Sandesh Manganahalli Jayaprakash

"Three years ago, I came to the Netherlands from India to study Computer Science at Delft University of Technology. Within two years, I had completed my Master’s, specialising in Cyber Security. My passion is for building software in order to solve problems and to contribute something to the society. With this goal in mind, I started looking for an employer in Europe that suited me. From the stories of a friend who worked at TNO, it became clear to me that TNO might be the ideal organisation for me to realise these ambitions."

Bridge

"I’ve been working in the Networks research department for almost a year now. Here, we do applied research into the mobile and fixed networks and network technologies of the future. With a Master’s degree in Cyber Security, I could add a new perspective to this. As far as I’m concerned, cybersecurity should always be part of the design phase of future networks. This is why I would like to build a bridge between these two disciplines."

New avenues

"Among other things, we’re working on ways to secure smart home devices. This was one of the topics in my Master’s thesis, so it’s familiar territory for me. I’m also working on a European research project on vehicle-to-vehicle communication and the manner in which this can contribute to making road transport more sustainable. My focus is on incorporating/integrating encryption adding codification in order to secure this communication. I have also participated in a research project on satellite communication, which was a whole new area of research for me at the time. My experience at TNO has given me the self-confidence to explore new avenues and to not restrict myself. This has resulted in a great learning curve."

The bigger picture

"Over the next few years, I want to gain even more knowledge about the various network and security technologies that we’re developing here. In the future, this will enable me to zoom in and out to see the bigger picture. At TNO, they understand that you can’t know everything, and everyone likes to help one another. This provides a great launchpad when exploring new projects, technologies and roles."

Big thing

"15 years ago, when I was still studying in India, I hoped that the village where my parents lived would one day have a 2G network. At that time, we could only communicate with each other via letters. I’m now working on 5G, satellite communications and other networking technologies of the future. What a world of difference. If you realise how far I’ve come, both literally and figuratively, you can understand why working at TNO is a big thing for me."