Bachelor in Digital Assurance and Security Management

Bachelor in Digital Assurance and Security Management

  • Study Facts
    • Area of Study
      Computing
    • ECTS
      180
    • NQF Level
      Bachelor's degree (Level 6 1. Cycle)
    • Campus
      OnlinePLUS - Bergen, OnlinePLUS - Oslo, Online
    • Study Mode
      OnlinePLUS, Full-time, Online
    • Entry Requirements
    • Study Programme Leader
      Piet Delport
Introduction

Noroff University College (NUC) offers awards that specialise in the utilisation of digital technology. The objective of the Bachelor in Digital Assurance and Security Management is to provide you with a background in the field of information assurance and security. This degree explores the range of issues relating to the international field of information assurance and security through methods and techniques relating to ensuring that the organisation’s cyber risk has been correctly identified; that the relevant information and cyber security policies have been implemented; and that the Organisational information and cyber security practitioners adhere to these policies.

Many commercial organisations in Norway store data in Digital form; ranging from the business records of a sole trader on a laptop to extensive corporate records. The 2012 Norwegian Business Security Council’s cybercrime survey suggests securing this data is a significant concern:

"…there is an increase in […] dependency on ICT. Norwegian companies, especially at the executive level, lack knowledge about information security and do not have an overview of threats and incidents…”

The 2012 Norwegian Business Security Council’s cyber-crime survey, quoted in the Cyber Security Strategy for Norway. (https://www.regjeringen.no/globalassets/upload/FAD/Vedlegg/IKT- politikk/Cyber_Security_Strategy_Norway.pdf)

Organisations are connected, not just in terms of networks and technology, but also information and services. An attack on a single element of an infrastructure has the potential to affect the whole infrastructure. It can be difficult to distinguish between civilian and what may be considered ‘legitimate’ military targets in a cyber-attack. It is therefore imperative for all organisations to take appropriate steps to protect their information and information resources. Access to information resources have become so vital for modern organisations that it is no longer something that provides a competitive edge, but should rather be seen as an essential utility, similar to electricity, without which organisations cannot function. At the organisational and planning level, it is not sufficient to just have security policies and controls in place, the organisation also needs assurance that the selected cyber security policies and controls are adequate for the degree of risk the organisation is facing; have been implemented correctly; and complies to all relevant legislation. In the light of many large data breaches, issues relating to privacy have become increasingly important to organisations and there are many new laws and legal regulations ensuring the protection of customer rights. Digital assurance professionals play a vital role in ensuring that organisations are compliant to such legal requirements.

There is an increasing demand for skilled information assurance and security professionals worldwide and very few study programmes focus specifically on addressing the need for assurance professionals. Traditionally, many assurance professionals started as accountancy professionals and then cross-skilled into the cyber security domain. However, the complexity of the cyber domain has made such a cross-over increasingly more difficult.

Aims of the Degree Programme

This degree programme aims to develop candidates with a holistic understanding of key practice, principles and procedures of IT governance, IT auditing, and IT risk and compliance management. Through a blend of knowledge and skills enabling candidates to understand the role(s) of IT systems in supporting business operations, the needed information and cyber security controls to secure such systems, and the processes of assuring these systems are implemented and maintained as they should be. Graduates have a high level of proficiency in a wide range of skills including problem solving, business analytics, organisational IT architectures, cloud computing, IT Auditing, cyber risk assessment, and information security governance. The programme has been specifically designed to equip graduates with the conceptual understanding and principles of both business decision making and information security, to produce a well- rounded, employment ready, graduate.

The following are the broad core elements for the degree programme.

  • Foundational IT Knowledge: Business processes, computational thinking and programming, database systems, IT architectures, business intelligence
  • IT Audit and Assurance: Foundations of accounting, management accounting, IT Audit Principles, IT Audit Practice
  • Information Security Management: IT operational management, IT governance, risk, and regulatory compliance
  • Cloud Computing: Cloud architectures, audit and assurance in cloud environment
  • Information Assurance: Policies, procedures, risk management, and legal, ethical and social issues of security, stakeholder motivation

Throughout the programme there is a strong emphasis on the processes, technology, tools, legal and ethical requirements relevant to this fast-moving, technically challenging yet exciting domain. The self-reflective practices aim for candidates to understand the importance of an explorative yet focused approach to information for life-long learning and engagement in industry-standard best practices.

Entry Requirements

For general admission it is required to document the following criteria as passed:

  • Higher Education Entrance Qualification, and
  • Candidates must be able to document proficiency in the English language.
    Language requirements by Samordna Opptak

For admission on basis of prior learning and work experience:
Admission based on prior experience requires a written application for evaluation. Applicable candidates must be at least 25 years of age in the year of admission.

For candidates with foreign education the requirements for Higher Education are:

  • The country must be recognized by NOKUT, specified in the GSU-list.
  • Candidates must be able to document proficiency in the English language.
    Language requirements by Samordna Opptak

For further information, please see the admission requirements: https://www.noroff.no/en/admission/admission-requirements

Campus and Online Study

All students follow the same progression according to their education plan, irrespective of whether they study online or on campus. All students study the courses at the same time, with the same delivery and workload, following identical assessment strategies for every course. At the study level no distinction is therefore made between campus and online students. All students are required to engage in live education sessions (such as lectures) and undertake all required educational activities.

Students are encouraged to interact with each other via online forums and chat systems, enabling discussions to take place involving both online and campus students. Each student cohort is therefore a single learning community, concurrently engaging in all educational activities irrespective of actual physical location. Throughout all educational sessions course staff actively encourage participation from campus and online students simultaneously, and do not focus solely on those who are physically present.

This tight integration of campus and online ensures students will be part of a cohesive learning community throughout their study. As a result, this also means that should students personal situations change during their studies, and they must change their mode of study from online to campus (or vice versa) this can be done with little to no disruption to their studies

Opportunities for Further Studies

The subject material will enable graduates to go on to postgraduate study, for example:

Undertaking some period of study at an international educational institution can result in many benefits to those who take part, including:

  • Language and general competence in the destination country and culture
  • Development of personal and professional networks in other parts of the world
  • Personal growth and holistic development.

All students are eligible to apply to undertake a period of study at an international university. All international study opportunities are subject to the application processes and admissions requirements of the international institution, in addition to an evaluation of the suitability of the proposed study exchange within the students’ study at NUC. Full details of international study opportunities and the application process is available to all students within the LMS.

Possible Professions

This degree aims to provide specialists in the cyber domain with a strong foundation in assurance, and it will challenge individuals to develop a scientific, rigorous approach to their work. Graduates must not only understand business security needs examined, but also be able to ensure these security solutions are implemented correctly and are in fact adequate to mitigate the risks the organisation faces in the given context. The graduate is also enabled to fulfil a number of distinct employment titles, such as the following:

  • Information Assurance Professional
  • Information Security Auditor
  • Information Security Analyst
  • Risk and Compliance Officer
  • Information Security Manager
  • Cloud Security Analyst
Accredited
June, 2023