Hello, I'm Hassan 👋 —
I'm a security specialist who dabbles in writing, programming, and speaking.
Speaking
I've had the privilege to speak professionally at annual conferences to cozy meetups. My seminars touch on security awareness, phishing, and social engineering. I speak on areas of interest that rotate between security, technology, and psychology.
The Psychology of Phishing 🎣
OWASP Toronto x Okta 2024
I discuss how you can spot phishing attacks using psychological principles and emerging research to combat phishing.
Preventing Insider Risk 🤫
University of Guelph x EQ Bank 2023
I talk about current security practices, tools, and mitigation strategies to reduce insider risk within organizations.
Security Awareness 101 🛡️
The Village by the Arboretum 2024
Annual UGRA Meetup 2023
Guelph Public Library 2022
General security awareness such as data privacy, password security, MFA, and phishing.
Interested in having me speak at your organization?
Let's Talk!Open source
AWS E2E Deployment Tool
Creates an end-to-end encrypted template for developers to deploy a NoSQL database deployed on AWS. A python-based library is used as the client, and AWS Key Management System is used to manage keys.
Technologies:
View GitHub →
Cloud VM Deployment Tool
A one-click solution that deploys Elastic Compute Cloud instances on AWS and Azure Virtual Machines from a modifiable CSV.
Technologies:
View GitHub →
COVID-19 Canada Dashboard
A geospatial visualization of active COVID-19 cases in Canada and a closer look at Ontario. Used governmental data in combination with R scripting and leaflet to outline a choropleth map. Visualisation communicates areas that are highly affected by COVID-19.
Technologies:
View GitHub →
Recent Work
Throughout my studies, I had the opportunity to work across various industries and research areas.
Industry Experience
Information Security Risk Analyst
Equitable Bank, 2023
Research Experience
Social Engineering and Enhancing Detection Methods
Canada Cyber Foundry, 2022 — 2023
About me
I began as a research assistant, working on aspects of human cognition like emotion, memory, and creativity.
Later I shifted my attention to software engineering, building solutions for startup, medical, and financial industries.
Now I'm in the cybersecurity field where I continue to leverage SWE practices and principles in psychology.
I studied at the University of Guelph. Learned tons and networked with amazing peers and mentors. Below are some notable highlights.
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December 2020
BSc, Computer Science
Utilized machine learning, cloud computing, and data science. Studied and worked under the Gillis research lab. Using natural language processing to analyze mental health data provided by the TalkLife platform.
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August 2021
BA, Psychology
Focused on cognitive, social, and abnormal psychology. Completed my thesis on memory and cognition. Worked within the Self-Injury and Mental Health lab, aiding in rural suicidality research.
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October 2023
MSc, Cybersecurity
Gained industry and academic experience in security and threat intelligence. Leveraged cloud computing and machine learning to create security tooling. Researched social engineering mechanisms from a psychological perspective.