Cyber Security and Forensic Computing

Cyber security and forensic computing address two sides of digital security work. Cyber security focuses on protecting systems, networks, and data from attack, developing the technical and conceptual tools needed to defend digital infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated threats. Forensic computing applies investigative methods to digital systems, recovering and analysing electronic evidence for use in legal proceedings, incident response, and security investigations.

Together, they prepare you for the full cycle of security work, from prevention and defence through to detection, investigation, and attribution.

At Anglia Ruskin University, this three-year full-time degree develops your understanding of network security, cryptography, operating systems, malware analysis, digital forensics, and the legal and ethical frameworks within which security and investigation work takes place. You will develop technical skills in both offensive and defensive security, learning to understand how attacks happen and how their traces can be identified and preserved. The combination of security and forensics is particularly relevant to roles in law enforcement, intelligence, incident response, and legal proceedings where digital evidence is increasingly central.

Graduates work in roles including penetration testing, digital forensics analysis, security operations, incident response, law enforcement digital investigation, compliance and risk management, and intelligence analysis. The discipline is in high and growing demand across both the public and private sectors, and the technical depth combined with forensic and legal awareness makes graduates distinctive in the security workforce. Postgraduate study in cyber security, forensics, or related fields is also a common next step for those wishing to specialise further.