Welcome to my site! My name is Brendan Georgiev Atamyanov Craven, although my friends call me Scia. I am a student in my final year at Howest. I am studying Applied Computer Science with a focus in Cybersecurity. My passion lies in hacking digital and physical security systems, specializing in network security and ethical hacking. My mission is to ensure the safety and integrity of information systems in an increasingly interconnected world.
My journey in cybersecurity
My career in cybersecurity began when I got hacked back in high school. From the moment my account was compromised until the moment I got it back, I underwent a massive amount of stress. I was already interested in computer science at that point but I had no clue where I wanted to specialize. It was then I decided that my life’s work would be to help people prevent their own systems from ever being compromised, to prevent people from undergoing the same stress and worry I endured. To keep people’s digital lives safe.
Over the years I have learnt and honed my skills through rigorous study and training and hands-on experience, working with a variety of organizations to safeguard their critical assets. More information on my work can be found on my LinkedIn, links to which can be found at the top and bottom of the page.
I hold proficiency in many cybersecurity and computing skills, as well as a certification from Harvard’s online CS50 academy for Artificial Intelligence. I continually strive to stay ahead of emerging threats. My approach to cybersecurity is proactive and comprehensive, working to emulate real threats before they happen in order to teach people what to look out for. It is security awareness.
I am also a Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate.
The evolution of my website
This website has undergone a significant transformation over the years. Originally it was launched as a portfolio for my graphic design company, Legacy Designs. The site showcased my work in Photoshop and graphic design, which I have been doing for over a decade now. During that time I did work for companies and individuals in South Africa, including Rivolt Technologies and a rock band named Soundtrack to the Revolution.
However, the website sat idle for around 5 years. From 2018 until 2024 it remained untouched, unbothered, unseen. Then I managed to remember my password, patched and updated all the old systems, and re-appropriated this space to reflect my new professional focus. The skills I developed in design haven’t been left behind; on the contrary they have only improved and expanded since and continue to influence my work in cybersecurity, particularly when it comes to writing up good-looking, easy-to-read reports for clients.
Building the website
The website is designed using WordPress. I am using the free version of the BizBoost theme developed by CatchThemes, available at this link: https://catchthemes.com/themes/bizboost/
BizBoost is a free multipurpose corporate WordPress Block theme that comes with a dark and minimal design. The block-based theme is beautifully crafted for people who want to promote their business online. It’s ideal for building corporate, blog, portfolio, eCommerce, freelance, and many more websites. Naturally, a good pick for my portfolio.
The main challenge I faced building this site was the process in re-appropriating it from its previous iteration. The website previously used the Lewis Theme which can be found here: https://elements.envato.com/lewis-creative-portfolio-wordpress-theme-WQSKAU2
After sitting untouched for many years, most of the technologies and plugins I was using for the website were outdated and had to be updated/patched. After a complete site reset and removal of unneeded plugins, I set up the new theme and got straight to work.
The design process for the site was fairly simple, the theme does most of the work in placing elements where they need to be and aligning everything properly. Another goal I had was to ensure the site looked great on mobile devices, which the theme also took care of.
What you will find here
On this website you will find a portfolio of my work over the last year:
- Podcast episodes recorded by myself and my good friend Omer Mokhamed Makhmud.
- Blog posts about major events I attended, as well as parts of my work, studies, and interests.
Thank you for visiting my site. I am glad to share my journey and insights with you.
Feel free to reach out to me via email for any inquiries or collaboration opportunities: