Short course

Skills Bootcamp in Applied Cyber Security

Short Course from the University of Birmingham Applied Cyber Security Bootcamp. Organisations rely increasingly on experts in cyber security to defend their networks from cyber attacks, protecting their data and the data of their customers from cybercrime.

Start date
31 July
Duration
24 weeks
Time commitment
9 hours per week in the classroom and a further 20 hours minimum per week studying and completing assignments
Mode
Online
Cost
Scholarships available
Subject
Applied cyber security
Level
CPD
Credit
Non-credit
Assessment
Portfolio

Endorsed by

Organisations across nearly all industries — from manufacturing and shipping to energy and technology — rely increasingly on experts in cyber security to defend their networks from cyber attacks, protecting their data and the data of their customers from cybercrime.

The Applied Cyber Security Bootcamp course challenges students to develop, practice, and master in-demand security and breach-prevention skills. Our curriculum equips students with the knowledge they need to join the cyber security industry, learn tools and technologies vetted by current practitioners, and prepare to seek professional certifications. 

This programme is offered through the University of Birmingham, in partnership with edX.

Is the programme right for you?

Do you want to become a digital defender and learn how to keep data safe from prying eyes? Or, are you someone who is: 

  • Currently working in a technical field and want to expand your cyber knowledge, better understand how to keep data secure, and learn hands-on skills to apply on the job?
  • Part of a company that has urgent cyber security needs to protect the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of data and software?
  • Aware of the growing need for cyber security professionals and want to become a part of making the internet a safer space?
  • A tech enthusiast looking to start your career in tech and get your foot in the door in the world of networking and security?

If you said yes to any of the above, our Applied Cyber Security Bootcamp could be the very opportunity you’ve been seeking.

What you will learn

By the end of this course you will be able to:

  • Analyse packet traffic flowing over a network in order to better troubleshoot issues such as poor network performance
  • Understand and implement network theory
  • Perform administrative and security tasks to Windows and Linux Operating Systems
  • Understand cyber security threats, actors, and methods
  • Conduct vulnerability assessments using tools like Metasploit to profile an application for vulnerabilities, and then exploit those vulnerabilities
  • Perform network, system, and web penetration testing activities
  • Configure machines on a virtual network, deploy them to the cloud, and investigate cloud security risks
  • Identify suspicious patterns of user behaviour to identify bots, intruders, and other malicious actors
  • Write Bash scripts to automate security and operating systems tasks
  • Gain insight into the important best practices around password selection and storage to crack into (mock!) user accounts
  • Advise on cyber security best practices and risk management strategies
  • Implement access control policies as an additional layer of security over an organisation’s private data
  • Develop best practices in implementing security strategy policies across an organisation

What the course provides

The 24 week Applied Cyber Security Bootcamp has two components - an 8-week fundamentals course, followed by the main 16-week Skills Bootcamp in Applied Cyber Security. The structure, pacing, and time requirements are similar across all 24 weeks. Students successfully completing both components will receive a Certificate of Attendance and Professional Certificate in Applied Cyber Security from the University of Birmingham.

Powerful skills - Build applicable knowledge in areas like Windows and Linux administration, secure network design, cloud security, and ethical hacking and penetration.

Dedicated support - Benefit from a wide range of career support services, like CV and professional branding support, interview preparation, portfolio reviews, and coaching.

Recognisable credential - Receive a University of Birmingham Certificate, and demonstrate your new skills and showcase your achievement to future employers.

Collaborative learning environment - Work together with your peers to tackle complex projects using real-world data sets, and get hands-on training through experiential learning opportunities.

How to apply

In order to enrol on the programme:

  • You must be over 18 years of age
  • You must have a GCSE grade A-C or 9-4 in maths
  • You must meet the English Language proficiency requirements outlined below
  • You must have passed the admissions interview, skills test, and academic interview

Scholarships

For 2022 entry, the University has £4000 scholarships available.  Contact admissions for more information.

Women in Tech Scholarship

The Women in Tech Scholarship will be available to students who are:

  • Female residents from the West Midlands looking to enter or progress within employment in the digital sector
  • Students must have a passion for technology and commitment to a career in the tech industry

Diversity in Tech Scholarship

The Diversity in Tech Scholarship will be available to groups who are underrepresented in the tech industry. The funding will provide support for:

  • Unemployer leaders moving into digital employment 
  • Those in employment looking to re-train (working in low paid, insecure employment to retrain to move into digital employment) 
  • Low-waged residents to enable them to enter new digital occupations and careers (household income is below the national average below £42,875) 
  • Enhancing BAME presence in boot camp cohorts and supporting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students to enter or progress within employment in a digital sector. 

 The scholarship will only be available to students who are:

  • A resident from the West Midlands (learners resident in the West Midlands are eligible, provided that they meet the other eligibility criteria)
  • Age 19 or older (on the first day of learning, a resident must be aged 19 or older on 31 August within the 2022/2023 funding year) 
  • Self-funded (you must be self-funding your tuition fees or applying for a study loan to pay your fees and living expenses) 
  • Applying to a University of Birmingham Boot Camp programme (learners must intend to be enrolled as a part-time student in a University of Birmingham Boot Camp programme in the 2022/2023 academic year) 

 The information that you have provided in this application will be reviewed alongside your application for admission to the Boot Camp. 

Over the course of 24 weeks, you’ll attend informative lectures and take part in a variety of individual and team exercises, working independently and in groups, in the virtual classroom and at home. Homework assignments provide an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned and to build on it.

The skills you will gain

You will complete the program with Applied Cyber Security skills, including:

Networking: Packet analysis; Wireshark

Systems: Windows and Linux administration techniques; Windows and Linux hardening

Cyber security: Secure network design and architecture; Risk management; Cryptography; Vulnerability assessment; Identity and access management; Cloud security; Programming and scripting; Bash scripting

Module 1:

Security fundamentals

Learn to think like a cyber security professional by assessing threats and mitigating risks. You will learn:

  • CIA triad
  • Governance
  • Risk analysis and risk mitigation
  • Compliance
  • Business continuity planning
  • Disaster recovery

Module 2:

Systems administration

Gain hands-on experience working with the command line and bash commands that are prominent in IT roles. You will configure and audit servers, as well as harden and secure them from malicious attacks. You will learn:

  • Linux server configuration
  • Windows server configuration
  • Tar, cron, and CronJobs
  • Logging
  • Bash scripting and programming
  • Active directory
  • Kerberos

Module 3:

Networks and network security

Dive into network configuration, design, protocols, and data communication. You will learn:

  • Network architecture, operations, and security
  • Wireshark and traffic analysis
  • Email security
  • Wireless security
  • Cryptography and encryption
  • Port scanning
  • Cloud security and virtualisation

Module 4:

Defensive security

Dive into SIEMs and network security monitoring, practice responding to different breaches and attacks, and learn how to recover deleted data as part of preparing evidence for a legal case. You will learn:

  • Splunk
  • Monitoring and logging
  • Incident response
  • Forensics
  • Data extraction and recovery

Module 5:

Offensive security

Gain a thorough understanding of web applications, databases, and the vulnerabilities and hardening associated with them. You will learn:

  • Burp Suite
  • XSS vulnerabilities and payloads
  • SQL injection
  • Web shells
  • File inclusion and command injection vulnerabilities
  • Penetration testing execution standard
  • SearchSploit and Metasploit
  • Zenmap
  • Pivoting networks

Module 6:

Test prep and final project

Focus on certification prep for Security+ and CEH exams, and conclude the programme with a final group project.

You will receive

A University of Birmingham Certificate

Your bootcamp certificate will showcase your accomplishments and specialised skills to future employers, and help you propel your career.

 Career services

Our career services will help you prepare for post-graduation technical roles. You will have access to career content and practice sessions, online career events with industry professionals, soft skills training, and one-on-one career coaching.

Project Demo Day

As a bootcamp graduate you will be invited to participate in our Project Demo Day, a quarterly networking event with local professionals to whom you will showcase your final project.

Portfolio

You will graduate with a robust portfolio of projects to demonstrate your in-demand knowledge of cyber security.

Employability

Our reverse-engineered curriculum—tailored to meet local tech skills shortages—combined with our extensive career services equip our students for employment success, and demark them from graduates of other training providers.

As one of our course graduates, you will be qualified for many professional roles, such as:

  • Cyber network defender
  • Cyber security analyst
  • Vulnerability assessment analyst
  • Cyber security operations specialist
  • Network or system security administrator
  • Systems security analyst
  • Information assurance specialist
  • Digital forensics examiner
  • Incident response analyst
  • SOC analyst

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