Cyber security courses, online and NCFE approved
Cyber security, written as cybersecurity about as often, is one of the five subjects this school was approved to deliver. The qualifications below cover the principles of the field, threats and vulnerabilities, security controls and testing, incident response, and the law and ethics an analyst works inside.
The school currently holds NCFE approval for 4 qualifications in this subject, from Level 2 to Level 4. 4 are open for enrolment now, from £395 to £2,995. 3 of them can be completed entirely at your own pace. All of them are studied online from anywhere in the UK, and every one is awarded by NCFE and regulated by Ofqual.
Every qualification below is awarded by NCFE and regulated by OfqualThe qualifications
Not sure which of these fits you? Tell us where you are now and what you want the qualification for, and we will say which one suits and which does not. Ask us a question, or call +44 207 0990 956, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
One of these needs you to be working, or on a placement
Check this before anything else, because it rules one qualification in or out.
The Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry diploma needs access to a real workplace, or to a work placement. That is not a preference. Twenty two of its assessment criteria, across six of its seven units, can only be evidenced from real work with real colleagues. You also need to be 19 or over.
Your assessor has to watch you do those things. The awarding organisation requires direct observation, so a written account of work nobody saw does not meet them, and nothing may be simulated in its place. Ask us how the observation would be arranged before you enrol.
Nothing else here has that requirement. The Level 2 certificate is knowledge only, and the Level 3 Certificate in Cyber Security Practices and the Level 4 diploma are assessed by portfolio without a workplace.
Level 2 or Level 3, and how to tell which you need
Level 2 assumes nothing. It is where you start if cyber security is new to you: what the threats are, how attacks work, what controls exist and why data protection law shapes all of it. Roughly GCSE standard, and the right answer if you are curious rather than committed.
Level 3 assumes the ground Level 2 covers. It moves into threat intelligence, vulnerability assessment, testing, incident response and the professional judgement an analyst uses. Roughly A level standard, and more demanding to assess.
If you are weighing them against each other, the honest test is not ambition but time. Level 3 asks more hours each week and more independence. Starting at Level 2 and progressing is a normal route, not a lesser one, and it is usually faster than starting at Level 3 and stalling.
The ladder, and what each rung is actually for
The Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Cyber Security is the foundation: the vocabulary and the concepts, assessed by portfolio.
The Level 3 Certificate in Cyber Security Practices is the practitioner step, and the one most people mean when they search for a Level 3.
The Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Cyber Security is a diploma rather than a certificate: broader, longer, and aligned to an occupational standard, which matters if you are heading toward a specific role.
The Level 4 Diploma for a Cyber Security Engineer sits above all of them and assumes you have the Level 3 ground already.
What the job market asks for, honestly
A regulated qualification tells an employer that something external assessed you against a published standard. That is worth more than a certificate of completion, which only records that you finished watching.
It is not, on its own, a job. Entry-level cyber security in the UK is competitive, and what separates candidates is usually evidence of practice alongside the qualification: a home lab, a platform like TryHackMe, documented work you can talk through in an interview.
We would rather say that plainly than let you discover it after you have paid. Build the portfolio while you study, not afterwards.
Studying cyber security in London, and everywhere else
The school is registered in Chancery Lane and delivers entirely online, so there is no classroom to reach and no evening session to miss. A learner in London studies exactly what a learner anywhere else studies, and the certificate is awarded by NCFE rather than by us.
If you are searching for IT security courses in London because that is where you work, the online format is the point rather than a compromise. You keep the job and study around it, starting on any working day.
What you need before you start
No prior IT qualification and no degree. Comfort with written English matters, because both levels are assessed by written portfolio rather than by multiple choice.
A computer and an internet connection are enough. There is no exam centre to attend and no specialist software to buy for the certificate levels.
The thing people underestimate is self-direction. There is no timetable, which suits people in work and defeats people who need one, so be honest with yourself about which you are.
Common questions
Should I start at Level 2 or Level 3 in cyber security?
Start at Level 2 if the subject is new to you. Level 3 assumes the ground Level 2 covers and asks more hours each week. Progressing from Level 2 is a normal route and usually faster than starting too high and stalling.
Is a Level 3 cyber security qualification equivalent to A level?
Level 3 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework sits at the same level as A levels. It is not the same qualification, but it is the same level of demand.
Do I need a degree to work in cyber security in the UK?
No. A regulated qualification plus documented practice is a recognised route. Entry level is competitive, so evidence of hands-on work matters alongside the certificate.
Can I study cyber security online while working?
Yes. Every level here is self-paced with no fixed intake, so you can start on any working day and fit it around your hours.
Is there an exam?
No. The certificate levels are assessed by a portfolio of evidence rather than by examination.
Other ways people search for this
If you arrived looking for any of these, this is the page for it: cyber security courses online, cybersecurity courses UK, level 2 cyber security, level 3 cyber security, cyber security qualification online, cyber security distance learning, NCFE cyber security, cybersecurity level 2, IT security courses in London, cyber security level 3.
Worth reading first
- NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Cyber Security Practices: what it covers, how it is assessed, and who it suits
- Changing career into cyber security in your thirties: a realistic route, and what it costs
- Do Level 3 qualifications carry UCAS points?
- Where do you start with cyber security at Level 2?
The other subjects we teach
- AI for the workplace, online and NCFE approved
- Business, HR and teaching qualifications, online and NCFE approved
- Data and analytics courses, online and NCFE approved
- Coding and programming courses, online and NCFE approved
- Cloud, networking and digital support courses, online and NCFE approved
- UX and UI design courses, online and NCFE approved
- Functional Skills courses in English, maths and digital
- Every qualification in the catalogue