Cyber Security and Forensics with Foundation BSc Honours

This module introduces the concepts of computing hardware and software, computer architecture and their uses for electronics and media. It also covers the fundamentals of computer networks, standards, protocols, interfaces and network security issues. The tutorial and laboratory exercises are designed not only to support the lectures but also to provide hands-on experience, skills and understanding of important aspects of computer systems and networks.

Critical thinking is fundamental to our ability to progress in an increasingly complex and changing world. It is an essential skill across a range of academic and practice-based disciplines.

This module helps you understand the importance and function of critical thinking both at university and beyond. By working in partnership with academic staff and peers, you will explore how critical thinking aligns with disciplinary practices, shapes scholarly knowledge, and addresses inequalities. Through problem-posing education and anti-racist practices, you will engage with real-world problems, fostering the ability to create a more just and sustainable world.

This module introduces practical mathematical and numerical problem solving relevant to computer science and engineering. Basic numeracy is revisited, and algebraic manipulation is revised and explored. Methods to take a real-world problem and to formulate and solve both symbolically and numerically are considered. Software tools will be used throughout. An applied, practical and real-world approach is taken whereby you'll gain skills to solve mathematical problems related to all areas of computer science and engineering gaining more confidence with numeracy related problems on your chosen course.

The module will be delivered with a combination of lectures and practical ‘hands on’ face-to-face tutorials. The material covered in this module will give you adequate necessary mathematical background to continue on any undergraduate course with the School.

This module introduces you to computer systems fundamentals and data systems fundamentals. An introduction to statistics is made and in particular how to gather, describe and visualise data collected through a survey or experiment. The aim of the module is to ensure that you have an understanding of the high-level systems and software that support data storage and retrieval to be able to work with such systems and to be able to critically and confidently operate with system stakeholders and technical partners such as data provider, storage, and data processing actors. Concepts of computer systems and data creation, storage, and retrieval systems will be introduced as well as compliance and security. This knowledge will be reinforced by practical sessions where you will create, store and retrieve data using standard tools, as well as have the opportunity to analyse and evaluate typical real-world data lifecycle scenarios. Also the module will provide practical experience in implementing databases and data querying in order to gain better understanding of data systems.

This module introduces you to the key academic, professional, and personal skills essential for success at university. It encourages good practices in writing, presentation, and time management, while also fostering reflection to help you build confidence as you transition to higher education. Open to all students enrolled in courses delivered through Westminster Foundation Pathways, the module provides a creative and supportive environment where you can reflect on and develop your academic and professional journey. You'll work with specialist facilitators who play a crucial role in guiding your academic and professional development.

With a focus on managing academic choices in a higher education setting, the module emphasises the importance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using methodologies that prioritise equality, diversity, and inclusion. Through these lenses, you'll explore topics that prepare you to address real-world challenges as highlighted in the SDGs in a socially conscious, inclusive, and responsible manner.

This module introduces the concept of software. Students are introduced to the software development process and the design of simple programs firstly using visual methods of problem solving and then using a high-level programming language. The material covered in this module will give students a strong background and understanding to equip students to excel at Level 4 Programming modules.

This module provides the fundamental concepts and mathematical methods required in the Computer Games Development, Smart Computer Systems, Data Science and Analytics and Computer Network Security degrees. It aims to strengthen your mathematical skills and improve your fluency in algebraic manipulation, equation solving, matrix algebra, vectors, geometry, trigonometry, transformations, calculus and statistics. The lectures will be made interactive and interspersed with hands-on worked examples and demonstrations to consolidate your understanding of a variety of problems that relate to your courses.

The module focuses on trends in Computer Science which currently attract considerable industry and academic interest. It allows you to develop critical thinking skills by research and exploration of these topics. The module also develops employability skills in order to better support employability prospects and placements. It introduces key aspects of working as a professional in the world of computing, including consideration of ethics, privacy, data protection and confidentiality, and how these are incorporated into professional codes of practice such as the BCS Code of Conduct.

This module examines various cybersecurity concepts. The module analyses some of the security issues and countermeasures in line with up-to-date topics and the current advances in the field both from the perspective of individuals and organisations. The concepts include information security fundamentals like confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The module introduces cyber security design principles and fundamentals. It then expands to build a foundation of five key areas: Access Controls and AAA, Application Security, including malware and malicious code; Network and Cloud Security, Physical Security, human factors ethics and methods eg Biometrics and Social Engineering.

This module provides an in-depth understanding of the infrastructure of computer networks in terms of design, logical organisation, protocol structures and physical connections. It gives theoretical and practical insight into the computer communication networks and reviews the most important network technologies. The laboratory exercises are designed to support the lectures.

This module introduces the fundamentals of programming using Python. It develops competence in problem-solving and algorithmic thinking, alongside core programming concepts such as data types, control structures, functions, data structures, and file handling. These skills are taught within the context of cybersecurity and digital forensics, using practical examples that include log parsing, task automation, basic networking, cryptographic operations, and the extraction of file metadata and artefacts. The module reflects the types of tasks commonly performed by practitioners in professional cybersecurity and digital forensics environments.

This module introduces web technologies and covers theoretical and practical concepts of web development. It covers a variety of commonly used Internet programming languages. You'll gain practical experience of web page development, and you'll be expected to write programs and web pages conforming to given guidelines.

This module, through lectures and practical activities, introduces the theory of classical and modern cryptography and its use in computing, with an emphasis on the practical applications of cryptography to secure computer networks and systems. A systematic study of the fundamental cryptographic principles provides the foundation for an applied perspective to the subject. Practical work based on examples using popular cryptographic tools and APIs helps to develop a methodology for using cryptographic techniques to design and construct security solutions in key application domains.

The module introduces the fundamental concepts of digital forensics. The module focuses on the physical aspects of digital forensics such as how data are stored on physical drives, memory cards and other physical mediums then it looks at how the data are organised by studying the various file systems and the logical management of data and its metadata. It also looks at how different operating systems (Windows, Linux, Apple, Android, etc) store and access data and the various layers of data abstractions you employ. The module will cover data recovery, file carving as well as digital forensics for encrypted drives.

The module covers the fundamental concepts relating to network security, such as the CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability) paradigm. A broad range of vulnerabilities and threats in a network system are analysed, including networking infrastructure and networking protocols. Corresponding mitigating techniques are scrutinised, and investigations are conducted relating the material to current security trends. The UK legislation relating to malicious computer-based activity and what constitutes a violation is covered.

This module covers the principles of risk management in the context of cyber security and how to carry out a risk management assessment to provide information assurance following different frameworks and standards used such as ISO27001 and NIST. In addition to this, the module briefly covers legislations and standards both in the UK and internationally such as GDPR and the data protection act. The module also offers some exposure to various risk management tools and vulnerabilities management tools that comply with international standards.

This module covers the fundamentals of database systems, the basics of the back-end development of database-powered web applications and the key security challenges and countermeasures for web applications. It is suitable for you if you have a strong interest in the development of scalable web applications built on robust back-end databases and in finding ways to protect them from online security threats.

This module enables you to create engaging data visualisations to effectively communicate the results of data analysis to a diverse audience. You'll learn how to encode information in visual form and will create infographics and dashboards. You'll also learn to use the power of storytelling to create engaging data narratives. We use a mixture of open source tools, such as R and ggplot2 and commercial tools, like Microsoft Power BI or similar.

The module introduces you to the theoretical aspects of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and User Experience (UX) as well as provides a practical understanding of current principles of effective interface design. The module equips you with the practical skills needed for the design and evaluation of interactive systems using a user-centred approach. It provides an understanding of the relevance and application of human abilities and limitations to the design of interactive systems and how context influences the human system interaction.

The module introduces the objectives and functions of generic operating systems structure and through a gradual progression provides a framework for detailed knowledge of the structural components for multi-tasking operating systems, including that systems programming for Unix based architectures.

This module allows you to demonstrate the ability to work independently to investigate a problem by investigating, researching, and producing an extended piece of work in the domain of cyber security and digital forensics. It can be either a significant piece of research using the right methodologies and approaches to evaluate and compare solutions, or to design a solution that either solves a problem or facilitates the investigation of a cyber and digital forensics incident.

This module focuses on incident response and ways of identifying sources of attacks on networked computer-based systems. It also delves in the science of malware, their different types, their infection cycles and briefly looks at how they are implemented. The module also introduces you to tools, approaches and activities carried out in a Security Operations Centre (SOC) to deal with cyber-attacks.

The wireless security module covers the fundamentals of communication systems. You'll learn about centralised and ad-hoc networks (wireless LANs, Bluetooth, GSM networks, Zigbee, NFCs and others), including the infrastructures as well as limitations and challenges of each one. The module will cover security of these networks in all aspects of CIA, key management, and distribution. It also introduces some aspects of the physical layer and the telecommunications security. The practical part of the module will allow you to identify vulnerabilities and threats that exist in wireless LANs and how to mitigate those threats. You'll also be introduced to some aspects of the physical layer and the telecommunications security.

This module explores the planning and execution of advanced penetration testing within complex enterprise environments. Students apply structured red team methodologies and threat modelling to scope engagements, prioritise attack paths, and assess adversarial impact. The syllabus covers multi-stage attack chains, identity and trust exploitation, operating system compromise across Windows and Linux, evasion techniques, and post-exploitation objectives. Students will critically evaluate offensive practices across diverse system architectures.

This module introduces the fundamental concepts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and examines their applications within cyber security. Students will explore key AI techniques, and consider AI as both a defensive asset and a potential threat, addressing issues such as adversarial attacks, AI-driven malware and the ethical challenges of automation in security.

This module covers cyber security threats and countermeasures at physical and digital level focusing on behaviour of employees and home users. It allows you to identify threats and model them based on behaviour and type of businesses. In this module, you'll also cover emerging trends, their security principles and methods, limitations, and challenges.

This module presents you with a strategy to implement defensive programming, from the very design stage, and techniques on how to implement these measures in the coding – pre-emptive defensive programming. This will help you to design and develop more robust programs that will safeguard data and protect services against hostile attacks, as well as blackswan events. The module will be language agnostic.