Professionals based in industry who have interest in cybersecurity. The micro credential will prepare professionals for a rewarding career; for example, to take a role as a security manager, security engineer, security analyst, or IT security specialist.
Risk Assessment
Overview
| Module Code | COMP47900 |
| Module Title | Risk Assessment |
| Subject Area | Cybersecurity |
| Credits | 10 |
| NFQ | 9 |
| EFQ | 7 |
| Start Date | September 2025 |
| Duration | 12 Weeks |
| Time | Synchronous |
| Mode of Delivery | Blended |
| Course Leader | Dr Rob Brennan |
| Fee | €900 |
| Application Deadline | September 2025 |
This micro credential will enable students to understand each of the key steps of a risk assessment, including how to identify risks, manage hazards and determine the likelihood of harm. Students will be able to carry out a risk assessment of their own organisation or one of their choice. The module will cover the theories, concepts, and practices of threat modelling and enterprise risk management. It will outline the context for risk management, the various methods of risk assessment and the options for risk response and mitigation.
On successful completion of this micro-credential, you will be able to:
- Understand the concepts of risk, risk response and mitigation
- Identify and protecting an organization from unacceptable losses
- Apply the NIST/ISO risk management processes
- Outlining the system security boundary
- Identify security risk components
- Estimate the impact of compromises to confidentiality, integrity and availability
- Adopt the appropriate model for categorizing system risk
- Setting the stage for successful risk management
- Documenting risk assessment and management decisions
- Introduction to risk, risk management, risk mitigation
- Risk and the system security boundary
- Identifying security risk components
- NIST/ISO risk management processes
- Risk impact: compromises to confidentiality, integrity and availability
- Models for categorizing system risk
- Documenting critical risk assessment and management
- Collecting on-going security metrics
This holistic and well-rounded course will be of interest to executives and professional/technical staff who:
- need to acquire knowledge and skills to equip themselves better for their current role.
- want to gain a promotion.
- want to open up new career opportunities for themselves in cyber security related roles.
- are interested in doing some research in this field, perhaps in relation to a current work problem.
- want to gain a qualification to add to their standing and credibility within their professional life.
Pre-recorded lectures released every week with 3 in-person workshops at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the term (available to take remotely)
Minimum of 2.1 honours bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (or a cognate discipline) or 2:2 honours bachelor’s degree in computer science (or a cognate discipline) and equivalent (> 5 years) industrial experience in software development or software/system security.
Each applicant will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 7.0 (no band less than 6.5 in each element), or equivalent.
Continuous Assessment: Learning Journal (Throughout the Trimester); Examination: End-of-term examination (2 hour End of Trimester Exam)
The lecturer will provide either written or oral feedback to the learners
- Leadership in Security COMP47800
- Applied Cryptography COMP47890
- Risk Assessment and Standards COMP47900
- Secure Software Engineering COMP47910
- Information Security COMP47920
- Cybersecurity Law LAW42160
- Incident Response COMP47870
- Network Security COMP47880
- Malware Analysis COMP47810
- Ethical Hacking COMP47860
If you have any questions about this micro-credential, or would like to speak to a UCD staff member, please contact (opens in a new window)microcredentials@ucd.ie.