Cybercrime: Ethical, Professional & Legal Issues

Cybercrime is a major risk to all organisations and individuals – reputational compromise, sensitive data leaks, erosion of public trust, data protection law violations, and prevention or recovery costs – are just some of the effects of cybercrime.

The Cybercrime: Ethical, Professional and Legal Issues short course helps you develop the skills and knowledge needed to understand and navigate ethical dilemmas, sector and professional best practice, and legal obligations for yourself and your organisation. Professionals seeking promotion, specialist knowledge, or deeper knowledge in this evolving area should enrol on this course.

This short course explores these complex ethical, professional, and legal issues using lectures and practical exercises. Professionals on this course will examine this evolving subject using case study reviews, presentations from subject-matter experts on relevant theory and legislation, response planning exercises, and decision-making simulations.

Course aims

1. Explore the ethical considerations surrounding technology.
2. Understand the roles of professional bodies in the development of careers in public service, industry, and commerce.
3. Explain the ethical obligations of a professional.

About the course

Accredited and blended learning: This part-time, twelve-week accredited short course is delivered in compressed blocks using blended learning (in-person and online – please review the schedule below). This flexible delivery enables students to balance personal and professional demands while studying. Students earn a University Certificate and 20credits at Level 6 upon successful completion of the assessments. The credits may be transferred to a degree course, such as the BSc Policing & Applied Security Studies.

The Cybercrime: Ethical, Professional & Legal Issues short course provides a cost-effective, inter-professional, flexible, and employment-centred approach to professionals in the policing and security sectors. It enables professionals to build on their existing professional knowledge and earn an accredited qualification from a reputable university in Cybercrime: Ethical, Professional & Legal Issues.

Students who successfully pass the short course and want to continue their academic studies may consider enrolling on the BSc Policing & Applied Security Studies or the MSc Policing and Security Transformation.

Who is this course for?

This course is only open to working professionals from the policing and/or security-related sectors. Professionals from the following sectors may be interested in this short course (this list is not exhaustive):

• Law enforcement (police, borders, NCA, HMRC, prisons, probation, IOPC, CCRC, HMICFRS)
• Investigative roles
• Forensic services
• Security services (MI5, MI6)
• Military and rescue services
• Finance and risk management
• Airport and airline security
• Coastguards, maritime and shipping
• Private security companies and contingency planners
• Crisis and emergency services and
• Local authorities.

The short course is pitched at Level 6, so even though there are no formal qualifications required to apply, it is important that you are capable of learning at Level 6.

Remember: an undergraduate degree is composed three levels of learning (Levels 4, 5, and 6), whereby Level 4 is foundation learning and Level 6 is advanced learning.

Why study this short course?

This course is an excellent choice if you want to advance your career – gaining marketable skills, building your confidence, and improving your knowledge of the changing policing and security landscapes.

The Cybercrime: Ethical, Professional & Legal Issues short course is:

Flexible and affordable

• · Gain a qualification in only 12 weeks, while still working full-time.
• · Half the cost of other universities’ short courses.
• · Balance work, life, and studies in your schedule.
• · All learning is recorded and accessible online.

Focused on professional development

• Learn about cutting-edge practices across specialist areas based on case studies from real-world events.
• Study strategic developments and current debates in understanding the cybercrime threat landscape.
• Develop skills in research, writing, public speaking, and analysis to stimulate professional development.

Expanding opportunities

• Participate in simulated decision-making exercises in CCCU’s immersive Hydra Suite, or in emergency simulation exercises, like CAVEX (see video below).*
• Widen your professional networks in the classroom and at events through the Canterbury Centre for Policing Research.
• Choose areas to focus on in your assessments that address your and/or your employer’s needs.
• Provides a glimpse at university-level learning – you may decide you want to study for one of our undergraduate or postgraduate degrees for serving professionals, such as the BSc Policing & Applied Security Studies or the MSc Policing and Security Transformation.

How will I be assessed?

Students who enrol will complete two assessments:

• Individual presentation (worth 60% of the total mark)
• Group report and presentation (worth 40% of the total mark)

Dates, times, and location

Course start date: 27 May 2025

Course end date: 15 August 2025

Duration: 12 weeks

Sessions: All sessions are recorded and accessible to students online.

Students will attend sessions (30hours total) as follows:

• 2x study weekends in Canterbury,
• 4 x 2hr evening lectures via Hyflex (in-person or online)

This course will take place on our Canterbury Campus and online.

Course cost

The 2024/25 tuition fees for this short course are as follows:

Students usually self-fund or obtain employer sponsorship to this course.

​​​​​​​Some larger organisations already have sponsorship schemes in place – check your organisation's intranet, talk to your line manager or HR department to see if they’ll sponsor your studies.

When talking to any employer about being sponsored, try to think about the following:

• What study or personal development have you done already? Your employer may want to see evidence of your commitment to study or self-improvement.
• ​​​How will the short course help you in your current role? Have a clear idea of where you want to improve, or where you want to get to.
• What are your future goals? How do they fit in with your employer? They’ll want to know how you can best benefit the company during and after your studies.

​​​​​Talking in detail about the course you want to study and how you’ll apply them to your work will show how you’ve given the short course serious thought. If your employer is only partially sponsoring you, you’ll need to make sure you have another payment method secured to fund the remainder of your tuition fee.

How to apply

To apply you must:

• Be at least 18 years old,
• Have 3 years of industry experience in security or policing, OR
• Have an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject area AND at least 1 year industry experience.
• Complete your application – which will include attaching a CV and personal statement (750words). We assess your ability to learn at Level 6 using your personal statement. Please review this guidance to help you write and prepare your CV and personal statement.

Applications are acepted on a rolling basis and may be accepted up until the first day of the course in exceptional circumstances.

Note: Any applications that do not meet the above requirements will be directed to the Course Director for review.