The issue of cyber security continues to be a major issue for both individuals and large corporations. It has been reported by the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2018 that over four in ten businesses (43%) and two in ten charities (19%) experienced a cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months.
For businesses it is no longer a question of if a cyber-attack will occur but rather when, and as such the demand for qualified IT security professionals has risen exponentially. Northumbria University’s part-time MSc Cyber Security has been designed to give you the skills to meet this increased demand, including how to handle security incidents, identify new and existing threats, and determining methods to minimise them.
Incidents of cyber-crime have increased in the UK by 48% from 2013-14 according to PwC’s Global State of Information Security Survey 2015, costing the UK up to £27bn a year. While their 2016 survey has reported a significant shift in the way organisations are taking action, including their willingness to invest in security.
Our MSc Cyber Security will teach you how to handle security incidents, identify new and existing threats and determine methods to minimise them. We will also provide an in-depth coverage of the fundamental concepts, principles and technologies for network security. Going beyond just theoretical theory, you will be given a practical understanding of governance and assurance, along with technology risk practices.
Our MSc Cyber Security is designed to allow you to fit your studies around your working life and is assessed through modular assignments, exams and a final dissertation. All taught lectures are delivered across 15 of weekends spread throughout the 2 year programme. This is based on 2 10am-4pm sessions over 15 weekends, you will also have an additional 6-hours of contact time through a workshop. You will also have 6-hours of contact time with your tutor as part of your final project, this can be on campus or online.
You will also be expected to engage in independent study, around 3-4 hours per week on average over the 2 years. This will be supported by your module tutor and will consist of pre-class reading preparation, research, assessment preparation, development and writing as well as skills development and online tests and quizzes.
Each module builds upon your understanding of information governance and assurance, along with technology risk management practices. You will study with a diverse group like-minded IT professionals, and will be able to trial new approaches and processes in a safe environment, working on real world scenarios and case studies.
Cyber security has become an increasingly recurring issue for businesses, governments and the public. Recent hacks include the US presidential election, Yahoo’s ‘biggest data breach in history’ and the continual release of information by WikiLeaks, the financial cost to business is estimated to be as high as $6 trillion by 2021. Given this, business and governments alike have significantly invested in their cyber security systems.
With all this investment, there are a plethora of career options following completion of this course, typical roles include:
- Threat management & forensics
- Risk analytics & management
- Policy makers & Strategists
- Operations & security management
- Engineering, Architecture & Design
- Chief Technology Officer
