Why study Cyber Security at Liverpool John Moores University?
- State-of-the-art computing facilities with specialist computer security software
- Practical, hands-on experience incorporated into modules wherever possible
- High quality teaching from staff involved in internationally recognised research.
- Graduates increasingly in demand as IT security problems escalate
- Opportunity to undertake a 12-month paid industrial work placement
- Strong links with local and national organisations including Xyone Security, Fujitsu, IBM, Eutechnyx and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
- International Foundation Year course available offering direct progression onto this degree programme - visit LJMU's International Study Centre to find out more
- Start month: September
- Campus location: City Campus
About your course
The BSc (Hons) Cyber Security at Liverpool John Moores University is informed by internationally important research, which means your studies will be at the forefront of developments in this important field. The course is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS).
As we increase the scope of our working and personal lives online there has been a rise in the number of attacks being made against information systems by hackers and other criminals looking to steal resources. It seems that on a weekly basis there is another news story detailing a new ransomware attack or a new vulnerability in a piece of software used by the public.
The UK government has identified a skills gap and therefore a need for more staff trained in Computer Security. Students graduating from the Computer Security course will be in demand by companies looking to fill their Computer Security roles with trained staff. LJMU has a growing national and international reputation for its research into computer security and this expertise ensures the degree is at the leading edge of developments in this discipline.
About the BSc (Hons) Cyber Security Degree
The Cyber Security course will teach you the skills required to be able to identify Computer Security issues, how to solve these issues and how to recover if a Security breach occurs. Students will learn some Digital Forensics skills to help them identify where attacks are being launched from and ways to secure their systems against them. There is a close relationship between Digital Forensics and Cyber Security, and it is necessary that professionals in both areas are aware of each others roles in securing computing systems.
Students will study Cyber Security topics such as Penetration Testing, Secure Software Development, Ethical Hacking, Applied Cryptography and Network Forensics. Modules will teach the required practical skills and the theory that underpins this material, as well as understanding of the business context for security. The modules are informed by internationally recognised research by the staff who teach the modules.
The Cyber Security modules are complemented by modules in Computer Science. We balance the specialist skills of Computer Security with broader topics in Computer Science such as Operating Systems, Databases Systems, Programming, and Computer Systems, that are required as context for applying security skills.
The curriculum is informed by consultancy with Fujitsu and Computer Security companies within the local area. This ensures that the course is up to date and producing students who can go straight into the industry.
Work-related Learning
Practical, hands-on experience to boost your employability is incorporated into this programme wherever possible. However the best way to really get a taste of working in the computer security industry or the IT industry in general is to take a year out after your second year and spend 12 months on supervised work placement.
This invaluable experience gives you a chance to put into practice the many concepts and techniques you have learnt on the course, as well as developing new skills. We highly recommend that you take up this opportunity, as it will greatly enhance your prospects when you come to negotiate your way around the competitive graduate job market.
Dedicated Facilities
There is a dedicated Cyber Security lab with its own private internal network that students can use to run experiments and look at the ways in which malware works. We teach Ethical Hacking using a virtual environment and this gives students a good practical experience of Ethical Hacking in the real world.
Upon Graduation
Students who graduate from the Cyber Security course are normally in work or further study within 12 months of graduating. Students on the course develop problem solving skills that are transferrable to employment, both in Computer Security and outside of the industry. Students have gained employment recently with GCHQ, Microsoft, Google, Ratheon, BT and Very. Students who continue onto further study have either started a masters course, PGCE or a PhD.