IT & Mobile Security

MOBILE APPS | IT SECURITY | COMMUNICATION | CLOUD COMPUTING | CROSS-PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT | SECURE SOFTWARE DESIGN

We live in a connected world. But are we secure in the 'cloud'? How can we best protect sensitive data from attack? You will learn to answer this question on the IT & Mobile Security Master’s degree programme, by finding new solutions for applying and using information and communication technologies safely.

As the ICT sector is completely international, the programme is taught in English and specialists from abroad deliver a majority of the lectures.

IT Security

The primary focus of the IT & Mobile Security degree programme is on technological aspects of internet security. Firewall technologies, forensic examinations of computer systems and the identification of malware, such as viruses, are just a few of the subject areas which await you during your studies. Cryptography and its applications allow you to secure networks and prevent computer systems from being infiltrated. You will also work on developing secure software as well as back-up and recovery strategies to minimise the data lost in attacks and network failures. You will also become familiar with the basic principles of software engineering, needed to develop secure software systems.

Mobile Solutions

Mobile end devices are used more frequently than desktop PCs. The security risk in firms and organisations increases when individuals are encouraged to use their own mobile devices for business purposes (BYOD or ‘Bring your own device’). In addressing this issue of mobile security, the degree programme has its finger on the pulse of the times. We show you how to design, develop and test pioneering solutions to mobile problems. Therefore you will be closely involved in cross-platform development, which involves creating and developing secure mobile applications on a variety of platforms. You will learn how to design, plan and diagnose computer networks with a focus on mobile infrastructures. You will recognise security risks and learn to apply your knowledge of information systems and their protection against various types of attack. This puts you in the position of being able to effectively prevent threats such as denial of service, eavesdropping or unauthorised access.

Cloud, Cluster and Server Technologies

The secure use of clouds and networks is an important component of the degree programme. You will study security mechanisms for operating systems, and can run services on cloud and server systems whilst adhering to the necessary security requirements. We teach you about mobile operating systems and their architectures. You will learn how to make these systems secure, both in terms of operational reliability (safety) and against external attacks (security). You will also become familiar with special, highly secure systems and security certifications for system software.

IT Security Practice

During the third semester you will undertake a project requiring you to apply your knowledge of IT and mobile security. As many of our students are already in employment, they can undertake projects related to their work.

During the project and Master’s thesis that you undertake during the third and fourth semesters you will specialise in topics such as the security aspects of

• software development and database applications,
• communication, such as networks, mobile apps and cloud solutions, or
• various platforms and servers.

You will broaden your knowledge of cryptography and its application in order to develop secure software design solutions. You will study the basic functions of mobile frameworks and environments needed to develop simple apps, for example Android frameworks. In the field of cross-platform development you will also learn about developing HTML5 web applications for different platforms, and connecting them to various social media frameworks. You will also develop real-time applications for the web.

Another specialisation includes advanced functionalities such as interaction concepts, navigation patterns in depth, touch, gestures, sensors, actors, location-based services, secure architecture, design, implementation and testing. You will examine each of these aspects, especially from the perspective of security. Furthermore, you will study data security and data management in cloud systems and the development of cloud services, database systems for managing large volumes of data, and mobile clients for cloud services.