Educational aims
The aim of this diploma is to equip you with the knowledge and skills you will need to underpin a career as cyber security technologist. As well as developing your knowledge and understanding of the fundamental technologies and techniques, and the issues involved in their application, it will also:
- prepare you to keep ahead in a rapidly changing subject area by helping you to develop as an independent learner
- develop relevant skills in communication, numeracy, and collaborative working which enable you to apply your learning in your private, social and professional life.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of this qualification, you’ll have knowledge and understanding of:
- fundamental principles, concepts and techniques related to the design and development of secure digital systems and their secure use
- theory and practice of cybersecurity within networked systems, including appreciating a range of methods, models and tools to support secure management and analysis of information systems, along with awareness of the various operating systems and platforms
- a range of situations in which digital systems are used and how people interact with them
- professional, ethical, social and legal issues that can be associated with the development and deployment of digital systems
- major trends in cybersecurity and the implications of these trends
- methods and tools used in the design, implementation, management and testing, including offensive methodologies of secure systems
- to critically analyse, develop and apply digital solutions appropriate to security examination and digital forensic investigation, including appreciating tools, techniques and legal requirements.
Cognitive skills
On completion of this qualification, you’ll be able to:
- evaluate key digital and cyber security concepts in a range of contexts
- select and apply appropriate techniques and tools for abstracting, modelling, problem solving, implementing in an appropriate programming or scripting language, designing and testing cyber security systems and be aware of the limitations involved.
Practical and/or professional skills
On completion of this qualification, you’ll be able to:
- design, evaluate and/or test digital and cyber security systems, using appropriate simulation and modelling tools where appropriate
- plan and organise yourself and your work appropriately, including keeping systematic records of work in progress and outcomes
- demonstrate the ability to undertake ongoing learning to stay up-to-date with digital and cyber security systems
- identify and address the professional, ethical, social and legal issues that may arise during the development and use of digital and cyber security systems
- use appropriate professional tools to support your work, including those used in project and service management.
Key skills
On completion of this qualification, you’ll be able to:
- communicate information, arguments, ideas and issues clearly and in appropriate ways, bearing in mind the audience and the purpose of your communication
- work in a group, communicating effectively using digital communication and in face-to-face contexts
- work independently, planning, monitoring, reflecting on and improving your learning
- select and use accurately appropriate numerical and analytical techniques to solve problems
- recognise and understand a range of technological problems and select suitable techniques for solving them.
Teaching, learning and assessment methods
You’ll learn independently, using the following types of material provided by us:
- printed teaching texts
- online teaching texts
- directed readings from textbooks and papers
- specialised software tools.
We’ll support your learning with:
- self-assessment questions and exercises, included in the teaching texts
- programming tasks, computer-based investigations and open-ended project work
- feedback and guidance from a tutor, tutorials and revision sessions
- email and online moderated forums
- study and project guides.
We’ll assess your learning with:
- tutor-marked assignments
- multiple-choice computer-marked assignments
- formal examinations
- progress and project reports.