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Level 4 · NCFE Self-paced
Enrolling now NCFE Approved Qualification number 603/7748/3

NCFE Level 4 Diploma: Cyber Security Engineer

A Higher Technical Qualification equipping you with the engineering skills and behaviours to advance into professional cyber security roles.

Duration: 510 guided learning hours, 1200 total hours; self-paced online, one to two years

Level
Level 4
Qualification number
603/7748/3
Awarding organisation
NCFE
Regulated status
On the RQF, regulated by Ofqual
Guided learning hours
510 hours
Total qualification time
1200 hours
Delivery
100% online
Study pattern
510 guided learning hours, 1200 total hours; self-paced online, one to two years
NCFE This qualification is awarded by NCFE and regulated by Ofqual

Course overview

This Level 4 Diploma is a Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, designed to give learners the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for a variety of cyber security roles. Its mandatory units cover principles of cyber security, cyber security architecture, legislation, policies and procedures, threat intelligence, risk assessment, and cyber security management.

It is aimed at those who want to begin or advance a career in cyber security, including career changers and people upskilling within the digital sector. It particularly suits learners progressing from relevant Level 3 qualifications.

Learners gain a respected higher technical credential that prepares them for skilled employment, apprenticeships or further study in the field.

What you will study

The units below, their unit reference numbers and their guided learning hours are taken directly from the NCFE qualification specification.

Unit Title Unit reference Hours
01 Principles of cyber security (mandatory)
3 learning outcomes
  1. Examine principles of cyber security within organisations and society
    • P1 Describe the role of cyber security principles within organisations and society
  2. Explore factors that contribute to security functionality in cyber security
    • P2 Outline impact of cyber security technology components
    • P3 Describe security assurance methods and their application in meeting requirements
  3. Apply programming and scripting languages to design or end user requirements
    • P4 Produce a program code or script, taking into account end user requirements
    • P5 Explain variations when producing clean and maintainable code NCFE Level 4 Diploma: Cyber Security Engineer (603/7748/3) 15
 Y/651/0932 105
02 Cyber security architecture (mandatory)
3 learning outcomes
  1. Explore networking model and protocols
    • P1 Describe the structure and layers of the OSI and TCP/IP models, including core TCP/IP protocols and IP addressing
    • P2 Outline common network issues and error control
    • P3 Design and implement a network with multiple subnets and routing
  2. Apply the characteristics of digital system components, implementing security controls
    • P4 Identify common digital system components (switches, routers, firewalls, servers) and their functions
    • P5 Design and test a system that incorporates appropriate security controls based on a given security case study
  3. Apply the concepts of cryptography
    • P6 Describe the principles of symmetric and asymmetric encryption and hashing
    • P7 Design a basic encryption scheme to protect data based on specific security requirements
    • P8 Develop a secure key management plan, including rotation, storage and archival strategies, addressing potential vulnerabilities NCFE Level 4 Diploma: Cyber Security Engineer (603/7748/3) 19
 D/651/0934 120
03 Legislation, policies and procedures in cyber security (mandatory)
3 learning outcomes
  1. Explore the fundamentals of common legislation and standards applicable to cyber security
    • P1 Summarise the application of legislation, regulations and standards on effective security practices
    • P2 Explain the importance of codes of good practice to an organisation
  2. Examine common factors of security management
    • P3 Explain the links between factors of security management and desired security outcomes
  3. Apply the fundamentals of IT service management (ITSM)
    • P4 Create an ITSM plan for an organisation
 F/651/0935 45
04 Threat intelligence in cyber security (mandatory)
3 learning outcomes
  1. Explore common cyber security threats and attack techniques
    • P1 Identify common threat actors and their motivations, and describe system- focused and human- focused attack techniques
    • P2 Explain security threats using external sources and evaluate their potential impact on business operations
  2. Examine vulnerabilities and mitigations
    • P3 Identify various vulnerability monitoring tools and technical control methods, describing their purposes
    • P4 Configure basic monitoring tools to proactively identify threats and vulnerabilities
  3. Analyse the horizon of cyber security trends
    • P5 Describe the stages of the threat intelligence lifecycle, identifying reliable threat intelligence sources
    • P6 Explain basic threat trend information to identify potential risks relevant to an organisation NCFE Level 4 Diploma: Cyber Security Engineer (603/7748/3) 26
 H/651/0936 120
05 Risk assessment in cyber security (mandatory)
2 learning outcomes
  1. Examine operating system security features
    • P1 Describe fundamental security features offered by different operating systems
  2. Assess risk management in cyber security
    • P2 Define the scope of cyber security risk assessment and identify common risk assessment methodologies
    • P3 Apply a basic risk assessment process to identify security risks and vulnerabilities in a given scenario
 J/651/0937 60
06 Cyber security management (mandatory)
2 learning outcomes
  1. Analyse employer and end user requirements
    • P1 Describe stakeholder types, access levels, location, vulnerabilities, threats, and cost impact security objectives
    • P2 Identify employer/end user requirements to support specific security objectives, considering threats and business context
    • P3 Develop a security case, including relevant security measures
  2. Apply principles of incident investigation in cyber security management
    • P4 Describe the stages of cyber incident response and incident management processes
 K/651/0938 60
Total guided learning hours 510

Entry requirements

  • Learners are typically aged 18 or above.
  • No mandatory prior qualifications, though a relevant Level 3 qualification (in cyber security, IT or digital) is strongly recommended.
  • A good standard of English and maths is expected for higher technical study.
  • This is an approved Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ).
Take it with you

The course guide

Everything on this page as one document you can keep, print, or send to whoever is deciding with you.

  • All 6 units, with the hours behind each one
  • How you are assessed, and who checks the marking
  • How paying works, and what is due when
  • Entry requirements and where the qualification leads
Download the guide (PDF)

Generated from this qualification's record, so the units and hours in it are the ones on this page. The fee is here on the page rather than in the guide, so a saved copy cannot quote you an old one.

How you are assessed

Your work is assessed by our qualified assessors, internally quality assured, and externally quality assured by NCFE. Assessment is against the criteria published in the qualification specification, and your assessor tells you what is needed before you start each unit.

For what happens after you submit: who marks it, who checks the marking, how long feedback takes and what to do if you disagree with a decision, see how assessment works.

If you need an adjustment to how you are assessed, for a disability or any other reason, ask us before you begin. We arrange adjustments under our Reasonable Adjustments policy, and you can request one online.

How we assess and quality assure is set out in DAIS-POL-016 Assessment and Internal Quality Assurance.

How you study, and what you need

You study online through our virtual learning environment, which is where the teaching material, your assessment submissions, your feedback and your progress all live. You work at your own pace, with tutor support throughout. Everyone completes a short online induction before starting an assessed unit.

What you need to take part
Device Laptop or desktop computer
Operating system Windows 10 or macOS 10.15 or later
Browser Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, latest version
Internet speed 10 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload
Webcam Required for live sessions and identity verification
Microphone Required for live sessions

These are the minimum requirements published in DAIS-POL-024 Online Learning and Digital Delivery.

Support, and how quickly we reply

These are the response times we commit to in policy, not an aspiration.

What How Response
General questions Message your tutor in the VLE Within 2 working days
Assessment feedback Returned in the VLE or e-portfolio Within 10 working days of submission
Technical problems Technical support email Within 1 working day
Urgent welfare concerns Email to the Designated Safeguarding Lead Within 1 working day

Published in DAIS-POL-024 and DAIS-POL-009 Learner Support.

Registration and your certificate

We register you with NCFE before you begin any assessed unit, and we collect your Unique Learner Number as part of that. When your assessment decisions are finalised and quality assured, we claim your certificate through the NCFE portal and you are notified digitally. The certificate comes from NCFE, not from us.

Set out in DAIS-POL-008 Learner Registration and Certification.

Progression

Progression: prepares you for senior technical roles in cyber security engineering, and for further specialist study. This qualification does not carry UCAS Tariff points.

Other names for this qualification

The regulated title is NCFE Level 4 Diploma: Cyber Security Engineer, qualification number 603/7748/3. People also look for it as:

  • Level 4 Cyber Security Engineer
  • Cyber Security Engineer Level 4
  • NCFE Level 4 Cyber Security Engineer
  • Level 4 cybersecurity Engineer
  • cybersecurity Engineer Level 4
  • NCFE Level 4 cybersecurity Engineer
  • Cyber Security Engineer HTQ
  • HTQ Cyber Security Engineer
  • cybersecurity Engineer HTQ
  • HTQ cybersecurity Engineer
  • 603/7748/3
  • NCFE 603/7748/3

If you arrived searching one of those, you are in the right place: they all describe this one qualification.

Fees and paying for it

Ways to pay
Pay in full, or spread the cost over 3 monthly instalments.
Nothing is paid when you apply. Payment is only taken after you accept an offer, and we will confirm the exact amounts with you before then. Fees and how to pay.
Investing in your own skills
Your fee pays for the part that gives a qualification its value: assessment by a qualified assessor, independent quality assurance, and a certificate issued by NCFE on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, regulated by Ofqual.
You can start now rather than waiting for a September intake, and study around work. Tutor replies come within 2 working days, and assessment feedback within 10.
You finish with evidence as well as knowledge: a portfolio of your own work, and a qualification that stays on your record for life. Of everything you can spend money on, your own skills are the one thing that follows you into every job you ever take.

Many employers will pay for this, and most people never ask. Send them the one-page case: what it costs, what it asks of the business, and how to check us independently. How employer funding works.

Common questions

Who awards NCFE Level 4 Diploma: Cyber Security Engineer, and how do I get my certificate?

NCFE Level 4 Diploma: Cyber Security Engineer is awarded by NCFE, an Ofqual-approved awarding organisation, and sits on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). The qualification number is 603/7748/3. The Data and AI School of London is an NCFE approved centre. We register you with NCFE before you start any assessed unit and collect your Unique Learner Number. Once your work is assessed and quality assured we claim your certificate through the NCFE portal, and it is issued by NCFE rather than by us.

How long does NCFE Level 4 Diploma: Cyber Security Engineer take?

This qualification carries 510 guided learning hours and a total qualification time of 1200 hours. It is studied online at your own pace, so how long it takes in calendar time depends on how much you can commit each week.

What do I need before I can start?

Learners are typically aged 18 or above. We assess every applicant individually and will tell you if a different level would suit you better.

Can I study this entirely online?

Yes. Teaching, materials and assessment are all delivered through our Moodle-based virtual learning environment, so you can study from anywhere in the UK. You need a laptop or desktop computer, a current version of Chrome or Firefox, and a broadband connection of at least 10 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up. Tutor support is available throughout, and we answer questions within 2 working days and return assessment feedback within 10 working days of submission.

Can I enrol now, and when do I pay?

The fee is £2,995. Enrolment is open, so you can apply online today. Nothing is paid at application: payment is taken only after you accept an offer.

Not sure this is the right qualification?

Ask before you apply. We will say honestly if a different level would suit you better.

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