Studying our Cyber Security MSc course will equip you with the core knowledge and skills around security processes, methodologies and practices. To advance your cyber security skills, you will discover key domains in cyber security management from a strategic and tactical perspective within an organisational context in our Tactical and Strategic Cybersecurity Management unit. You will be introduced optimised IT operations and information security programs used in critical business functions as part of their cyber security strategy.

It is also important that you adhere to the frameworks, standards and strategies for managing an organisation’s information assets, and this is where our unit in Information Governance and Compliance will introduce you to the principles that govern modern information systems that align with legal and regulatory requirements within the field. More importantly, you will be equipped with the principles, methods and tools to prevent cyber-attacks and to identify them as quickly as possible in our Cyber Defence unit. Furthermore, you will examine network security mechanisms, information gathering techniques and analytics to build and evaluate threat intelligence programmes.

Finally, you will complete an MSc Project in Cyber Security that will allow you to bring your acquired skills and knowledge together in practice. You can take this opportunity to work on a topic of interest to you that is relevant to your field of study. To help you with this, you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge around Research Methodologies and Project Management that will prepare you to engage with scientific work, data analysis, establishing hypotheses and understanding research.

Tactical And Strategic Cybersecurity Management (Ptbm)

Effective cyber security management is more than static controls deployed within the network perimeter to protect against adaptive threats. This unit presents the key domains within cyber security management from a strategic and tactical perspective within an organisational context regardless of its size or the industry and sector. The unit introduces optimised IT operations using an effective information security program as an enabler to critical business functions and core standards, processes and procedures as essential components of any cyber security strategy. This unit provides a comprehensive understanding in people, infrastructure and technology and the dynamic and conflicting security attributes governing their interactions. 

Cyber Defence (Ptbm)

Cyber threat intelligence has become one of the biggest business priorities in an attempt to deal with dynamic attack vectors while still rely on static controls and measures. It is a systematic approach to help an organisation better articulate, manage and change risk outcomes and improve the effectiveness of cyber defence. This unit seeks to address the core principles, methods, tools and products available used in information gathering and analytics so as to aid decision making with the aim of preventing cyber-attacks or decreasing the time taken to discover them. The unit guides the students through the fundamentals of building and evaluate a successful threat intelligence programme with a focus on all strategic, tactical and operational aspects of it. An overview of network security mechanisms, tools and techniques is also included to better articulate state-of-the-art approaches in informed cyber defence. 

Information Governance And Compliance (Ptbm)

The unit seeks to address the discipline of Information Governance and Compliance and its associated theories, practices, and principles that govern any modern information system in alignment with multi-disciplinary structures, processes, and procedures. Particular focus is given to the frameworks, standards, and strategies for managing an organisation’s information assets with all the underpinned legal and regulatory requirements that need to be fulfilled. 

Research Methodologies And Project Management

This unit introduces students to research and the methodologies used to underpin scientific work, data analysis, hypotheses establishment and artefact validation in understanding research in an appropriate subject discipline. The material in this unit is carefully designed to meet students’ needs and requirements for their programme of study along with essential project management skills to support their research activities. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of tools, techniques, methodologies and processes in the field of project management which encapsulate both modern and traditional approaches as an essential preparation for the dissertation stage. The unit also draws on expertise from other departments within the university including library services, the careers and employability service and the English language centre to support students in the best possible way.

Msc Project - Cyber Security

The project unit is essential for you to use and develop comprehensive skills and knowledge gained from other units and from your wider educational and working background in a major integrative exercise. While working creatively under the appropriate guidance of a member of staff, you will generate an idea and demonstrate your ability to develop it further, producing a suitable artefact by applying your technical, analytical, practical and managerial skills in an integrated manner. You are required to emphasise on a topic which sufficiently reflects on the course you are studying.
The project unit is aiming at your ability to demonstrate that you have the appropriate level of intellectual skills (ability to synthesise, criticise, develop and integrate material that you have met in the taught units); to identify problems, analyse situations and develop solutions; to develop your project management skills to schedule your time and work and to schedule resources under supervision; to carry out and present in an organised way a substantial body of original work.