Keele University has launched new undergraduate and postgraduate courses in cyber security to train a new generation of professionals in how to combat online threats.

The undergraduate (BSc) and Masters (MSc) degrees both provide a sound understanding of the concepts behind cyber security, and will teach students how to master techniques to implement secure IT solutions, which are among the most sought-after skills in industry and business.

Students on these courses will study modules designed by leading academics and informed by the latest research and the needs of industry. The courses also benefit from strong business links, dedicated career support, and many extracurricular activities.

The courses give students a solid introduction to topics including cryptography, human factors of cyber, attack and defence techniques, network security and the design of secure systems. Students will also get the opportunity to study relevant modules from our popular computer science degrees.

The undergraduate course BSc Computer Science (Cyber Security) is one of several computer science programmes available at Keele, while the Cybersecurity MSc will enable graduates from all disciplines to forge a career in this highly specialised and sought-after field.

Professor Ed de Quincey, Director of Education of the School of Computing and Mathematics said: “Cyber security is now a key skill in a computer scientist’s toolkit to protect systems, networks, and devices from attacks. We are therefore very proud to launch two courses in this area, providing our graduates with specialist knowledge, informed by our own research in cyber security, complimented by more general computer science topics.

“We aim to produce graduates with all-round cyber security related technical skills and who also appreciate the importance of the human in the design and development of secure systems.”