Cybersecurity

Individuals, organisations and governments face an escalating threat from increasingly sophisticated hackers and ransomware gangs. To tackle this problem, cyber security professionals must constantly adapt to the ever-evolving threats and vulnerabilities.

This programme teaches the fundamental concepts and job-ready skills of cyber security to prepare you for one of the most in-demand jobs today. According to the National Cyber Security Centre (part of GCHQ) the UK needs to accelerate work to keep up with the shifting cyber security landscape, especially when it comes to improving cyber resilience in the country's most crucial industries.

The growing cyber threat faced by commercial organisations, universities, hospitals and governments has led to an alarming shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals needed to protect everything from small personal devices to large national critical infrastructure.

This Masters programme is addressing the huge demand for security analysts and engineers by drawing on the exceptional expertise at the University of Aberdeen in Data, AI and Cybersecurity to produce graduates with specialist technical knowledge, flexibility and adaptability needed for the rapidly evolving security environment.

As well as studying topics such as cryptography, network protocols, access control, authentication, security management and web security, you will learn about emerging technologies including Software-defined Networking (SDN), Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain and develop your digital forensic techniques to design and analyse security solution architectures. You will also examine how Artificial Intelligence (AI) relates to cybersecurity and understand the legal and governance aspects of incident detection, investigation, and response.

The MSc Cybersecurity is designed for students with a computer science background as well as IT professionals who want to prepare for a successful career in cybersecurity and data privacy. You will benefit from a dedicated cyber security lab with modern computer facilities and the latest online tools to support your learning and research. The curriculum is based on practical 'real-world' security threats and the knowledge you gain on this programme will also prepare you for attaining additional international cybersecurity certifications.