Strengthen your foundations in systems, networks and security. You practise scripting and learn to identify threats, assess risks and work collaboratively.

Main topics

• Cybersecurity Foundations (Introduction to core principles, career paths, ethical frameworks, and version control tools like Git and GitHub).
• Operating Systems & Shell (Linux and Windows fundamentals, command-line proficiency, file structures, and permissions).
• Security Fundamentals (Networking basics (TCP/IP, firewalls, routing), threat types, attack vectors, and risk management).
• Scripting & Enumeration (Bash, PowerShell, and Python scripting essentials, network/system scanning, and reconnaissance automation).

Offensive Cybersecurity

Learn to identify vulnerabilities through authorised security testing. You explore attack techniques, assess weaknesses and report findings with recommendations for improvement.

Main topics

• Reconnaissance & OSINT (Active and passive information gathering, OSINT frameworks, and target profiling).
• Web & Cloud Attacks (Web application architecture, OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, mobile app testing, and cloud security).
• Exploitation Techniques (Buffer overflows, privilege escalation, and exploit development using Metasploit and manual methods).
• Reporting & Ethics (Professional documentation, legal considerations, and stakeholder communication).

Defensive Cybersecurity

Learn to protect systems, detect threats and respond to security incidents. You investigate suspicious activity and strengthen an organisation’s security and resilience.

Main topics

• Security Operations & Incident Response (SOC monitoring, SIEM tools, threat analysis, incident response lifecycles, and malware analysis).
• Endpoint & Cloud Security (System hardening, EDR tools, vulnerability management, IAM concepts, and cloud compliance).
• Governance & Resilience (Risk assessment frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001), business continuity, disaster recovery, and security policies).

The capstone project is the culmination of your specialisation, designed to showcase your skills in real-world applications. It is primarily driven by your own idea, and may also be developed in collaboration with an industry partner. Capstone project examples include: 

• Examples of capstone projects
• Build and document a virtual Security Operations Center that centralises logs, triggers alerts and
• supports analyst triage.
• Plan and run a full penetration test against a lab environment, from reconnaissance to an
• executive-level report.
• Deploy honeypots to capture real attacker activity and turn the findings into threat trend and
• hardening recommendations.
• Emulate an adversary with MITRE ATT&CK and validate that the right detections fire.
• Build an automated threat intelligence pipeline that collects, normalises and exports indicators of
• compromise.

CompTIA Security+

Validate your ability to identify, analyse and respond to security threats across enterprise systems and networks.

Key areas assessed

• Risk management and cryptography
• Cloud and network protection
• Threat analysis and incident response

Relevant career paths

• Information Security Analyst
• Systems Security Administrator

Aligned with the ENISA European Cybersecurity Skills Framework (ECSF) and ESCO occupational profiles.

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CompTIA PenTest+

Validate your ability to plan and carry out penetration tests, identify vulnerabilities and develop mitigation strategies.

Key areas assessed

• Vulnerability assessment
• Exploitation techniques
• Reporting and remediation

Relevant career paths

• Penetration Tester / Ethical Hacker
• Vulnerability Analyst

Aligned with ENISA ECSF and ESCO profiles related to offensive security and threat analysis.

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