The specialist skills and knowledge to thoroughly test the security of computer systems, make them secure and investigate properly should they be compromised are not part of a standard computer science course. In particular, the penetration testing or ethical hacking skills are often absent. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to lead the fight against the cyber criminals and keep hard-earned assets secure. The course will cover the essentials of computer systems architecture, programming, operating systems and databases, alongside specialist topics in digital forensics, legal issues, networking, ethical hacking and computer security. The experience is designed to be hands-on, requiring you to become familiar with penetration testing tools, encryption algorithms and forensic analysis software, alongside more traditional classroom studies. On completion you could look forward to a rewarding career in this fast-growing information technology specialism. If you choose this course you will benefit from: Accreditation from the British Computer Society (BCS); Dedicated teaching staff who are committed and experienced academics, active in educational development and technical research which informs their teaching; Optional sandwich year in industry or business placement either in the UK and overseas; Opportunities to attend international events in conjunction with the course; Optional membership of the Cisco Academy programme leading to an industry recognised Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) qualification; An active Computer Security Society involving both staff and students, including industry talks, regular hacker games and activities and a yearly budget controlled by the students.