Master's specialisation in Cyber Security

Specialisation of: Master's in Computing Science

Title/degree: Master of Science (MSc)

Duration: 2 years (120 EC), full-time

Start month: September

Language of instruction: English

Croho code: 60364

Learning to assess the security of existing ICT solutions, and how to develop more secure solutions for the future.

Our society relies on ICT to an ever-larger degree, making cyber security a topic of growing importance. Over the last decade, Radboud University has made a name for itself in this field both in and outside the country. The Digital Security Group revealed security flaws in the chip-card used for public transport smart cards like the London Oyster and the Dutch OV-chipkaart. Researchers of our group also found security vulnerabilities in commonly used car immobiliser systems.

Currently, we’re leading the development of the IRMA card, an ID card that will give users the freedom to only reveal those personal attributes that are needed for a certain purchase, and so better protect their personal data against misuse. Also, our experts are involved in the development of the Networking and Cryptography library (NaCl), a new easy-to-use, high-speed and high-security software library for network communication, encryption, decryption, digital signatures, etc.

Main focus Master's in Cyber Security

The Master’s specialisation in Cyber Security will teach you how to contribute in the design of new security systems. You’ll be able to draw up the security requirements of an application and discover where possible weaknesses lie. Main focus lies on topics as cryptographic codes, operating systems and protocol verification. But you’ll also get a broad scope of cyber security to include mathematical, organisational, legal and ethical aspects, with particular attention for privacy issues.

NVAO accreditation

This program is legally recognized and accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO).

Although this Master’s specialisation is an excellent stepping-stone for students with ambitions in academic research, most of our graduates work as consultants, managers or researchers for companies that specialise in cyber security or that heavily rely on ICT security.

Why study Cyber Security at Radboud University?

• This specialisation is offered in collaboration with the Eindhoven University of Technology, meaning you get taught by many of the best cyber security experts in the country.
• The focus of this specialisation lies in the technical core areas of cyber security like software security, hardware security, network security, and cryptography. Additionally, it includes courses on privacy and legal and organisational aspects of information security.
• In the Netherlands, Radboud University’s research in Data Security is unique in its broad range. It ranges from legal and privacy aspects, security analyses of existing systems, the design and realisation of new systems, applied cryptography, down to hardware aspects of smartcards and RFID chips. Internationally, we’re leading in research on smartcards and privacy-friendly identity management.
• Education is closely connected to research at the Privacy & Identity Lab where the fundamental dimensions of privacy and identity from a legal, technical and social perspective are researched.
• The job opportunities are excellent: some of our students get offered jobs before they have even graduated and almost all of our graduates have positions within six months after graduating.
• This Master’s specialisation is a successor to the earlier Kerckhoffs Master (a collaboration that also included the University of Twente). About two-thirds of the current curriculum consists of courses that made the Kerckhoffs Master’s so successful in the field of computer security.

NVAO accreditation

This program is legally recognized and accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO).

In addition to the information above 

In May 2018, dcypher made an analysis of the curriculum of the Cyber Security Master at the Radboud Universiteit. The curriculum at that time was comprised of technology (81%), organisation (14%) and human & behaviour (5%). More details of the analysis can be found on the website of dcypher.