The Department of Information Technology Studies at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), in collaboration with its industry partner, DoubleOSec Ltd, has organised a practical cybersecurity workshop for postgraduate students. Held on Saturday, 29 August 2026, at the AFOA Conference Room, the one-day programme brought together approximately 15 final-year MSc Information Security Management students.
Dubbed ‘Night Shift’, the workshop focused on cyber defence and incident response, challenging participants to apply their academic knowledge to simulated security incidents.
Mr Gervin Appiah, Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Hacking Officer of DoubleOSec Ltd, facilitated the programme. He guided students through scenarios designed to reflect the pressures and complexities of professional cybersecurity operations.
Working in teams, participants investigated and responded to simulated incidents involving phishing, ransomware, lateral movement and domain name system (DNS) manipulation. The exercises also covered scenarios involving operational technology (OT).
The practical sessions gave students opportunities to use industry-relevant cybersecurity tools and techniques while analysing threats, coordinating responses and making decisions under pressure. This approach connected classroom learning with the technical and collaborative demands of incident response.
Faculty members, including Dr Prince Oberko, Dr David Abogye-Darko and Mrs Ivonne Kumah Nketia, attended to support the programme and engage with participants.
The collaboration with DoubleOSec Ltd forms part of the Department’s efforts to strengthen the relationship between academic study and professional practice. Through practical engagement with industry, the Department seeks to equip students with the technical judgement, teamwork and problem-solving skills needed to address cybersecurity challenges in Ghana’s digital economy.
