COURSE CURRICULUM

This MSc Cyber Security programme provides students with advanced technical knowledge and practical skills required to identify, prevent, and respond to modern cyber threats across organisations and digital infrastructures. The course includes a substantial Computing Masters Project, where students undertake independent research or industry-focused investigations to develop significant outputs such as software solutions, security tools, systems, or research findings while strengthening their analytical, research, and project management skills. Through Cyber Risk and Vulnerability Management, students develop expertise in cyber risk assessment, security frameworks, vulnerability identification, and the use of professional tools and techniques to protect systems against emerging threats. Ethical Hacking Techniques introduces practical experience in penetration testing, vulnerability analysis, attack models, and offensive and defensive security practices, while also examining the growing role of artificial intelligence in cyber security operations. The Hacking the Human module focuses on the human aspect of cyber security, exploring social engineering, human vulnerabilities, and methods used by attackers to exploit individuals as entry points into systems, while developing strategies to improve awareness and organisational resilience. IT Ethics and Law provides an understanding of important legal and ethical issues including intellectual property rights, computer crime legislation, contracts, liability, privacy, and data protection regulations, preparing students to apply legal principles within professional environments. Mobile Systems and Cyber Security develops knowledge of the hardware, networking technologies, communication protocols, data compression techniques, and security measures used in modern mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Network and Systems Security further strengthens technical expertise by covering cryptography, authentication protocols, digital signatures, firewalls, wireless security, intrusion detection, penetration testing, access control mechanisms, and network defence strategies. By combining technical, legal, ethical, and human-centred perspectives, the programme prepares graduates for careers in cyber security analysis, ethical hacking, penetration testing, risk management, information assurance, network security, and digital forensics across a wide range of industries.