Kaya Ercihan ensures a secure IT structure for the military
Computer science graduate Kaya Ercihan works as a Security Advisor at the Swiss Army. He is enthusiastic about the tasks and challenges there. With his practical skills acquired during his studies at the ZHAW School of Engineering, he had no difficulty entering the security-related IT field.
Kaya Ercihan works as a Security Advisor at the Swiss Army. His computer science studies at the ZHAW School of Engineering prepared him very well for the position in the army. Image: Private Already in his bachelor's thesis, Kaya Ercihan dealt with the development of a program for spying on data using audio signals from secured areas. "However, I discovered the position at the army rather accidentally, I did not specifically search for a position in the security sector," explains the ZHAW graduate. After completing his vocational baccalaureate, he was convinced to study computer science at ZHAW mainly because of its practical orientation. "I was quickly convinced of my decision to study here because of the excellent knowledge transfer at the School of Engineering," recalls Kaya Ercihan, who graduated in 2023. "The lecturers took a lot of time for us students, answered every question – even outside lecture times," says Ercihan, who also served as a class representative advocating for the interests of his fellow students. He particularly liked that "there was no rigid competitive thinking among the students, as is sometimes the case at larger universities. We often worked in teams on tasks and searched for solutions together." Kaya Ercihan specialized in the areas of "Software and System Security," "Microcomputing Systems," and "Artificial Intelligence."
Challenging and Meaningful Work
During his computer science studies at the School of Engineering, which Kaya Ercihan completed part-time, he already worked as a software engineer at Abraxas Informatik AG in St. Gallen and later as an IT manager at the IT training platform TIE International. With the end of his studies, it was time for a new professional challenge. "The position at the Swiss Army came at just the right time for me. I wanted to work on something that interests me professionally and challenges me, and also do something meaningful. Since I would like to do something for the security of my country, the position at the army suited me very well," explains Kaya Ercihan his decision to work for the government. There, as a Security Advisor, he examines security-relevant IT architecture and conducts technical evaluations, "with the aim of enhancing the infrastructure and IT system in the military environment holistically, so that appropriate measures can be taken in the event of a threat or cyber-attack," explains Kaya Ercihan his area of responsibility. In his everyday work, he often relies on what he learned during his studies. "I mainly went through the hiring process with the knowledge from my computer science studies," recalls the 27-year-old. And he often finds that he can use what he learned in his everyday work. "From the basics of cryptology to participating in hacking labs to security testing of computers and networks, I learned a lot in the computer science program that I use every day," says Ercihan.
Excellent Job Opportunities
According to Kaya Ercihan, the job prospects for computer science graduates from ZHAW are more than good. "I had five offers out of six job interviews," he reports. "Computer scientists are needed in many areas and are in high demand." For the study itself, one should have an abstract imagination, "mathematical and logical thinking should definitely be brought along, otherwise it will be difficult. My professor Thilo Stadelmann once said about computer scientists: We are masters of complexity - I found that to be a fitting description of the profession."