Orlando Morris-Johnson: Cracking the Code

Orlando Morris-Johnson is a first-year resident from Perth, Western Australia, pursuing a Cybersecurity degree at Curtin University. His passion for cybersecurity started unexpectedly at a high school Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, which is a cybersecurity exercise where participants try to find hidden "flags" in vulnerable programs or websites. Despite being initially drawn by free pizza, he and his friends at Perth Modern School performed surprisingly well, sparking a lasting interest in CTF challenges. 

His journey reached a significant milestone when he participated in the 2024 DefCon CTF finals in Las Vegas as part of the Australian team Emu Exploit. "The experience was surreal," Orlando shares. “It was exciting to meet my online teammates in person and engage with the global hacking community.” 

Living at St Catherine’s has broadened his perspective dramatically. "I've met incredible people studying all types of disciplines, which has made conversations more thought-provoking," Orlando notes. "I value the diverse community at College that encourages learning and personal development.”

Looking ahead, Orlando remains excited about his future. "Cybersecurity is such a broad field and there's so much to learn," he says. “I’m currently exploring red-teaming and adversary simulation and staying open to emerging opportunities.”