Advanced Security & Digital Forensics

Computer security is one of the key challenges in contemporary computing. You will gain critical knowledge within the cyber security and digital forensic domains, combining academic principles and industrial practice. 

The course is informed by current research in security and digital forensics and is underpinned by our experience with external partners in law enforcement, the cyber security industry, financial institutions and other knowledge transfer activities.

Course specialisms include network security, penetration testing, incident response, malware analysis, cryptography, audit and compliance, and host and mobile digital forensics.

The specialisation you gain in the taught modules is further developed through an extensive research-based MSc dissertation project, leading towards a mastery of a subject area and enhancing your particular specialism.

The course is flexible and the option to spread the course modules out over a number of years, making the course ideal for students who are in employment.

Computer security is a growth industry and is vital in modern computing environments. You will gain foundation knowledge in all the key areas of cyber security, both defensive and offensive, as well as post-incident response and malware analysis.

The digital forensic aspects of the course include network and computer forensics, allowing you to develop the knowledge required to conduct computer-related investigations across networks, systems, and other digital devices.

The School of Computing has developed close ties with industry, law enforcement, and the public sector, through partnerships with organisations such as Cisco Systems, Guidance Software, Symantec, NCC Group, NCA, Police Scotland, and many others.

This helps inform the course, and provides guest lecturers by industry experts. Innovative research is also carried out in key domains by academics and PhD students in our dedicated cyber security and forensic research group.

Lead academics

Programme Leader

Rich Macfarlane

Module Leaders

Rich Macfarlane
Prof Bill Buchanan OBE
Dr Thomas Tan
Robert Ludwiniak
Peter Cruickshank
Dr Gordon Russell

Entry requirements

Postgraduate

Students will be eligible to apply if they have gained a Bachelor degree with C+, GPA of 2.5/4.0 or Good or better

The continued growth in the current requirement for cyber security and digital forensics professionals means there are a wide range of careers which can be followed after graduating from the course, such as:

• security consultant/analyst
• penetration tester
• network security analyst
• forensic investigator
• audit/compliance consultant
• security certification engineer
• incident response analyst
• system admin
• network engineer

The programme develops a range of key skills currently needed in industry, covering areas such as network security, penetration testing, security monitoring, incident response, malware analysis, operating systems, network and computer forensics, virtualisation and malware analysis. Materials from many professional courses are integrated into the curriculum, towards helping students prepare for sought after professional certification such as:

• Cisco Security Certifications
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
• Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST)