Panel discussion about prevailing Cyber Crimes and the importance of Cyber Security and Forensics and education. From left: Theekshana COO Harsha Wijayawardhana, WSO2 Vice President Research Dr. Srinath Perera, Moderator CERT CEO Lal Dias, CERT CC Director Operations Rohana Palliyaguru and IIT Senior Lecturer Saman Hettiarachchi

Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT), the pioneer in British higher education in Sri Lanka,has launched Sri Lanka’s first-ever Cyber Security and Forensics Master’s programme from the University of Westminster, UK.

Students following the 2 year part time course will gain insights into the nature of the security threats faced by today’s computer systems, the type of information that is stored on digital devices and how digital evidences can be traced and extracted from them. The course offers students the chance to learn about a variety of tools available todaywhich include forensic tools. It will also look into the analysis of professional and ethical issues relating to computer security and forensics, and the development of related professional competencies, such as report writing and presenting evidence in a court of law.

The course is structured in a way where all students cover five core modulesand choose a specialisation in Cyber Security or Digital Forensics. The core modules include Cyber Security Evidence and Procedure, Fundamentals of Security Technology, Internet Security, Research Methods and Professional Practice.Cyber Security focuses on analysis and assessment of risk plus how to minimise it. Digital Forensics addresses how to extract and use digital information from a wide range of systems and devices to detect crimes.

Commenting on the newest addition to the institute’s portfolio, Naomi Krishnarajah – Dean of IIT stated, “In today’s high-tech world, computers play a vital role in all aspects of our daily lives. Numerous industries and institutions – from hospitals, banks, power plants, telecommunication companies and many more – rely heavily on them for virtually every aspect of their operations. Unfortunately, while the world is becoming increasingly inter-connected, there is not enough attention paid to the security aspects and therefore computer systems and the huge volumes of data onthem are vulnerableto attacks by malicious parties. Therefore, the need for improved computer security has never been greater and will only continue to increase into the future. Weare introducing this Master’s programmeto increase the number of skilled professionals in the country to cope with this fast-changing field of IT.

Dean of IIT Naomi Krishnarajah addressing the gathering

The first intake for this programme commences in September 2018. All IIT courses are offered by friendly, highly-experienced staff, and benefit from the diverse specialist knowledge and skills within the institute. Teaching methodology at IIT includes lab-based sessions, student-led tutorials and lectures by internal staff and guest lectures from experts in the industry while assessments will be carried out primarily through practical or research-based course work.

Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT) was established in 1990 as the first private higher education institute that awards reputed British degrees in the field of ICT and Business. IIT is an award-winning campus offering internal postgraduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Westminster, UK and Robert Gordon University, UK. IIT has played a pivotal role in strengthening the IT and Business sectors in Sri Lanka over the years by producing world-class graduates. These graduates have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs and IT/Business professionals in both local and international corporate and government entities. Since its inception, IIT has produced thousands of graduates who have excelled in over 250 organizations around the globe.