Research

Formal research and case studies I've completed, at the intersection of security, governance and emerging technology.

  1. 01 Agentic AI in Cybersecurity Operations Addressing alert fatigue and analyst shortages in Security Operations Centers.

    FOCUS

    Agentic AI   ·   Cybersecurity   ·   SOC Operations   ·   Alert Fatigue   ·   AI Governance

    Research into how agentic AI can support Security Operations Centers (SOCs) facing high volumes of security alerts and a shortage of skilled analysts. The research explores the evolution from SIEM, UEBA and SOAR toward more autonomous AI systems, and examines how agentic AI could assist with alert triage, investigation, correlation, risk assessment and escalation while maintaining human oversight, transparency and accountability.

  2. 02 IT Governance: SITA A COBIT 2019 case study of governance and information-security challenges at the State Information Technology Agency.

    FOCUS

    IT Governance   ·   COBIT 2019   ·   Information Security Governance   ·   Accountability   ·   IT Service Delivery

    A case study examining governance and information-security challenges identified at the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), using the COBIT 2019 framework to explore areas including procurement, contract management, IT decision-making, accountability, service delivery, audit trails and information-security governance. The research considers how clearer governance structures, defined responsibilities, monitoring and traceability can strengthen the management of IT resources and services.

  3. 03 Quantum Sensing for South Africa's Water Pipelines Exploring OPM quantum magnetometry for early detection of corrosion in ageing underground water pipes.

    FOCUS

    Quantum Sensing   ·   OPM Magnetometry   ·   Water Infrastructure   ·   Corrosion Detection   ·   Emerging Technology

    South Africa's ageing underground water pipes can corrode unnoticed until they cause leaks, bursts and service interruptions, contributing to municipal non-revenue water of around 47%. This research investigates Optically Pumped Magnetometry (OPM), an emerging quantum sensing technology that measures extremely weak magnetic fields, as a non-invasive way to detect corrosion-related changes in buried steel pipelines. It traces the technology's antecedents, including Rand Water's use of the Magnetic Memory Method, and proposes an OPM-based detection framework covering sensing, signal processing and corrosion classification, designed to support existing condition monitoring rather than replace it.