Principles of Cybersecurity (M) COMPSCI5120

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Computing Science
  • Credits: 15
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 1
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course covers foundational topics in Cybersecurity. It will survey the cyber threat landscape, common attack types, and mitigation strategies on devices as well as at network level.  This course will also highlight security issues in emerging domains such as IoT, cloud, and AI. The course will also introduce security (penetration) testing and mitigation strategies to overcome cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Relevant scenarios might include networked systems, operating systems and end-user applications.

Timetable

One two-hour lecture and one one-hour laboratory session per week.

Requirements of Entry

For MSc students: acceptance into one of the MSc programmes listed in section 10 below.

Excluded Courses

CyberSecurity Fundamentals for MSc (M)
COMPSCI5063

Assessment

Examination (60%), Coursework (40%).

 

Coursework will comprise a combination of weekly online quizzes, practical exercises and an essay-based reflection on material discussed in the course.

Main Assessment In: December

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? No

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below.

Course Aims

This course aims to give students a strong foundation in cybersecurity, helping them understand key concepts, principles, and frameworks that will support their learning throughout the MSc Cybersecurity programme. As cyber threats continue to grow and change, it is important for cybersecurity professionals to have a clear understanding of the basic security principles that guide modern cybersecurity practices. By the end of the course, learners will be able to analyse security threats, understand how attackers 'think', apply best security practices, and develop a proactive approach to protecting conventional as well as emerging systems and associated data.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Understand the core principles of information security, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability (the CIA triad).

2. Identify common cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and attack vectors.

3. Understand and implement basics of cryptography and computer and network security architecture such as public key infrastructure.

4. Recognize how attackers think and practise techniques to defend against cyberattacks.

5. Explain cyber security fundamentals concepts and how cybersecurity can be enforced in conventional and emerging interconnected and intelligent systems such as IoT and AI.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.