USW cyber researcher visits Norway with Livery Company support

A University of South Wales (USW) researcher has travelled to Norway to advance cutting-edge research into cyber security, thanks to a travel scholarship from The Worshipful Livery Company of Wales (WLCoW).

Tom Harris, a Technical Demonstrator with USW at it Newport Campus-based National Cyber Security Academy (NCSA) and PhD researcher, is investigating side-channel attacks on Apple’s computer processors — a field which explores how data can be extracted from devices through indirect means such as power usage and processing time.

With support from the Livery Company, Tom visited Noroff University College in Stavanger, Norway, where he collaborated in person with fellow researcher Zeeshan Basit. The visit enabled Tom to refine his research into computer algorithms and processor behaviour.

The work contributes to the growing field of cybersecurity and cryptographic resilience, with potential applications in both academic and commercial sectors.

Tom said that the £1,000 grant was vital in helping him to advance his research in a supportive environment.

“Being able to sit down in person and work through the technical challenges made a huge difference,” said Tom.

“It’s easy to miss things over email or Teams, but having that face-to-face time helped me finish a detailed research paper that I might not have completed otherwise.”

Having received the grant from WLCoW, Tom said he would highly recommend that others take up similar opportunities.

“It’s not just about the research — it’s about meeting people you might never have crossed paths with, and building connections that can shape your future work,” he said.

Noroff University, which has campuses in Oslo, Bergen, and Stavanger, specialises in digital and technological disciplines. The Stavanger campus, where Tom was based, focuses on tech innovation and cybersecurity.

WLCoW was founded in 1993 to promote education, science, technology, and the arts in Wales. It supports young people through scholarships and bursaries across schools, universities, and technical colleges.

Past Master Peter Coleman, one of the judges for this competition, in making this Award to Thomas, said: “The primary aim of the company is to ‘Nurture Welsh Talent’ and one method of achieving this is to encourage and support students to progress with a specific project. 

“In making this award to Thomas the judges felt that he is working in an exciting area of cyber security which will have an increasingly important role in the future and were impressed by Thomas’s dedication, focus and enthusiasm in this area

“This exciting project illustrates how such cutting-edge work can make a vital contribution to development of cyber security excellence in Wales. We are delighted to be able to support Thomas in his efforts to build and develop international links with fellow experts in this vital new area of research.”  

Caption: Past Master Peter Coleman, Award Judge, WLCoW; Tom Harris; Sylvia Robert-Sargeant, Award Judge, WLCoW; and Richard Ward, lecturer in Cyber Security at USW