Praneel Chand
PROFILE
Experienced professional currently reskilling in cybersecurity through the CompTIA certifications. Holds prior academic qualifications in technology and brings several years of experience in academia and research. Eager to apply newly acquired cybersecurity expertise alongside strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address real-world challenges.
SKILLS AND TOOLS
Cybersecurity: Incident Response, Information Security, Risk Management, Vulnerability Management, Forensic Analysis (Tools: Kali Linux, Wireshark, SIEM – Splunk/Wazuh, Nmap, Metasploit, ZAP, Burp Suite, Nessus, OpenVAS, CVSS, MITRE ATT&CK, OWASP)
Computer Systems: Windows/Linux System/Network Configuration, Network Troubleshooting
Programming/Scripting: Python, PowerShell and bash scripts, Matlab programming software, KNIME, RapidMiner Studio
Soft Skills: Collaborative Team Contributor, Attention to Detail, Results-Oriented and Goal-Driven
RECENT EXPERIENCE
Sydney International School of Technology and Commerce - Parramatta Campus, May 2024 – present
Course Coordinator and Senior Lecturer in IT (Data Analytics)
Experience: Coordinating and teaching various IT units related to data analytics. Leading and contributing to projects related to Al and data analytics.
· Worked collaboratively with the teaching and administrative teams to achieve positive outcomes for students and the institution.
· Collaboratively contributed to the successful external review and accreditation of IT programs.
· Reviewed assessments to constructively align with unit and course specifications.
· Ensured quality assurance of Master of IT units through internal and external moderation.
· Developed machine learning (deep learning) models for object classification.
· Worked collaboratively with a research team to design and develop machine learning models for air quality data analysis.
Kings Own Institute - Sydney Campus, October 2023 – May 2024
Senior Lecturer in IT (Business Analytics)
Experience: Developed and delivered units in Bachelors and Masters programs. Led and contributed to projects related to Al and data analytics.
· Worked collaboratively with the teaching and administrative teams to achieve positive outcomes for students and the institution.
· Transitioned units from face-to-face to hybrid learning mode.
· Ensured quality assurance of IT units through internal moderation.
· Developed machine learning (deep learning) models for object classification.
Melbourne Institute of Technology - Sydney Campus, March 2023 – October 2023
Senior Lecturer in Data Analytics
Experience: Developed and delivered units in Bachelors and Masters programs. Led and contributed to projects related to Al and data analytics.
· Worked collaboratively with the teaching and administrative teams to achieve positive outcomes for students and the institution.
· Ensured quality assurance of IT units through internal moderation.
· Developed machine learning (deep learning) models for classification problems.
Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), July 2019 – March 2023
Senior Lecturer in Engineering (July 2019 – March 2023) & Research Leader (January 2021- December 2022)
Experience: Developed and delivered courses in electrical engineering. Led and contributed to various engineering projects related to AI and robotics.
· Redesigned assessment strategy to focus on industry needs by replacing exams with practical application-based (real-world) assessments.
· Ensured quality assurance of industrial programming units through internal and external moderation.
· Managed and supported staff to receive internal funding for projects and related publications.
· Successfully completed multiple collaborative pilot engineering research projects resulting in the creation of working prototype solutions.
EDUCATION
Apr 2025- 2026
Cyber Revolution, Sydney, Australia
Cyber Accelerator Course
Includes four CompTIA certifications:
· Network+ N10-009 (passed July 2025)
· Security+ SY0-701 (passed September 2025)
· CySA+ CySA+ CS0-003 (passed November 2025)
· PenTest+ PT0-003 (in progress)
2011
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
PhD in Electronics and Computer Systems Engineering
2002
The University of the South Pacific, Fiji
Postgraduate Diploma in Engineering Technology
2000
The University of the South Pacific, Fiji
Bachelor of Technology
RELATED SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
Peer-reviewed Journal Articles (Machine learning & Data Analytics)
Alani, NHS, Chand, P. and Al-Rawi, M. A Two-Stage Machine Learning Framework for Air Quality Prediction in Hamilton, New Zealand. Environments, MDPI, 2025, 12(9), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12090336.
This article presents the development of various machine learning models (RF, DT, KNN, SVM) for air quality prediction (classification). Models were implemented using Python Sci-kit learn in Google Colab.
Chand, P. and Assaf, M. An Empirical Study on Lightweight CNN Models for Efficient Classification of Used Electronic Parts. Sustainability, MDPI, 2024, 16(17), 7607. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177607.
This article presents the development of lightweight CNN models for efficient classification of electronic parts. Models were developed and implemented using Matlab software.
Chand, P. A Low Resolution Used Electronics Parts Image Dataset for Sorting Application. Data, MDPI, 2023, 8(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/data8010020.
This article presents the data set and machine learning models (SVM, ANN, CNN) used for electronics parts detection. Implemented using Matlab software.
Chand, P. and Lal, S. Vision-based Detection and Classification of Used Electronics Parts. Sensors, MDPI, 2022, 22(23), 9079. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22239079 .
This article presents the development of the robotic system to sort electronics parts and details the implementation of the machine learning models (SVM, ANN, CNN) for parts classification. Implemented using Matlab software.
Peer-reviewed Conference Article (Computer Networking and Programming)
Chand, P. Developing a Matlab Controller for Niryo Ned Robot. 2022 IEEE International Conference on Technology Innovation and its Applications (ICTIIA), 23 September 2022, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/ICTIIA54654.2022.9935911.
This paper details the development of the Matlab-based control software for the Niryo Ned robotic arm. It also describes how to connect the Linux-based robot controller with a Windows computer over a wireless network.
REFEREES
Available on request.