Cyber Security

Cyber security is an increasingly important field in today's society, with unprecedented amounts of data stored on computers and other devices by citizens, business and government organisations.

As a society, we face a future that is critically dependent on IT and without which we may struggle to function. This growth of IT across all industries creates higher stakes and greater potential for cyber attacks.

Cyber security experts apply their theoretical knowledge and practical skills to detect network intrusions, design safe and secure systems for storing data, and provide advice and training on general data management.

Cyber security experts are also responsible for developing disaster recovery plans. Their working knowledge of IT systems makes them vital contributors to government discussions on cyber security policy and data management to protect citizens' rights.

This course is designed for computer professionals who have an interest in finding and fixing vulnerabilities, encryption, intrusion detection and managing cyber risks and network security.

It provides detailed coverage of the key concepts and challenges in data and resource protection and computer software security, focusing on both high-level concepts and low-level practical aspects of information security.

You may study units including evidence collection, counterintelligence, internet crime, business continuity, network security policies, network firewalls, authentication and web server security.

Please refer to the handbook for additional course overview information. 

Why study

• Our computer scientists continue to be engaged in high profile research on artificial intelligence and computer vision
• Further enhance your skills and knowledge by working on highly relevant projects (such as surveillance) under the guidance of academics with well-established research profiles.

Professional recognition

Graduates may be eligible to apply for membership of the Australian Computer Society.

Career information

Industries

• Analytics and social media
• Automotive
• Aviation
• Banking and finance
• Business and commerce
• Defence
• Government
• Health and medical systems
• Information retrieval
• Mobile and computer technologies

What you'll learn

• assess the theoretical concepts involved in data encryption and intrusion detection and deploy them in a modern day Information Technology system
• evaluate the various approaches to encryption and security detection and develop a strategy for adapting them to a specific situation
• evaluate and synthesise information from a variety of sources and develop a plan to optimize computer security, data encryption and intrusion management
• assess computer security management processes and explain them in written and oral form to both technical and non-technical audiences
• evaluate and select appropriately from existing and emerging encryption, computer security prevention and intrusion technologies
• engage in continual updating of knowledge with regard to new and emerging computer security concepts, issues and management strategies
• evaluate and interpret The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, The Association for Computing Machinery and the Australian Computer Society standards related to data encryption, computer security protection and management
• understand the ethical issues related to protecting the rights of individuals from diverse cultures and how that maps to ensuring the security and integrity of data in an Information Technology system
• develop policies and practical procedures to improve the security setup of an Information Technology organization