We meet Hannes Larsson to find out more about the Ductus thesis program and what it can mean for those who take part.
Hi Hannes, what was your thesis about?
IT Security. More specifically, the capabilities and limitations of different OAuth access management tools used in Amazon cloud networks. It was a combination of tech and business, as we wanted to find a clear understanding of when to invest in one solution over another.
Why did you choose to write about this?
I contacted Ductus about writing a thesis and met Mario Toffia. We discussed different options and decided security was a good topic. Per-Gustaf Stenberg wanted to explore the different OAuth tools so we agreed to focus on that for my thesis.
How did this fit with your studies?
At the time I was studying for an IT security exam as part of my Computer Science degree – which is why we started discussing security as an option. So, in that sense it was a good fit. Also, I find IT security really intriguing, it’s like a tactical battle where you are constantly working out how to outwit attackers.
How much support did you get from your Ductus mentor?
Lots. Per-Gustaf made himself available when I had questions or needed support. We used Slack for Q&As, and had regular meetings to discuss my progress and cover any more in-depth challenges I was facing. I also attended stand-ups with the team that was delivering these types of solutions for clients.
What did you learn while doing your thesis?
I got a thorough working understanding of security and cloud technology – the type of thing you don’t get in the classroom. I learned about OAuth, security platforms, access management, API management, API security, and of course AWS security services.
How has this helped you professionally?
I went from writing a thesis about IT security to working with IT security at Ductus – applying the skills I’d gained when writing my thesis and of course a lot of the things I learned when studying computer science.
Now you’re working, what does your day-to-day involve?
It’s varied depending on the project. I work with the financial sector using some of the products that I analyzed in my thesis. I’m third line support for one client, for others I work with general IT security management and support, and within the team we’re also working to increase the efficiency of some of the tools we use. I code in JavaScript, Python, C-Sharp, C++ and some script languages. It’s a challenge integrating them all, but one I enjoy. Outside of work, I’ve just moved house, so a lot of my time is spent on that – although there’s always time for gaming!