INFORMATION SECURITY

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are today indispensable for the normal functioning of society. We are dependent to a large extent of the correct and regular operative status of information systems, communication infrastructures and mechanisms that provide the legal guarantees of the rights and liberties of citizens. Threats against these systems attacking their availability, integrity and confidentiality can have dire consequences to the normal activity of institutions. The problems with cybersecurity are not restricted to the physical frontiers of an institution, region or country, as such they constitute one of the great international challenge that needs to be addressed. Cooperation (regional, national and international) among the several players is essential to achieve high levels of security and thus contribute effectively to the regular society working status.

Cybersecurity is also a topic that has been deserving the spotlight in the media. The impact of security incidents and attacks has been constantly in the public information space, illustrating the impact they have on society.

In face of the constant evolution of technology and the increasing sophistication of security attacks, it is up to Universities, as knowledge providers, to participate in the creation of responses that society needs to deal with these challenges. The knowledge developed with the study and investigation on the causes and mechanisms that have been used as attacks vectors is the primary information to transmit to the society. The Masters in Informatics security places itself as a privileged opportunity for sharing this knowledge in a context of a “learning through doing” environment, where the student is challenged to connect the theoretical concepts and principles with the best practices. This allows her/him to elaborate and implement security policies, rules and mechanisms that are effective against the concrete threats and challenges that organizations currently face in the real world.

In this Master, the student will learn how to use and integrate advanced security tools so to be able to plan and project complex networks and systems so to withstand concrete threats. This requires an ample assortment of knowledge and technical capabilities that, allied with sound principles of security and best practices, allow the course graduates to project and/or consolidate effectively the security in the institutions that they integrate or come to integrate.

OBJECTIVES

The Master in Informatics security aims to provide advanced education to professionals and researchers in the area of cybersecurity. In the course we strive to improve the technical knowledge and practical skills of informatics security of students that intend to rapidly pursuit a successful professional carrier in the area, and simultaneously strengthen the theoretical concepts of those who wish to undertake an academic carrier.
At the end of the course the students should:

• Have deep knowledge on the scientific area of informatics security, developed through research activities, of innovation or strengthening professional competences;
• Ability to comprehend and solve problems in new situations or in broadened and multidisciplinary contexts in the environment of a professional activity or research;
• Ability to integrate knowledge, deal with complex questions, develop solutions or reason in situation of limited or incomplete information, including reflections about the implication and ethical and moral responsibilities that may derive;
• Be capable of communication knowledge, conclusions and their underlying reasons in a clear and correct manner either to specialists or non-specialists;
• Obtain competences that allow them an autonomic development of their skills and knowledge through life.

STRUCTURE

The cycle of studies leading to the Master’s degree in Information Security consists of:

• a Specialization course, consisting of an organized set of curricular units, corresponding to 72 credits ECTS. It confers a diploma of Specialization in Security of Information Systems;
• an original dissertation specially designed for this purpose, corresponding to 48 of the total of 120 ECTS credits in the cycle of studies, whose public defense will allow them to obtain a Master’s Degree in Information Security.

CURRICULAR PLAN

Click here to view the complete version of the latest curricular plan.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Holders of a Bachelor degree or equivalent degree, by national or foreign institutions, in the areas of computer science, information technology, science and information technology and related fields;
• In duly justified cases and after curricular evaluation, the scientific committee of the Master may admit holders of other degrees or university degrees, provided that their curriculum demonstrates an adequate basic scientific preparation;
• Holders of an academic, scientific or professional curriculum that the scientific committee of the Master recognizes as sufficient to attest to the capacity to carry out this cycle of studies. For candidates who do not hold the degree at the time of application, but in the conditions of completion up to the date of enrollment in the study cycle, evidence must be provided of the curricular average at the application date, as well as of the missing curricular units for the Bachelor’s degree;
• Other graduates may be admitted, provided that their curriculum demonstrates an adequate basic scientific preparation.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Candidates who hold a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics or other related fields, will be placed first.

Placing will be done according to the following criteria and sub-criteria

• Academic curriculum (area of training and average obtained) (85%)
  • Sub-criterion 1: training area (30%)
  • Sub-criterion 2: average and adequacy of degree (70%)
• Scientific curriculum and professional experience (15%)
  • Sub-criterion 1: technical and / or scientific publications and communications (50%)
  • Sub-criterion 2: Participation in research projects, internships in the area of the study cycle or other relevant professional experience (50%)

Tiebreaker:
In the event of a tie, the result of an interview will be used as a tie-breaking criterion. Each candidate will be asked about his / her academic background, in order to better measure his / her technical knowledge and its suitability to the characteristics of the master’s degree. Priority will be given to candidates who demonstrate a greater mastery of basic knowledge in Computer Science and Computer Security, essential to the Master’s degree.

Candidates who do not yet hold a Bachelor’s degree and/or have an academic, scientific or professional curriculum that is recognized as attesting to the ability to carry out this Master by the statutory scientific body, will be serialized according to the criteria and sub-criteria indicated above, but replacing the final grade point average by the weighted average of the curricular units performed.

CAREER PROSPECTS

The graduates of this Master are qualified to the different roles of informatics security in the different types of companies. In the Master, the various components of security are dealt with, so managing security in computer systems involving databases, system administration, communication networks, web development, mobile applications are areas where these Masters can work in. These capabilities can be used in a specialized level or as a general consultant in the systems area, in a way that can be applied to different companies’ profiles. Institutes, public bodies, etc. Pursuing a research carrier is also a possible carrier choice for graduates.