Cyber Security

• Access a wide range of specialist software and tools including a dedicated cyber security and forensics laboratory in a state-of-the-art establishment

• Join a rapidly expanding job market making significant real-world contributions in the digital age

• In your final year, you have the option to complete a dissertation, undertake a consultancy project or work placement, or launch a start-up

• Optional placement year to enhance professional development and employability

In the digital age, every company and individual with a digital footprint is at risk of being targeted by hackers and criminals. At Winchester, we are passionate about developing your skills so that you have the analytical skills and agile thinking to enable you to make a difference in the online and offline world.

Our Cyber Security course emphasises the industry's practical side, ensuring you are well-prepared for the real world. We want you to be an imaginative and technically skilled practitioner who can efficiently face the challenges of the future.

Through this course, you will enhance your knowledge of information security management, programming, secure systems, digital forensic investigation, and penetration testing. We tend to favour workshop-style sessions over lectures and you will have the opportunity to apply cutting-edge knowledge and skills to real life scenarios. Live briefs, simulations, role play and live case studies will be used to recreate workplace conditions. You will also have the opportunity to attend occasional field trips during your studies.

You will gain a thorough understanding of the structure and operation of computer systems and networks and the impact of cyber security, plus knowledge of the legal system, legal processes, relevant laws and the regulatory environment related to the handling of digital evidence and forensic investigations. You will also gain the ability to undertake digital forensic examinations, collecting and analysing digital evidence to support or oppose an investigative case.

Our students benefit from links to professional and industry bodies including Cisco Networking Academy and the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.

You will have access to a wide variety of databases for research purposes, in addition to training within data analysis software such as SPSS, Qualtrics and InVivo. You will also be provided with hands-on use of cutting-edge specialist software, for example Kali Linux.

Before moving on to your final year, you may choose to spend a year on a paid work placement in a business relevant to your ambitions, increasing your professional confidence and employability.