Cyber Security (MSc)

The MSc in Cyber Security aims to provide you with the knowledge and necessary skills in several core areas of cyber security. 

• The course aims to provide a comprehensive and deep understanding of security principles, as well as the practical techniques used in solving security problems and addressing relevant issues.
• Fully certified1 by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the course has been designed to give you the opportunity to equip yourself to work at a professional level, developing a range of industry-informed knowledge and skills in areas such as network security, secure design, cryptography, risk assessment, ethical hacking, digital forensics and incident response.Running in a research-driven environment, the course also aims to build foundations for further research at Doctoral level in cyber security for students from a wide range of undergraduate degrees.The course will provide recent graduates and early to mid-career practitioners in the computing industry opportunities to enhance their knowledge or move into cyber security.You will have the option to apply for a ‘work placement’ opportunity2, designed to further develop your skills and knowledge with the aim of maximising your employability prospects. See modules for more information.

Why you should study this course
The overall aim of the course is for you to develop:

• A deep and comprehensive understanding of current cyber security issues, concepts and technologies.
• Technical skills in assessing systems security, detecting and mitigating security incidents.
• An understanding of the changing cyber threat landscape and the developments in cyberspace.
• The delivery is based on a combination of face-to-face sessions and online learning, with a substantial opportunity for practical ‘hands-on’ activities. This is supported by specialist ethical hacking, digital forensics and networking laboratories, as well as a virtual cyber security lab. This provides you with the opportunity to apply the theoretical aspects you learn across the course’s modules, as well as to design, implement and evaluate a variety of real-world examples and case studies.
• Research project opportunities could be available for you to further develop your skills. Current work covers a range of topics such as security for low-powered embedded systems, software defined networking, enhancing security through machine learning, protocol analysis, IoT security, crypto algorithms, vehicle security and security Industry 4.0 environments. Research project opportunities may be subject to availability.
• The Cyber Security Research Group at Coventry University currently has strong links with several industries and government bodies, including companies in cyber security and forensics, automotive, Internet-of-Things (IoT) and others, both in supporting our curriculum and learning, as well as research and development addressing real-world problems.

What you'll study
Your main study themes are:

• Network and system security: A fundamental aspect of security is the service and communication infrastructure. The course makes use of our specialist labs and equipment to give people as much hands-on experience as possible to help make the theory understandable.Cryptography: It’s obvious that secure communication is underpinned by cryptography, but it is also essential in areas such as proof of identity and ownership; escrow; password storage and more.Secure design and development: In addition to how to build systems from off-the-shelf components securely, analyse and breach systems, the course looks at the ways in which software is designed and built to be secure. From formal methods to code review, you will have the opportunity to examine how industry tackles the problem of insecure software.Ethical hacking: A practical approach to testing security and also one of the best ways to learn the finer points of how systems are constructed is through penetration testing. The course encourages students to explore in a safe environment and provides a number of carefully constructed scenarios and challenges as well as the opportunity to take part in international competitions with our CTF (Capture the Flag) team, the Ethical Slackers2.Intrusion detection and incident response: Security is essential, but no matter how much time and money is spent on it, breaches happen. New vulnerabilities and attack vectors are discovered regularly and it’s critical that an organisation knows how to respond once a breach occurs.Digital data acquisition, recovery and analysis: Data recovery and analysis covers a wide range of activities, from log analysis to identifying misuse or data exfiltration to gathering evidence suitable for prosecution and even the most basic tasks of recovering from system failure.Security of emerging connected systems: The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term we see more often than ever now, and it refers to the tide of devices that are interconnected and tapped into the Internet that we have in our homes and workplaces. Manufacturers of consumer electronics are fast converting their products to become ‘smart’, often without understanding the security implications that software developers in traditional firms hopefully do. A number of interesting security vulnerabilities have come to light recently and the expectation is that this will grow rapidly. Outside of the home, the industrial application of connected devices is just starting to become more commonplace and the security issues of IoT are about to become problematic there, too.Automotive cyber security: Automotive security is a major challenge to connected and autonomous vehicles coming from the increase in the use of digital and software components on connected platforms. This requires deep understanding of the complex nature of the challenge with a systematic threat assessment and attack analysis, and design paradigms for assurance, privacy and regulatory compliance.
• This course is delivered over three semesters. In the first two semesters, you will study core and optional pathway modules, and in the third semester, you will work on your research project.
• In your first semester, you will study the fundamental subjects in computer security, such as network security, cryptography, and secure design and development. We will also dive into the offensive part in the ethical hacking module.
• In the second semester, you will focus on the defensive side in intrusion detection and response, and the digital data acquisition, recovery and analysis modules. Depending on the pathway you choose, you will continue in cyber security management, security audit, or some of the cyber security emerging areas in the automotive cyber security and security of emerging connected systems modules.
• In your final semester, you will be expected to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you have learned by undertaking an in-depth individual project. Guided by an expert tutor, this project helps to develop your research skills and gain an experience matching that of a computer security professional.

How you'll learn

• Modules may be delivered as a combination of lectures, computer laboratory sessions, online learning, problem classes, seminars, discussions and tutorials.
• The course adopts a combination of a lab-rotation model and flipped-classroom of teaching and learning, with a combination of online/in-class lectures, online/in-class tutorials and in-class discussions and presentations. These are designed and set by the module leaders reflecting the specific topics with the aim of maximising attainment and learning.

Teaching contact hours

• A 15-credit module will typically have about 30 hours of contact time associated with it. This will include a combination of, but may not be limited to, lectures, small-group sessions, laboratory sessions and support sessions. In addition, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study each week of around 35 hours, depending on the demands of individual modules.
• The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.
• As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
• Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

Assessment

• This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods may include:

• Formal examinations
• Phase tests
• Essays
• Group work
• Presentations
• Reports
• Projects
• Coursework
• Exams
• Individual Assignments

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

• Throughout the programme, we will refer to international case studies and examples such as Edward Snowden, Julian Assange or the Russian involvement in the US election. You may also have opportunities to collaborate with students from other international universities on Collaborative online international learning (COIL) projects and be given an opportunity to participate in an international internship.
• Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements are therefore not guaranteed2.

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to demonstrate:

• A critical awareness of the legal frameworks, ethical and professional issues of cyber security
• A comprehensive understanding of network and information systems secure communication technologies and protocols and their application to contemporary Internet and mobile-based solutions and technologies
• A thorough understanding of the theoretical concepts and implementation of current security frameworks and architectures as well as cryptographic protocols and algorithms
• An awareness of current issues and new technologies in cyber security which are informed by leading edge research and/or practice in the field.

You will also be able to:

• Perform systematic risk assessment, identification and analysis in accordance with international standards and demonstrate an ability to deal with complex issues
• Evaluate and justify a suitable methodology and tools for vulnerability assessment of a system
• Conduct and report an ethically based security audit and test to a professional standard, recommending and specifying suitable countermeasures
• Assess systems’ security requirements and apply secure design methodology and formal methods in systems design, implementation and testing
• Apply appropriate technological solutions and processes in the detection, management and investigation of information security incidents, and document a digital investigation from a legal and professional standpoint
• Extrapolate from existing research, scholarship and/or fieldwork findings to identify new or revised approaches to practice
• Conduct rigorous research/formal enquiry into cyber security issues that require familiarity with a range of technologies, research sources and appropriate methodologies, and for such to inform the overall learning process.

Where our graduates work

• Upon successful completion of this course, you may have the opportunity to be employed in the cyber security industry in a variety of roles such as a penetration tester, SOC security analysis or digital forensic investigator, to name a few.