Cybercrime Investigation MSc

Programme at a Glance

CO4514 (L7) Digital Forensic Technology
This module will equip students with an understanding of the technical issues involved in the handling of electronic evidence. While electronic evidence is the focus of the module, it discusses the wider issues including mobile devices, network-based evidence, interpretation of evidence, and acquisition of digital evidence. Some students may already have a relevant technical background and can take an alternative module.

CO4515 (L7) Trends in Cybercrime
The purpose of this module is to expose students to a range of trends in cybercrime and to develop their ability to find and evaluate their value for cybercriminals. Students will gain knowledge about methods, techniques and emerging technologies that cybercriminals use, how they operate, and how they engage with victims in the cyberspace with the goal of becoming better equipped to prevent, detect and react to cybercrime.

PS4401 (L7) Behavioural Dynamics of Cybercrime

This module will provide students with an understanding of current and emerging internet and related technologies which are used to commit criminal offences in a number of different categories of cybercrime (e.g., ID theft, sexual exploitation). It will address current understanding of offender and victim characteristics, motivations, offence processes, and associated investigative issues in relation to different types of cybercrime. Students will be required to apply the knowledge they develop during the module to their own current or future professional practice. 

FZ4721 (L7) Policing Cybercrime
This module is intended to equip the student to conduct cybercrime Investigations. Students will study the legislation and processes appropriate to the pro-active and reactive investigation of cybercrime at a local and national level and the issues in respect of working with investigative partners, as well as alternative strategies to prosecution such as prevention, intervention and disruption.

FZ4720 (L7) Open Source Internet Investigation
This module is intended to provide students with an understanding of information that is freely available on the internet that is referred to as Open Source Intelligence. To introduce research skills and techniques to produce efficient and effective searches in databases and social networking sites, developing an understanding of computer security and leaving footprints whilst making online enquiries, the identification of email addresses whilst ensuring such investigations are lawful, necessary and proportionate.

FZ4707 (L7) MSc Cybercrime Investigation Dissertation
You will spend 15 weeks undertaking a project which uses and enhances many of the skills learnt on the course, including undertaking primary research. Following the conclusion of the work, you will complete a 20,000 word report on the project as well as give a presentation of your findings; you will be expected to justify your choice of research methodology and comment on your work’s validity and reliability