IOS-4 Cyber Security and Digital Resilience Foundations
IOS-4 Cyber Security and Digital Resilience Foundations
- Course description
- Course CodeIOS-4
- Level of Study5.1
- Program of StudyIT Operations and Security
- Credits15
- Study Plan CoordinatorJustine Moodley
Organisations must protect their identities, data and systems, and continue to operate when incidents occur. This course introduces the security and resilience perspectives that students can develop further in the second year, and provides skills to assess an organisation's security and resilience.
Students learn how identities, data and hybrid environments are attacked and defended, and how attackers and defenders work. They protect identities and data with strong authentication, Conditional Access, privileged access and sensitivity labels, and assess output from AI security tools. The course also covers relevant laws, regulations and standards, the responsible use of AI, the incident life cycle and business continuity. Students present the main risks to an organisation and their recommendations in a report to a company board. The course emphasises ethical conduct in security work, particularly when handling privileged access and personal data.
The candidate:
- has knowledge of how identities, data and hybrid environments are attacked and defended, and of the incident life cycle and business continuity
- has insight into relevant laws, regulations and standards for information security, privacy and risk management, and for the responsible use of AI
- is familiar with the roles in security work, including how attackers and defenders operate
- understands why digital resilience matters to organisations and to society
The candidate:
- can apply relevant tools and techniques to protect identities and data, using strong authentication, Conditional Access, privileged access and sensitivity labels
- can find information about current threats and vulnerabilities, and assess output from AI security tools
- can assess an organisation's security and resilience, identify the main risks, and determine what measures need to be implemented, in a report to the company board
The candidate:
- understands the ethical principles that apply in security work, including when testing systems, processing personal data and using AI
- has developed an ethical attitude in relation to privileged access and the handling of sensitive data
- can communicate security risks and recommendations to a company board and other non-technical audiencescan develop security policies and routines that fit an organisation's needs
Course content, learning activities and tools reflect industry standards and are developed in collaboration with industry partners and experts from the field.
Practical Work
The course includes regular practical activities where students apply their knowledge and practise relevant skills. Students engage in practical learning activities from the first lesson and throughout the course.
Collaboration
Collaboration is facilitated through the LMS and Teams, and students are encouraged to work together for peer support and shared learning.
Guidance
Teachers are available for guidance at scheduled times. Students are encouraged to share work in progress and use feedback from teachers and fellow students to develop their work further. Guidance is provided through written and video-based step-by-step guides. Students receive formative feedback on their coursework requirement, which helps them develop their work and prepares them for the Course Assignment.
This course has one coursework requirement, graded Approved / Not Approved.
| Form of assessment | Grading scale | Grouping | Duration of assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
Course Assignment | Grade A-F | Individual | 1 Week(s) |