Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals

Course overview

As the world of business continuously evolves within the digital realm, skills in cyber security are more in demand than ever before. Delivered by the Cyber Security Innovation Research Centre at Aston University, the Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals is an eight-week, focused and flexible course targeted at learners looking to upskill or change their career path. With no previous knowledge of cyber security or technical capabilities required, it's perfect for beginners. It offers a holistic approach, offering content which goes further than the technical realm to develop knowledge in areas such as the cyber threat landscape, organisational cyber culture, incident response and digital forensics.

You will be taught by experts in their respective fields. With this, on successful completion of the programme, you will be offered free wraparound employability services and will receive a guaranteed interview, along with complementary Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) membership.

Open to West Midlands residents, the course is fully funded for unemployed learners and is offered at subsided rates to small and large businesses wishing to upskill staff.

Anitha Chinnaswamy programme director MSc Cyber Security Management

“In a world where cyber threats constantly evolve, traditional solutions are no longer sufficient. Our Bootcamp goes beyond the technical realm, introducing the organisational, legal, regulatory and compliance dimensions of cyber security.”

Dr Anitha Chinnaswamy

CPD Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals

Programme Director

Why Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals at Aston University?

ISACA Membership

Successful completion will grant membership to the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA)

Recognised for quality

Aston Business School is proud to be among 1% of business schools worldwide with triple accreditation

In-demand skills

There is an ever-growing demand for cyber security capabilities from global employers

Focused on employability

Access to free employability services and a guaranteed interview

Flexible around you

This short course, with flexible accessible resources will fit around your or your organisational needs

66th in the world

We’ve been ranked as 66th in the world for business and management studies (QS World University Rankings By Subject 2024)

Course description

Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals

Our Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals CPD programme offers a dynamic blend of cutting-edge technical and real-world business insights to provide a course that directly fulfils an industry skills gap.

What we will provide
Expert content designed to provide you with a solid foundation, delivered by a diverse array of staff who will inspire and excite you. You will benefit from e-learning resources, constructive assessment and ongoing support. You will be offered employability services with a guaranteed interview, along with membership to Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

What you will provide
It is important you learn how to adapt a growth mindset, understanding that success comes from applying yourself, along with an ambition and drive to excel. No previous knowledge of cyber security is required, this course is designed to build upon your strengths, therefore engagement with the content is important for your success.

What skills we teach
The Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals provides you with a foundational knowledge of the cyber threat landscape. You will cover digital forensics, governance, compliance and data protection. You will hone your strategic thinking as you learn how to identify organisational risk and create protocols that will keep your organisation safe. You will learn how to prepare a risk management plan along with a business strategy.

Career prospects
With every organisation across the public and private sectors now relying on cyber security skills, the skills that you obtain will open multiple avenues. Depending on your desired pathway, we will work with you on your employability skills, improving your CV and offering you a guaranteed interview.

How you will learn

Our course format is designed to be insightful, focused and completely flexible around you. Delivered over an eight-week period, you will have access to a dynamic online learning platform upon enrolment, which hosts recorded sessions, learning resources and tasks which enable you to practice your understanding of particular topics. The interactive material is self-paced and addresses a variety of learning styles and different language competences. You will have access an e-book study guide to enhance your knowledge and equip with theoretical capabilities. Immersive labs designed by our cyber security experts will allow you to practice applying such knowledge. You will partake in sixteen hours of guided learning hours per week which includes a three hour weekly workshop. This allows for the sharing of insights and the gathering of perspectives within a supportive environment.

With employability in mind, upon successful completion of the course, you will have full access to our expert employability services which help you to formulate a professional CV along with refining your interview technique.

What you will learn

Over the eight-week period you will cover a breadth of content, bridging the gap between the technical and business realms of cyber security. You will develop your knowledge in areas such as the cyber threat landscape, exploring the technology and processes involved. You will expand this knowledge to organisational cyber culture and digital forensics. You will be able to identify organisational cyber security risk and the role that humans play in such threats, and you will be able to create risk management plans and policies as mitigation controls. You will explore topics such as regulations and data protection, but also hone your organisational and strategic thinking as you create business strategies and marketing communication plans.

Course objectives

Equips you with the fundamental skills required to address the ever-growing cyber security threats within the digital industry.
Provides organisations with a flexible bootcamp which can upskill their employees within this area.
Provides you with the employability support needed for your desired career path, with a guaranteed interview following completion.

Topics

Bootcamp content

In the taught stage you will cover the following topics:

Topics

Fundamentals of the Cyber Threat Landscape: Technology, People and Processes

Team Building, Organisational Cyber Culture and Awareness

Cyber Operations and Supply Chain Resilience

Risk Management and Mitigation Controls

Cyber/Business Strategy, Marketing and Communications

Incident Response and Digital Forensics

Standards and Professional Best Practices

Regulations and Compliance, such as Data Protection

Programme outcomes

On successful completion, you will be able to:

Identify common types of cyber threats, vulnerabilities and threat agents
Distinguish the cyber threat landscape, technologies, actors and modus operandi.
Assess the risks of an organisation and identify appropriate mitigation measures and standard frameworks.
Design cyber security programmes by addressing internal culture, national and international compliance, sector best-practices and certification requirements.
Compare approaches to the design of a cyber security management function.
Be aware of the UK HMG frameworks for cyber security management, such as Cyber Essential.

We may update our courses to reflect best practices and academic developments. If we do, we’ll let you know of any changes at the earliest opportunity by updating our course webpages. If you have already received an offer, we’ll write to you directly to let you know of the changes.

Entry requirements

To enrol, you must:

Be the age of 19 years and over
Reside in the West Midlands
Have lived in the UK for at least 3 years and have the right to work in the United Kingdom

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants. Please note that individuals are only eligible to participate in one skills bootcamp in any one financial year but can apply for multiple skills bootcamps.

Speak to our enquiries team

If you have any questions, please get in touch with our enquiries team:

Email: csi@aston.ac.uk

Get in touch

Meet your programme director

Dr Anitha Chinnaswamy
Programme Director, Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals

If you have any questions about the course, you can get in touch via email and I will be happy to answer your queries.

Get in touch

Course fees

As part of the UK Government's Skills Bootcamps initiative, this course is provided completely free of charge to unemployed and independent learners* with discounted rates for employers wishing to upskill staff.

If you are an employer wishing to enrol your employees the cost of the course is £5500 with a 90% discount available to SMEs (£550 with discount applied) and a 70% discount for larger employers (£1650 with discount applied). Employers can email their interest to csi@aston.ac.uk.

*The bootcamp is free to independent learners that are employed and confirm on their application that they intend to change employer if offered a suitable role following interview. You must of course make the necessary arrangements with your employer to be able to attend the weekly sessions.

The bootcamp is delivered by Aston University's Cyber Security Innovation Centre in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Assessment

The bootcamp will be assessed through weekly testing including quizzes as well as monitoring of engagement to efficiently test your understanding of the bootcamp content. Assessments are designed to equip you with techniques needed for a breadth of career avenues.

Career prospects

With every organisation, across the public and private sectors now relying on cyber security skills, the skills which you obtain will open multiple avenues for you. Depending on your desired pathway, we will work with you on your employability skills, improving your CV and offering you a guaranteed interview. Roles may include:

Cyber risk manager
Cyber auditor
Cyber manager
Information advisor
Legal policy officer

Organisations can also upskill their staff by enrolling them on this course.

Frequently asked questions

Why study the Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals?

Delivered by the Cyber Security Innovation Research Centre at Aston University, the Skills Bootcamp in Cyber Security Fundamentals is an eight-week, focused and flexible course targeted at learners looking to upskill or change their career path. It offers a holistic approach, offering content which goes further than the technical realm to develop knowledge in areas such as the cyber threat landscape, organisational cyber culture, incident response and digital forensics.

You will be taught by experts in their respective fields. With this, on successful completion of the programme, you will be offered free wraparound employability services, and will receive a guaranteed interview, along with complementary Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) membership.

Open to West Midlands residents, the course is fully funded for unemployed learners and is offered at subsided rates to small and large businesses wishing to upskill staff.