Career Summary

Nikitha Kurian is a security consultant with experience across security technology, risk management, and multidisciplinary design. Nikitha’s journey began with a Bachelor of Criminology, where her interest in human behaviour and risk first took shape. This foundation has evolved into a career in helping organisations understand security risks, meet their obligations and improve protective security in practical ways with an understanding of how people interact with spaces to support security solutions that align with client needs, operational requirements and industry standards. Her hands‑on internship with the City of Casey strengthened her capabilities in assessing and mitigating real‑world security risks, while her leadership experience in the Australian Air Force Cadets instilled discipline, strategic thinking, and confidence in guiding teams under pressure. Today, Nikitha combines technical knowledge, human‑centred design and collaborative practice to help organisations protect their people, assets, and infrastructure.

Career Pathway

• 2025 - Present Security Consultant, Security Consulting Group
• 2024-2026 - Master of Cyber Security, University of New South Wales
• 2023-2025 -Security Consultant, Arup
• 2017-2023 - Front End Supervisor, Woolworths
• 2022 (1 Month) - Community Safety Student Intern, City of Casey
• 2020-2023 - Bachelor of Criminology, Monash University
• 2014-2019 - Australian Air Force Cadets

Why did you choose to study your course at Monash University? 

Monash University was one of the few universities offering a degree with such a distinctive combination of pathways and units. What stood out to me was the opportunity to explore subjects that were both intellectually interesting and closely connected to real-world issues. I did not want to study a course that led me down only one narrow path. I wanted the freedom to discover where my interests could take me. As it turned out, that decision opened the door to a career I did not even know existed when I first enrolled.

What were the highlights of your time at Monash University? 

Unfortunately, much of my university experience took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was not exactly the university experience shown in the brochures! However, navigating that period became a valuable experience in itself. It taught me resilience, adaptability and how to remain motivated during uncertainty.

The greatest highlight came during my final year, when I was able to attend classes in person and explore criminology in greater depth. Those classes became career-defining for me. They helped me recognise where my interests truly lay and influenced the direction I pursued after graduation. What began as an academic interest ultimately became the foundation of my professional career.

How did your professional placement benefit you personally and professionally? 

I completed an internship with the City of Casey’s Crime Prevention Department and it became one of the most transformative experiences of my studies. It showed me what it felt like to contribute to work that could make a genuine difference to the safety and wellbeing of a community.

Professionally, the internship gave me practical experience that helped me stand out when applying for my first full-time role. Personally, it expanded my understanding of what a career in security could look like. Before the placement, I was unaware that many of these roles and career pathways even existed.

The experience opened my eyes to the physical security industry and demonstrated that crime prevention is not limited to responding to incidents. It can also involve designing safer environments which could reduce the consequence of harm before it occurs. That realisation played a major role in shaping the career I have today.

How has your course best prepared you for employment? 

My course strengthened my report writing, research and academic communication skills, all of which have remained highly valuable throughout my professional career. It also gave me the opportunity to learn from academics with practical experience in the fields they taught. Their ability to connect theory with real-world situations made the learning far more meaningful.

Most importantly, the course encouraged curiosity. One unit introduced me to Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and that single subject influenced the direction of my career. Today, I work within the physical security industry and regularly apply the CPTED principles and theories I first learned at Monash.

That initial curiosity also inspired me to undertake postgraduate studies in Cybersecurity. My career now sits at the intersection of criminology, physical security and cybersecurity, proof that sometimes one seemingly small university unit can have a surprisingly large impact.

How did you get your current position? 

I applied online for my current position, but my internship with the City of Casey’s Crime Prevention Department helped me build a pathway into the security industry. That experience stood out to the recruiter when I applied for my first full-time role. I was also one of the few employees hired without an engineering background to provide a different perspective based on criminology, human behaviour and community safety. Engineering knowledge is incredibly important in the security industry, but security is rarely only a technical problem.

What is your favourite part of your current job? 

My favourite part of my job is that every project is different. No two sites, clients or security challenges are exactly the same, which means the copy-and-paste button does not receive much attention in our office! Each project requires me to understand a new environment, identify its particular risks and develop solutions that respond to how the space will actually be used. One day, I may be reviewing a design; another day, I may be undertaking a security risk assessment, facilitating a risk workshop or advising a client on how to create a safer environment. I also find it rewarding to work in a role that can have a direct and meaningful impact on the community. Whether I am contributing to a design, risk assessment or security review, the underlying purpose is the same: to help shape safer environments for people.

Security work is often most successful when nothing happens. You may not always see the incident that was prevented or the harm that was avoided, but knowing that your advice may help protect people and communities makes the work incredibly meaningful.

Why are Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences crucial for today’s society? 

Security is not only about technology, cameras or barriers. To assess risk properly, we need to understand human behaviour, social environments, culture, inequality, motivation, fear, opportunity and the way people interact with places. A technically effective solution may still be unsuccessful if it makes people feel excluded, creates unintended consequences or fails to account for how a community actually uses a space. Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences help us identify risks, question assumptions and develop security solutions that are practical, ethical and inclusive.

As technology becomes more advanced, the human element becomes even more important. We can build smarter systems, but we still need people who can understand the social context in which those systems operate. Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences provide that perspective. They help ensure that the solutions we create are not only technically sound, but also responsible, equitable and centred on the people they are intended to protect.

What advice would you give to future students? 

Cybersecurity is now one of the most recognised and rapidly growing industries, but it is not the only pathway available. My advice is to remain curious and approach every unit with an open mind; even the ones you may not initially believe are relevant to your future.

You never know which subject, lecturer, placement or class discussion might introduce you to an interest you did not know you had. For me, one unit sparked an interest that developed into further study and eventually became my career.

Do not feel pressured to have your entire future planned from the beginning. University is not only about preparing for the career you already know you want; it is also about discovering careers you never knew were possible. Stay curious, take opportunities when they arise and allow your interests to lead you. You may end up building a career that you genuinely enjoy.