MSc Cybersecurity

Cover a range of governance and management topics which will enable you to determine, establish and maintain appropriate governance, delivery and creation of cybersecurity solutions for information, systems and network security. Understand the underlying technologies of secure systems and gain a critical awareness of the inherent risks and related privacy issues of their use in the cybersecurity environment by applying concepts such as the principles of least privilege, separation of risk, defence in depth and secrecy. Learn to analyse the range of trade-offs in balancing the security properties of confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) and the usability demands of computer and information systems. Learn how to select the appropriate tools and techniques to address and manage concepts of risk, threats, vulnerabilities and potential attacks. Explain, apply and evaluate the concepts of trust and trustworthiness in a cybersecurity context and apply the issues associated with authentication, authorisation and access control.

Learn to apply the principles, policies and procedures of cybersecurity and data science to provide resilient and robust organisational solutions for secure and valuable information. Develop techniques and use tools that will enable you to undertake critical analysis of the challenges and opportunities of using cybersecurity to mitigate and manage risk to data and enable business continuity in the case of data breaches. Develop a critical understanding of governance, standards, audit, assurance and review in order to evaluate the challenges in managing technology. 

Consider cybersecurity in design and development using the concepts of secure design across a range of platforms and problem areas. Study applied cryptography, secure programming and defensive programming. Gain the knowledge and skills to undertake first-response in cyber breach and associated incidents. Evaluate effective measures for securing evidential content in the wake of an event, technical issues relating to breaches, factors for mitigating risk, the impact this may have on the organisation and those directly affected by breach data loss in a legal context. Acquire the technical knowledge and skills to respond to breaches and implement proactive measures to potentially prevent their occurrence. 

Study the two themes of cybersecurity and usability in software design. Learn to understand the trade-offs and challenges these themes present. Research challenges in the areas of usable security through a survey of past and recent research in usable cybersecurity. Examine the nature of usability and the user experience, as it applies to cybersecurity, the impact of user psychology, user models, usage contents and usability evaluation techniques. 

Develop a practical deliverable and investigate an area of academic research through the support of a sponsor, for example: an IT strategy; an investigative study; a technically challenging artefact (e.g. a feasibility study, design, implementation, re-engineered solution); or undertake a theoretical review based on a novel research question (provided by a research-active member of staff). Underpin the project with a literature review that is a conceptual framework of your study – a systematic synthesis of concepts, assumptions, expectations, beliefs, and theories that support and inform your research.