Develop your knowledge of cyber security in today’s world

Cyber threats are among the biggest challenges businesses face today. With the advancement and transformation of our digital world, organisations need to focus on managing risks and reducing the cost of cyber crime.

On this course, you’ll identify some of the risks that you face as an individual, as well as the organisations you work for.

You’ll explore key digital security terminology and the role of a security policy for protecting information assets within the context of global communication and the web.

Understand cyber threats

You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of security concepts and their application to contemporary internet and mobile-based technologies.

You’ll explore the various categories of cyber threat, for example; malware, ransomware and phishing.

Then you’ll consider what constitutes a ‘vulnerability’ and think about the different types of hackers, e.g. recreational, cyber activists, and state sponsored.

Examine the impact of cyber crime, how it affects companies, and the UK government’s response strategy.

Explore digital security risk

Digital security risk is a major issue for organisations worldwide. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, total global losses from cyber crime are in excess of $600 billion a year (2018). Cyber crime losses by UK retailers totalled £505 million in 2013 alone.

You’ll explore types of digital security risks, where they occur, who causes them, and identify the risks around your data being lost or used by others, and what you do when your data security has been breached.

Finally, you’ll review the possible motivations of security breaches and what organisations can do to protect themselves, their systems, and their data.

Syllabus

Week 1
Introduction to The Cyber Security Landscape
- The cyber security landscape
  Recognise the characteristics of the changing cyber security landscape.
- Cyber security and types of threats
  How do we find ourselves at risk from a cyber crime, and what kind of threats is our data exposed to?
- The impact of cyber crime
  What are the impacts of cyber crime on individuals and organisations?
- Summary
  Reflect on the activities that you have done this week and find out what is coming up next week.
Week 2
Cyber Security Breaches
- Introduction to Week 2
  Welcome to the second week of The Cyber Security Landscape.
- Risks
  Perspectives on the risk to our digital data.
- Summary
  Reflect on the activities that you have completed this week, provide your feedback on this course and find out what is coming up in the next course.

Prove you're job ready

Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.

Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
Complete each course and pass assessments.
Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
Make your career dreams a reality.

Download a PDF

Learning on this course

You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Demonstrate a systematic understanding of relevant knowledge about organisations, their external context and how they are managed
Demonstrate an understanding of the changing cyber threat landscape and the developments in cyberspace
Apply knowledge to a range of situations including IT security, finance, accounting, and organisational behaviour, taking account of the inter-relationships of these topics and their interactions with the business and the industry and external environment
Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate techniques sufficient to allow detailed investigation into relevant cybersecurity management issues

Who is the course for?

This course is for anyone who is keen to increase their knowledge of digital security risks and the tools and techniques used to guard against them.

Who developed the course?

Coventry University

Coventry secured gold in the UK Government’s 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and is University of the Year for Student Experience in The Times & The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019.

Established
1992
Location
Coventry

About this ExpertTrack

Explore how to protect against cyber attacks using the key principles of digital security.

Find out more

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps, but you can complete them as quickly or slowly as you like
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

Start learning today - free 7-day trial

After your free trial you can:

Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends