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Master's Degree Programme in Cybersecurity (instruction in Finnish)

Degree:
Master of Engineering

Degree title:
Insinööri (ylempi AMK), Master of Engineering

Credits:
60 ects

Degree programme description

The extent of the studies is 60 ects:

- programme-specific core studies (25 ects)
- supplementary studies (5 ects)
- Master’s thesis (30 ects).

Programme-specific core studies (25 ects) include
- Strategic Cybersecurity 15 ects
- Indroduction to Cybersecurity 5 ects
- Cybersecurity audit and Cyberhygiene 5 ects
- Networks and Cybersecurity 5 ects
- Functional Cybersecurity 10 ects
- Defensive Cybersecurity 5 ects
- Offensive Cybersecurity 5 ects

Completing the studies, provides students with several functional cybersecurity skills, and you are able to:

- analyze the local information systems from the attacker’s point of view.
- examine information systems to find potential attack surfaces.
- to use common tools for gathering information about the target systems.
- implement counter measures against cyberattacks.
- improve the information system security and manage the principles of application security.

You are also able to protect industrial internet systems, manage intrusion detection systems and apply counter-measures in the network infrastructure.

The studies involve a lot of practical laboratory work. All the students carry out several case studies in a virtual laboratory environment. The laboratory work can take place as distant learning. The VirtuaLab can be used from XAMK’s own computers as well as from any device that has a modern HTML5 capable web browser. For example, a student logs into the system from https://virtual.ictlab.fi. Then he/she can reserve up to ten simultaneous scenarios. Each scenario can contain multiple virtual machines, and all virtual machines come with all the cables required for connecting them. Now the student selects which scenario he/she wants to interact with. After that, he/she is greeted with a network topology image containing all the devices included in the scenario. The student can select any device from the topology image by clicking it, and then he/she is taken to a screen that resembles a remote desktop view of the virtual machine.

The VirtualLab system enables the construction of complex virtualized environments that include multiple virtual machines, each with their own operating system. These machines can be servers, workstations, switches, routers, firewalls, and so on. All of these machines can be interacted with and external software can be installed to them. One can create any type of scenario they want, whether it is a offensive- or defensive cybersecurity laboratory or a practice laboratory for datacenter networking.

Objectives

New kinds of skills and competences are needed in the working life of the future. The objective of the education is to produce modern high-level competences in the area of cybersecurity.?Disruptions in the operations of our internet-based society may be fatal. New skills are needed for preventing, detecting, responding, and in case of failure, mitigating the consequences.

Completing the studies gives a strategic point of view on the importance of cybersecurity in different areas. You also become familiar with cybersecurity frameworks, standards, security management and can classify the vulnerabilities and the principles of protection. You know the cybersecurity business services and know how to carry out a security audit. After the studies, students can apply security solutions for discovering security threats and for protecting against them. You are also able to manage countermeasures against denial-of-service attacks.

RDI and cooperation with world of work

Education in XAMK cybersecurity participates eagerly in RDI activities. The most important result of recent projects has been the unique VirtualLab cloud service for RDI and education purposes. The contribution of students participating the RDI projects has been very important. As a new project called CyberELITE focuses on business opportunities and cybersecurity threats due to the digitalization of manufacturing industry. Starting point for the project is EU-level preparation for Cybersecurity act, which aims to improve and guarantee the cybersecurity and reliability of SME companies. Another starting point are cybersecurity testing needs reported by companies. The strategies of Councils of South-West and South-East Finland emphasize digitalization, renewal of manufacturing industry and cybersecurity as main goals.

The project will develop regional innovation platforms, which consist of IoT cybersecurity laboratory activities, processes, and connections to external actors. The focus for the innovation platform are manufacturing industry and secure IoT devices as a part of service production. The goal is to create ecosystem able to support IoT business development especially for SME sector.

Virtual laboratory hosted on Kotka CyberLab datacenter is used in CyberELITE as important remote laboratory for IoT devices. The project has given working or internship place so far for about ten students of cybersecurity.

Implementation of studies and flexible learning tracks

The studies can be completed while working full time. They are carried out through blended learning methods, including lectures and cooperative learning sessions, online learning, and project-based learning. There are on average three contact teaching days per month. The contact sessions are held in Kotka on Thursdays 16.30 – 20.00.

Studies are in Finnish. Study material is however in English. There might be international visitor lecturers. Master’s thesis is done in Finnish. Master’s thesis and some learning tasks can be designed to develop the students’ employer organizations’ activities, benefiting both the students’ studies and the employer.

New students arriving in XAMK?will have our new policy in action. The new BYOD policy demands students bring their own devices, i.e. laptops, to campus.

Learning environments

XAMK CyberLab learning environment is unique in Finland. On Kotka campus where CyberLab learning environment is located the CyberLab datacenter is the platform for all the services needed to cybersecurity educations. The datacenter works also as an important part of datacenter technology education. The most important service running on the CyberLab datacenter is the VirtualLab. XAMK VirtualLab is a cloud service, which only requires users to have a modern web browser with support for HTML5.

VirtualLab is now widely used in cybersecurity- and information networks education, as well as in RDI activities (Research, Development, Innovation). It replaces almost all laboratory work done with physical devices. For example, before a three-person student group had only a few devices to use, but now one student can have a multiple complete virtual ”worlds” each including nearly 30 virtual devices. These are called ”laboratories” or ”scenarios”. VirtualLab is in heavy use: at the best, the system has had simultaneously over 100 users, over 300 active laboratories, about 3200 active virtual machines and approximately 5000 virtual cables.

Cybersecurity, master studies
Code
(KTKT24SY)
Cybersecurity, master studies
Code
(KTKT23SY)
Cybersecurity, master studies
Code
(KTKT22SY)
Cybersecurity, master studies
Code
(KTKT21SY)
Cybersecurity, master studies
Code
(KTKT20SY)
Enrollment

21.08.2023 - 10.09.2023

Timing

28.08.2023 - 15.12.2023

Number of ECTS credits allocated

5 op

Mode of delivery

Contact teaching

Campus

Kotka Campus

Teaching languages
  • Finnish
Seats

20 - 35

Degree programmes
  • Master's Degree Programme in Cybersecurity (instruction in Finnish)
Teachers
  • Marko Oras
Teacher in charge

Marko Oras

Groups
  • KTKT23SY
    Cybersecurity, master studies

Objective

You are able to carry out security audits and understand different penetration testing methods.
You are able to advise users about social engineering and security risks.
You understand the significance of the personal cyberhygiene to the information security of society and individual companies.
You are familiar with the information security and privacy legislation.

Content

How do you carry out a security audit?
How do you evaluate a company's physical security?
How do you advise users about social engineering and security risks?

Evaluation scale

1-5

Enrollment

06.04.2023 - 21.04.2023

Timing

11.09.2023 - 15.12.2023

Number of ECTS credits allocated

5 op

Mode of delivery

Contact teaching

Campus

Kotka Campus

Teaching languages
  • Finnish
Seats

10 - 40

Degree programmes
  • Master's Degree Programme in Cybersecurity (instruction in Finnish)
Teachers
  • Vesa Kankare
Teacher in charge

Vesa Kankare

Groups
  • KTKT22SY
    Cybersecurity, master studies

Objective

You are able to identify cybersecurity threats in data communication networks and implement solutions to mitigate cybersecurity risks in the network infrastructure.
You understand the risks of data communications services and the Internet and are able to implement solutions to protect the connections.
You understand the special needs of datacenter and industrial networks, and other specialized user solutions.
You are able to document the policies required to maintain a high level of security in a network.

Content

What are the cybersecurity threats to which data communication networks are exposed?
How to apply countermeasures to threats in the network infrastructure?
How do you implement solutions to protect data communications services?
How do you take into account in your operation the cybersecurity of the specialized networks?
How to plan and document the cybersecurity of communication networks ?

Materials

Online self-study material, online resources and remote laboratory exercises

Teaching methods

Scheduled track:
You participate into scheduled contact lessons. You studies are progressing in the pace of the group schedule and self paced learning activities.

Blended and Independent tracks:
You study the topics by yourself and execute required learning activities. In this case contact your responsible teacher in the beginning of the studies to agree on the required activities and demonstration of your skills.

Employer connections

-

Exam schedules

Retakes are arranged as needed in agreement with the responsible teacher

Student workload

Achieving the learning outcomes requires 135 hours of work of which about quarter is contact lessons and laboratory exercises and the rest is self study, practise exams and remote laboratory exercises.

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment is based on learning activities, laboratory exercises and online exams

Qualifications

Introduction to Cybersecurity

Enrollment

06.11.2023 - 17.11.2023

Timing

15.01.2024 - 31.05.2024

Number of ECTS credits allocated

5 op

Mode of delivery

Contact teaching

Campus

Kotka Campus

Teaching languages
  • Finnish
Seats

10 - 40

Degree programmes
  • Master's Degree Programme in Cybersecurity (instruction in Finnish)
Teachers
  • Vesa Kankare
  • Jarkko Hänninen
Teacher in charge

Vesa Kankare

Groups
  • KTKT23SY
    Cybersecurity, master studies

Objective

You are able to describe methods to detect and react against cyberattacks.
You know how to implement intrusion detection systems in an information system.
You know the principles of hardening the IT system and are able to perform basic hardening procedures on an operating system.
You know how to protect critical infrastructure and ensure quick response to ongoing attacks.

Content

How do you implement countermeasures against cyberattacks?
How to harden the security of an information system ?
What are the principles of application security?
How to protect critical infrastructure?
What are the key components of detecting cyberattacks?
How to apply counter-measures based on the detected attacks?

Location and time

You study the topics by yourself and execute required learning activities. In this case contact your responsible teacher in the beginning of the studies to agree on the required activities and demonstration of your skills

Materials

Lecture presentations, online resources, laboratory exercises

Teaching methods

Scheduled track:
You participate into scheduled contact lessons. You studies are progressing in the pace of the group schedule and self paced learning activities.

Independent track:
You study the topics by yourself and execute required learning activities. You can also demonstrate the required skills via demonstration of prior learning of the topic. In this case contact your responsible teacher in the beginning of the studies to agree on the required activities and demonstration of your skills.

Blended track:
You study the topics by yourself and execute required learning activities. In this case contact your responsible teacher in the beginning of the studies to agree on the required activities and demonstration of your skills.

Employer connections

-

Exam schedules

Retakes are arranged as needed in agreement with the responsible teacher

Completion alternatives

If you are working in a company, organization or a higher education project aligned with the study unit learning outcomes, you are able to complete the study unit in your workplace. In this case contact your responsible teacher in the beginning of the studies to agree with a development project you can execute in your work. Successful completion requires you study the topics in theory and practice. You must show your skills via a demonstration, which is determined based on learning objectives.

Student workload

Achieving the learning outcomes requires 135 hours of work of which about quarter are contact lessons and laboratory exercises and the rest are self study, group work, practice exams and remote laboratory exercises

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment is based on learning activities

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

(a) use professional vocabulary and concepts in an expert way in different situations.
(e) choose appropriate models, methods, software and techniques according to the purpose and justify these choices.

Qualifications

Introduction to Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity of modern networks

Enrollment

21.08.2023 - 10.09.2023

Timing

28.08.2023 - 15.11.2023

Number of ECTS credits allocated

5 op

Mode of delivery

Contact teaching

Campus

Ecampus

Teaching languages
  • Finnish
Seats

15 - 40

Degree programmes
  • Master's Degree Programme in Cybersecurity (instruction in Finnish)
Teachers
  • Kimmo Kääriäinen
Teacher in charge

Kimmo Kääriäinen

Groups
  • KTKT23SY
    Cybersecurity, master studies

Objective

You are able to recognize the importance of cybersecurity in different areas.
You understand the control based Information Governance.
You understand the cybersecurity vulnerabilities, risks and controls.
You are able to describe some important tools in defensive and offensive cybersecurity.

Content

How do you define cybersecurity in different sectors, such as the industrial Internet, energy engineering, maritime technologies, ICT, health care and financial services?
Why is cybersecurity management important?
What are security controls and why are they important?
How to defend against global threats with the help of e.g. risk management, next generation firewalls, and penetration testing?

Materials

Online self-study material, online resources and remote laboratory exercises.
Online lessons are on MS Teams platform. Lessons are recorded.

Teaching methods

Scheduled track:
You participate into scheduled contact lessons. You studies are progressing in the pace of the group schedule and self paced learning activities.

Blended and Independent tracks:
You study the topics by yourself and execute required learning activities. In this case contact your responsible teacher in the beginning of the studies to agree on the required activities and demonstration of your skills.

Employer connections

CyberLab learning environment

Student workload

Working load is 135 hours.

Evaluation scale

1-5

Qualifications

No prerequisities

Further information

The course is implemented by means of e-learning.

Enrollment

06.11.2023 - 17.11.2023

Timing

15.01.2024 - 31.05.2024

Number of ECTS credits allocated

5 op

Mode of delivery

Contact teaching

Campus

Kotka Campus

Teaching languages
  • Finnish
Seats

20 - 30

Degree programmes
  • Master's Degree Programme in Cybersecurity (instruction in Finnish)
Teachers
  • Marko Oras
Teacher in charge

Marko Oras

Groups
  • KTKT23SY
    Cybersecurity, master studies

Objective

You are able to analyse local information systems from the attacker’s point of view.
You are able to examine information systems to find potential attack surfaces.
You are able to use common tools for gathering information about the target systems

Content

What might the attacker want to do to a local information system?
How do you examine information systems to find potential attack surfaces?
How do you use common tools for gathering information about the target systems?

Evaluation scale

1-5

Qualifications

Introduction to cybersecurity, Cybersecurity of modern networks