Journey
so far

I am fascinated with solving complex problems with the aid of computing systems, and most of my past and current industrial endeavors are woven around it. My past experience in Europe (Aalto University) has also nurtured and convinced me that further exposure in Europe will nurture me further.

My career started with a hardware-based virus scanning accelerator. As an undergraduate class project at the University of Peradeniya, it lead us to win many local competitions and to represent our country in an International event (IET PATW 2017). While presenting this work, I also won the best presenter award. This exposure taught me essential lessons on the practicality and communication.

My second stint was with the Secure Systems research group at the University of Aalto. I had the opportunity of working with a group of brilliant researchers. During my internship, I worked on a project to protect systems against attacks focusing on Data-Oriented-Programming. I worked on implementing new defenses on FPGA and benchmarking proposed solutions. This opportunity shaped my perception of research and furthered my interest in computer science. I also learned about working in a large group with diverse backgrounds and research experience to achieve a common goal. I also had the opportunity to participate in a Master's level course focusing on mobile systems security which exposed me to privacy regulation in mobile.

I chose my final year project in the same domain. The objective was to exploit the power consumption of a cryptosystem and extract its secret key, which was accepter to a reputed journal (IJICS). The project was also selected for the premier national technological exhibition in Sri Lanka, named "TECHNO 2018".

After graduation, I joined an international Retail solutions company, where I integrated software to act against fraud by adhering to the rightful recording of the transactions, ensuring retail systems' ethical functioning. I have developed the solution for over 10 European countries in 2 years. Being curious and developing solid technical expertise in a shorter period has allowed me to reach this milestone. I believe the exposure and the technical skills gained in the industry will add value to my future endeavors.

I envision pursuing a software engineering career in computer science. I am convinced that software engineering is touching users across the spectrum and is a critical feature in the present and the future. That motivation took me thus far and I believe I can reach the heights necessary to be the socially responsible citizen I am determined to be.