Dr Ayman El Hajjar, Senior Lecturer in the University of Westminster’s School of Computer Science and Engineering, has been appointed as a member of the Ethics Committee of the UK Cyber Security Council, a crucial role in the ever-growing cyber security industry.
Dr El Hajjar has taught Cyber Security courses at the University since 2016, having completed a PhD at Birkbeck, University of London. He became Course Leader of the University’s Cyber Security and Forensics MSc course in 2018 and has headed the Cyber Security Research Group since 2022. From September 2023, he will lead the University’s new Cyber Security and Forensics BSc Honours course.
The UK Cyber Security Council, which is independent of the UK Government, is the self-regulatory body of the UK's cyber security profession. It develops, promotes and stewards nationally recognised standards for cyber security in support of the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy to make the UK the safest place to live and work online. Its Ethics Committee updates the Council’s Code of Ethics and guides member organisations on the ethical standards they need to live up to. The Committee’s Ethics Panel will investigate any breaches of the Council’s Code of Ethics.
Dr El Hajjar said: “My interest in cyber security started when I was a teenager, and I have been involved in the cyber security environment since the late 1990s with the internet becoming mainstream. I remember coming across a popular Trojan backdoor in 1996 and I became fascinated with malicious software, how they work, and how we can protect our computers against them.”
Speaking about the importance of ethics in the field of cyber security, Dr El Hajjar said: “It is essential for cyber security professionals to practice cyber security as ethically and decently as possible to protect the privacy of data and users alike. The skills and knowledge they possess can be used for wrongdoing. Because of this, it is our duty as cyber security practitioners to ensure that the ethical, social, and cultural implications of our work are well understood and embedded in our daily activities. Our field is one of the most critical fields in the industry regarding ethical and moral obligations.
“In our Cyber Security and Forensics courses at Westminster, we ensure that ethics are at the essence of our teaching. We ensure that our students, the cyber security experts of the future, gain this sense of professional commitment and community obligation to be fair and honest and above all make sure their act in an ethical manner.”
He continued: “Cyber security will remain a challenging field but a rewarding one as well. Society increasingly relies on technology, and it has become an integral part of our lives. However, technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and this brings new challenges for cyber security professionals, who need to keep up with this and maintain the security of all environments.”
Find out about Computer Science and Engineering courses at Westminster.
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