Skill | Cyber Security Courses

The demand for cyber security skills is reaching a crisis point in the country. Considering that UK business leaders see cyber attacks as the “most dangerous” risk for businesses in 2018, there has never been a greater need for more people to develop their skills in cyber security than now.

One of the public initiatives to address this urgent problem is the Cyber Security Challenge UK.

What is the Cyber Security Challenge UK?

The Cyber Security Challenge (CSC) UK is a set of events and programmes held across the country. Its main goal is to encourage more individuals to become cyber security professionals, whether they already have solid core competencies or are completely new to the concept.

It is a not-for-profit organisation supported by the UK government and sponsored by private companies.

The events include online and face-to-face competitions with numerous age and skill brackets, educational boot camps that present possible career development paths, and mentoring programmes.

The organisation also partners with primary and secondary schools to bring more awareness of cyber crime and security to children aged 10 to 18 years old. For college and graduate-level students, it provides qualification and apprenticeship opportunities through programmes like the Extended Project Qualification.

The Cyber Security Challenge UK Today

Since the organisation’s creation in 2009, the lack of hard data tracking–which would prove the programme’s overall value–has been a constant issue despite its success in getting people interested in the field.

Current CEO Colin Lobley has admitted as such, stating that:

“We need to get a lot better at tracking those who we engage with; I don’t think we’ve been very good at tracking and engaging all those people we speak to… The social media outreach is positive and we know we’re having an impact – we just haven’t been good at tracking the data, we need to do more.”

In addition to better performance metrics, Lobley is working on expanding the scope of career paths the organisation helps to develop (e.g. risk management, legal cyber security). The organisation is also looking to add more security information resources, and being more inclusive with their target audience.

One of the latest government programmes in bolstering the country’s cyber security skills is Cyber Discovery, which is run in conjunction with CSC UK. Started in 2017, this programme aims to build a strong foundation of interest in cyber security within the 14- to 18-year-old age bracket.

According to CSC UK Head of Education Debbie Tunstall, “With a critical skills gap looming and the cybercrime threat growing, we need to educate about cyber security while individuals are still young; piquing their interest in future cyber careers and as a result, filling the pipeline of talent.”

She further adds that the CSC UK “has years of experience in dealing with people in this age group and providing fun and educational face-to- face events and we’re delighted to bring our expertise to this innovative programme.”

Why Take the Challenge?

Apart from the skills and career opportunities you can earn from participating in the CSC UK, the competitive, gamified environment is highly conducive to learning, especially in the field of cyber security.

McAfee reports in a 2018 survey that 96% of organisations that implemented gamification achieved tangible benefits. The survey also revealed that 57% of the respondents believe gamification increases awareness and understanding of information security breaches.

The competitions that CSC UK holds incentivises individuals to perform at their best under pressure. They also provide avenues where social interactions are possible, allowing for teamwork and communication skills to be honed. These abilities are crucial to the real-life application of cyber security solutions, and they are not as easily developed in the traditionally passive classroom lecture setting.

Complement Your Cyber Security Education

While the CSC UK presents an innovative learning method to becoming a cyber security professional, it is but one of the many ways.

Take advantage of the shared resources and unique opportunities it offers, especially with integrating yourself into the wider community of IT experts. Do, however, use it to complement your overall educational experience with cyber security courses to further advance in this industry.

Cyber security professionals at the start of their career can expect to have the fastest growing salaries in the UK, according to Robert Half. But many people wanting to go into IT security are still confused as to the career path to take. In this article we’re going to take a look at cyber security degrees and whether they’re the best route into the profession.

The Case for getting a Cyber Security Degree

Let’s make no mistake; cyber security is not an easy field to get into without a degree. Whilst it’s by no means impossible and there are cyber security professionals without one, the odds of landing a solid entry job are stacked considerably more in your favour if you have a relevant degree under your belt.

Of course, experience and industry recognised cyber security certification is also essential, most entry level cyber security jobs will require you to have a relevant degree. A degree in cyber security would obviously qualify you but, so too would degrees in many related fields like forensic computing and computer science.

STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are also relevant entry points into the field of cyber security. Although these subjects themselves aren’t directly related to IT and IT security, they do teach students the relevant disciplines such as logical thinking, problem solving, solving equations and mathematical certainty. Many of these are directly applicable to programming, coding and other related fields.

Whilst many will argue that experience and relevant IT certification will trump a degree when it comes to applicable knowledge and practical skill development, the fact is that almost all entry level IT security jobs will require a degree. In this sense a degree in computer science or any STEM subject should be seen as an absolute must.

The Case for getting a Cyber Security Master’s Degree

Of course the educational route needn’t stop at degree level and many universities now offer master’s degrees in cyber security or information security (infosec). The jury seems to be mostly out on this one when it comes to just how useful a master’s degree can be, compared to relevant experience and certification. It really depends on the field you want to go into and what the expectations are. If you have an idea of where you’d like to end up, then it makes sense to find those jobs online and see what the entry requirements are.

There’s quite a lot of forum discussions on this online but this typically impassioned thread from Reddit is pretty illuminating, especially from the point of view of becoming a penetration tester (ethical hacker) .

PostGrad.com has put together a list of the ten best cyber security related masters courses in the UK and Europe, which is well worth checking out. GCHQ in the UK also approves certain post degree courses and CBR have listed their top ten master’s courses here.

Is a Cyber Security Degree more Important than Certification?

Bachelor degrees in cyber security are not an alternative to taking a relevant courses and qualifications in cyber security and shouldn’t be seen as such. It’s extremely important to separate education (GCSEs, A Levels, Degree, Master’s Degree, etc), certification (CISSP, Certified Ethical Hacker, etc) and experience (industry, internships, setting up your own testing environment, etc).

Employers will look at all three areas separately and being educated to degree level will show academic commitment, as much as it will show relevant education in the field. The one area I didn’t mention here are soft skills, which can in part be honed through experience, tutorship and professional development.

What will you learn on a Bachelor’s Degree Course?

Cyber security degrees will focus on the information security aspect of computing, whilst computer science degrees can be tailored to specialise in cyber security related fields. With both you will learn some key principles relating to IT security including:

• The fundamentals of cybercrime, including common methods and motivations
• Digital forensics, what it is and how it can help uncover cyberattacks and trace attackers
• Strategies for protecting information systems and networks
• Use of common programs that can monitor and track cybercrime online
• Common logical mathematics, programming and coding

What you study will depend on the particular course you are taking and any specific modules you opt for within that degree. It pays to have an idea of what you want to do post university so you can tailor your course to the career you most want to pursue.

Post Graduate Job Opportunities

In 2012, US State Department senior advisor Alec Ross said “If any college student asked me what career would most assure 30 years of steady, well-paying employment, I would respond, ‘cybersecurity’.” This was a pertinent comment six years ago and it arguably more pertinent today, especially in the light of a growing IT recruitment crisis.

But knowing what area or field to get into can be difficult at this early stage of your cyber security career. One thing’s for sure and that is that you’ll almost certainly need to aquire some certification or qualifications on your journey. It’s also likely that your employer may well pay for you to do this to fast track your career.

Two jobs that can often represent the first step on the cyber security ladder are Network Security Engineer and Security Administrator, both of which are responsible for the day to day administration of an organisation’s cyber security infrastructure.

For more information on the various roles out there, check out our sister site’s guide to cyber security job salaries in the UK.

For league tables on all UK computer science degrees, check out this site.

Category: Skill

What is the UK’s Cyber Security Challenge And Should You Take It?