Computer Science (Cyber Security)

Java is one of the most popular programming languages today, with very high demand for people with advanced Java skills in the industry. By joining this module you will be able to expand your programming skills with more advanced Java techniques.

The content is designed for well-qualified computer science students entering the MSc programme regardless of their diverse academic background. You will be equipped with skills and knowledge needed to tackle complex programming challenges and build high-quality Java applications. You will learn essential topics including generics, and advanced features such as reflection, lambda expressions, and high-order programming. By the end of the course, you will be able to confidently build substantial Java applications, communicate technical solutions, and continue their development in the ever-evolving field of Java programming.

Object-oriented programming is one of the most fundamental programming paradigms in Computer Science. Object-oriented programming languages are widely used within the software development industry. Focusing predominantly on the Java programming language, you will start by learning the fundamentals of programming, such as variables, statements and methods; and develop your knowledge and skills with a deep understanding of object orientation in Java, including advanced concepts such as objects and classes, inheritance and encapsulation. You fill follow a course that combines lectures with practical work, aiming to combine advanced theoretical knowledge of object-oriented programming with practical skills. Your skills and knowledge will be developed and applied over a series of practical classes and practical coursework.

The advance of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), such as the internet, mobile computing, IoT (Internet of Things) and AI, have blurred the boundary between the physical world and cyber space. A massive amount of digital data is now being generated, collected, stored, processed, transmitted and shared constantly across many different systems, people and organisations. In such a “big data” world, how can we protect our privacy and ensure others respect our privacy? What privacy-enhancing tools and techniques can be used and how well do they work? In addition to privacy concerns, cybercrime and other forms of online harms have increasingly become more prevalent; they are highlighted by many as major threats to all citizens and the society at large. What legal efforts have been made to protect us and what more can be done? What legal considerations do cyber security experts need to know about and how can they utilise and integrate these legal aspects in their work? This module will guide you through all such questions to grasp the latest development on privacy and cyber law and to be able to apply such knowledge in practical scenarios where privacy and legal considerations are important factors.

The global cost of cybercrime is more than a trillion pounds, and every year it increases. It impacts everyone from individuals to families, businesses, and governments. But why does cybercrime persist even after years of advances in cyber security, investment and collaborative efforts by law enforcement, and initiatives to increase people’s awareness of online risks? The answer lies in the pervasive nature of cybercrime itself and in those who perpetrate cybercrimes and cyberattacks – this module is all about these two topics. You’ll learn about the nuances of cybercrime, and what makes it such a challenging global, yet personal, threat. Each week we’ll delve into a new aspect of cybercrime. From the attacks themselves to how they work, why they’re successful and what security professionals and law enforcement agencies have attempted to address them. We’ll also look closely at the perpetrators of these crimes – who they are, what makes them tick, and how do they work together to construct such a vast cybercriminal ecosystem.

Ever wonder what really happens when you run a computer program? Welcome to the world of computer hardware, and how software actually controls it. You will receive a comprehensive overview from the lowest level of abstractions in hardware to the highest level of abstractions of modern programming languages. You will explore the design of instruction set architectures, memory hierarchy, and data paths. Computer architecture focuses on the high-level design principles and trade-offs that govern the organization of these components, such as pipelining, caching, and parallelism.  Examples of topics that may be covered include logic circuits, machine language, processors, memory management, processes, concurrency, file systems, and operating systems. Throughout, special attention is paid to abstraction, performance, and other quality requirements. Understanding computer systems is essential for computer scientists, IT professionals, architects, and programmers to design, build, and optimise efficient and reliable computing systems for various applications and domains.

Did you know that currently a majority of cyber security incidents involve one or more human elements (be it social engineering attacks, human errors, or misuse)? Today, it is clearer than ever that creating secure systems requires an appreciation of the underlying technology, but it also requires us to develop a solid grasp of people’s psychology – the ‘why’ people do, the ‘what’ they do, and the ‘how’ we can help them to adopt better security behaviours and practices. You’ll learn about human factors, usable security, security awareness, education and culture, all within the context of today’s organisations and social environments. With the knowledge gained, you’ll be able to think of technology systems more critically and in a socio-technical way which appreciates the various nuances of cyber security.

This module will guide you through the different stages of working on an exciting computer science project. World-leading experts in the field will support you along the way by providing supervision and monitoring of your weekly activities. With computer systems becoming more crucial in everyday life, you’ll have the opportunity to conceptualise, design, develop, and test your own large system capable of solving the identified challenges. Alternatively, you will explore and critically evaluate state of the art literature, identify relevant research methodologies to advance topics in computer science, carry out independent investigations, and make an impact in the research community. You’ll be empowered to explore different skills learned throughout your degree programme and apply them in the specific domain identified for your master’s project. Finally, you will reflect on your project journey throughout the writing of a well-organised dissertation demonstrating your individual reflection and achieved learning.

The increasing reliance on the internet, electronic devices, mobile apps and online resources greatly improve the quality of our daily lives but also escalate the volume of our digital fingerprints. This means that, nowadays, it is impossible to plan or commit an unlawful activity without leaving digital traces scattered across local or remote storage and cyber spaces. Do you want to learn digital forensic skills that contribute to the investigation of suspected wrongdoing? 

This module focuses on computer forensics and multimedia forensics, and introduces concepts and best practices relevant to uncover digital evidence on an investigative setting. It introduces tools and techniques for the collection, interpretation and analysis of digital evidence supporting informed reporting of findings. You will gain hands-on experience with investigative tasks and will have the opportunity to apply different tools and techniques to answer investigative questions related, for example, to ‘what’ happened, where, when, why, who and how.

Upon completion of the module, you will have a theoretical and practical appreciation of what ‘digital forensics’ entail.

Software is everywhere, and its development should be tailored according to its requirements. This module will cover principles of software engineering following agile principles for guiding its development. You will investigate software modelling as means to understand and manage software complexity. As an integral part of software development, you will learn principles of planning, cost and time estimation, quality, and risk evaluation. You will also learn why software should be developed considering social, professional, and ethical principles, including security and privacy principles. You will work with your peers to develop or evolve a software system. You will apply the principles of agile methodology in your project, manage your team effectively, organise your code using version control, and resolve problems via issue tracking. You will identify risks for software projects and follow the principles for developing software with the highest professional standards.

Web-based information systems form the heart of e-commerce. In today's digital landscape, they are also increasingly the way businesses handle all their information needs. Building such systems requires an understanding of up-to-date tools and technologies such as web page creation, client-side programming, server-side programming and databases; it also calls for an understanding of how to design systems that genuinely meet user and business needs. This module will empower you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the dynamic domain of e-business systems and in today's digital economy. You will learn the foundations for client-side and server-side programming as well as database design and implementation, critical knowledge on e-business systems and their properties. As technology continues to evolve, we will keep you ahead of the curve by exploring novel and emerging technologies in the e-commerce landscape.