation mode
- Configured servers and printers to communicate reliably across connected network segments
Designed and built a website from scratch using core web technologies. Understanding how sites are structured and rendered client-side directly supports recognising common web application vulnerabilities such as XSS and SQL injection.
- Structured and styled a multi-page site from scratch using semantic HTML and custom CSS, without a framework
- Implemented interactive elements using vanilla JavaScript
- Built practical, first-hand understanding of client-side web architecture — the foundation for spotting how web applications can be exploited
Technical Skills
Security
Networking
Tools & Platforms
Programming & Other
Work Experience
- [Write a bullet point about what you did — e.g. tasks, tools used, environment]
- [Write a bullet point about a skill or outcome from the placement]
- Delivered high standards of customer service in a fast-paced, high-value retail environment
- Handled sensitive customer payment and personal data in line with company data protection policy
- Collaborated with team members to maintain store operations and meet daily targets
- Achieved highest individual sales rate during shifts through active listening and product knowledge
- Processed customer orders accurately using POS technology under time pressure
- Managed high-volume, time-critical workloads in a fast-paced hospitality environment
- Developed strong communication skills when handling difficult situations and diverse customers