MSc Digital Cybercrime

Explore the biggest challenges facing the justice system today. You’ll look beyond basic theories to investigate modern global issues, including prison crises, the environmental impact of green crime and why miscarriages of justice happen. This module encourages you to think creatively about ideas like problem solving courts and abolitionist criminology. By looking at both history and modern practice, you’ll build the knowledge and skills needed to navigate a complex justice system and start or enhance a high impact professional career.

Step into the world where technology meets crime. This module looks at how the internet has changed how people commit traditional crimes, how it has created opportunities for new crimes, how victims are affected and covers a wide range of issues from hacking to online abuse. You’ll look at how police try to stop these crimes and the theories behind why people break the law online and the impact on victims. By exploring current and future threats, you’ll build the knowledge and analytical and ethical skills needed to tackle security challenges in our digital world.

Learn the professional ways to investigate digital crimes, from the first moment a device is taken to presenting evidence in court. You’ll follow the full forensic process including finding, saving and analysing data. Get hands on experience with tools like Autopsy, FTK and EnCase to find hidden evidence while following the rules of the law. You’ll also study the laws that govern digital evidence such as the Computer Misuse Act and data protection rules ensuring you can build a solid case that meets professional best practices and industry standards.

Examine the digital battle between criminals and security experts. You’ll investigate how attackers use AI and deepfakes to trick people through fraud and phishing, while learning how to spot fake news and disinformation. You’ll also learn about ways in which you can use AI to quickly identify suspicious activity aiming to thwart potential breaches. By switching to a defensive blue team mindset, you’ll master the tools used to detect and stop these high tech threats. This module equips you with the specialist skills needed to join the next generation of digital professionals defending against sophisticated, untraceable AI-driven attacks, and the way in which cyber experts are turning to AI to detect and thwart such attacks.

Master the essential tools of social investigation by exploring the nature and purpose of criminological research. This module trains you in qualitative and quantitative methodologies as well as the ethical considerations of the field. You’ll develop the technical proficiency to design research proposals, to undertake the research, interpret data and write up research findings.

Explore forensic, criminal and investigative psychology. This module develops skills to critically analyse, evaluate and propose solutions in areas including theories of crime, eyewitness memory and false confessions, applying relevant underlying concepts and principles in varied contexts. You’ll develop an understanding of the difference between psychological, policing and legal paradigms, and learn how research in forensic and criminal psychology contributes to cybercrime, jury decision making, psychological treatment in prison, behavioural investigative advice and hostage negotiation. Through national and international case studies, you’ll develop a research informed understanding of complex and often misunderstood phenomena such as serial murder and 'offender profiling'.

Discover the practical issues related to the collection, retention and sharing of information and intelligence. This includes use of the Intelligence Cycle and understanding the importance of data protection regulations and their impact on policing. You’ll develop an understanding of how information and intelligence held by other agencies can aid police operations and how digital technology supports everyday policing. You’ll also learn about the legislation associated with digital-facilitated crimes as well as complex types of digital facilitated crimes including hacking, malware, denial of service and data manipulation, and gain first-hand experience in drafting a policy briefing paper.

Explore the journey of AI from its historical roots to today’s state-of-the-art technology. This module introduces the theories behind machine learning and intelligent agents, giving you a systematic way to map complex problems to the right algorithmic solutions. You’ll learn how to handle uncertainty and weigh up the risks and benefits of AI while building your own software. By justifying your technical choices to different audiences, you’ll develop the independent skills needed to create robust, ethical and useful AI solutions for the future.

Turn your own criminological interests into a professional research project. This module gives you the power to design and run your own study, managing everything from research proposal and then undertaking the research through to producing your findings. With support from your supervisor, you’ll master research methods that you can use directly in your future career. By undertaking the dissertation, you’re demonstrating to employers that you can produce original, rigorous and significant research whilst you’re evidencing to them that you have the problem solving, planning and time management skills needed to conduct projects in the justice sector.

This final project is your opportunity to apply your deep understanding of software development, cybersecurity and AI to a significant independent task. You’ll manage the entire process from researching sustainable solutions to implementing a robust software, cyber tool or AI product. Working with limited guidance, you’ll learn to navigate uncertainty and find reliable solutions even when you only have partial information. By critically choosing the right tools for real world problems and explaining your decisions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, you’ll demonstrate the professional initiative and responsibility needed to lead in the global tech industry.