As an intern at XM Cyber: learning from the best

Tel Aviv is considered the Mecca of the cyber security industry. One of the flagship companies: XM Cyber, which has been part of the Schwarz Group since the end of 2021. Those who work here are among the best in the field. The jobs are highly sought-after and internships are very limited - Nikolai, a student at 42 Heilbronn, is one of them.

XM Cyber plays in the top league of cyber experts internationally. Hardly anyone protects companies so securely against attacks. One of the three founders was previously a Mossad director. Another headed the technology department of the Israeli secret service for many years. Concentrated know-how. XM Cyber's aim is to proactively uncover security vulnerabilities by adopting the attackers' perspective.

What can a second-year student contribute here? Nikolai is starting his internship at XM Cyber in the Research and Development department. His tasks include: End-to-end development and integration of cyber attack techniques. In concrete terms, this means, for example, that Nikolai detects so-called spring4Shell vulnerabilities in the widely used Java library at customers and thus minimizes their security risks. “At the beginning, I thought I knew nothing and couldn't really contribute anything here.” Far from it. In the meantime, the codes and techniques he programmed have been implemented in the XM Cyber product. He learned the tools for this at 42 Heilbronn.

Peer learning concepts also work in the professional world

Looking back. In 2020, Nikolai first started studying math. At the height of the pandemic, this means hours of silent work, alone in front of his laptop. Although he was interested in the topics, the lack of interaction with other students - whether online or offline - was wearing on his nerves. After one semester, he calls it a day. Nikolai applies for the first Piscine at 42 Heilbronn. A cultural break: daily calls, mutual support and community despite online teaching - the togetherness is inspiring, the learning curve is steep.

The peer learning concept is of particular importance in further studies. For example, anyone who thinks they have successfully completed a project has it checked by various fellow students and explains all the steps to them. This is very similar to everyday working life at XM Cyber. Nikolai: “When I'm working on a new technology, it's always discussed in the team and then I implement the feedback. It's a real advantage that I already practiced this culture of discussion and this approach at 42.”

Sabath dinner in the XM cyber family

Where there are other similarities: The enormously friendly and open way of working together. Nikolai: “Everyone at XM Cyber knows each other. The company is seen as one big family.”

In his very first week, an XM Cyber colleague wrote to him on Slack and invited him to a Sabath dinner. He accepts and meets his colleague's entire family. Around 30 people meet up, from the great-grandmother to the youngest offspring. Nikolai experiences an abundance of food, conversation and joy. An enriching experience that goes far beyond the traditional internship. Nikolai: “The importance of family is much greater here than in Germany. And I've never experienced such warmth - even from complete strangers.”

The internship is divided into two periods of three months, based on visa requirements. The second phase is coming to an end, Nikolai will spend a few more weeks at XM Cyber coding at top level, playing basketball with Tel Aviv locals on his favorite sports field in the evenings and visiting clubs at the weekends. Nikolai shares an apartment with David, the second 42 intern at XM Cyber. This is also provided. In a prime location right by the harbor. Nikolai: “I'll miss that, the amazing view of the beach and sailing boats.”