Welcome to your Cyber Security course

If you are a full-time on campus student, the lectures will be delivered live on campus/streamed, practical tutorial sessions will be live on campus.

For distance learning students the material will be pre-recorded and hosted on our VLE, the tutorial material will also be hosted on our VLE.

To ensure that Distance Learning (DL) students receive the same educational experience as students on-campus, the DL version of this course offers access to virtual labs and state-of-the-art simulation software. This innovative approach allows remote learners to engage with the curriculum fully, providing them with the opportunity to work with real-world equipment and scenarios.

In the first few weeks of this course, you will become more familiar with our friendly and professional teaching team and learn how to use our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Blackboard. You will also be introduced to our library resources, giving you access to a variety of online platforms.

The modules in your semester one are:

Research Methods & Dissertation Proposal

The purpose of this module is to introduce the foundational knowledge and abilities you will need to start working on your MSc project. The syllabus will consist of identifying a project, defining goals and objectives, deliverables, and value addition, selecting literature to go in your research review section, how to study research papers, academic writing, and preparing for your MSc dissertation.

Machine Learning in Cyber

On this module you will learn about some of the main methods for data analysis and machine learning in the field related to Cyber Security. Different algorithms will be explored, and students will learn how to use them to analyse data, forecast the future, and assess performance. The module will look at how these types of concepts and technologies are applied to the cyber security industry, and how they are being used to detect malicious agents and actors across both hosts and networks.

Digital Forensics

A digital forensic investigation is a special case of investigation where the procedures and techniques (and their use) that are used to gain evidence from target digital devices are critical in order that findings can be presented in a Court of Law. The analysis of digital evidence is a very structured and formal process. This module will allow learners to develop knowledge and understanding of digital forensics, focusing on different platforms (computers, mobile phones, smartphones, and vehicles). A key objective of this module is to introduce the principles of digital forensic investigation.

To prepare you for the practical aspect of the course, please complete these online courses. There is no cost involved other than some of your time. Most of these courses tend to take between 10 and 30 hours of learning and are aimed at people starting higher education so should give you a good head start. These are online and available 24/7, some require you to download a simulation package called Packet Tracer, which is available for Windows and Mac OS.

Getting started with Packet Tracer

Link to enrol

Exploring networking with packet tracer

Link to enrol

Networking Essentials

Link to enrol

Download software

This course opens doors to invaluable networking opportunities and enhances your learning experience through a series of guest lectures from leading professionals in the field of Cyber Security.

As a new student you will be eligible for a free hoodie that you can wear to show that you are part of the wider Computing community within the University. We will send out links after your arrival to allow you to log on and state what size hoodie you require.

Beyond practical and theoretical training, we aim to prepare you to gain well recognised industry certifications, enhancing your credentials in the competitive job market. The Academic Alliance between Staffordshire University and industry vendors such as Cisco, Juniper, Microsoft, WMware or AWS allow us to provide students with the official certification learning material, latest tools and most current professional practice within the field of cloud and network computing.