Cybersecurity &
AI Defense Master

You’ll develop an understanding of network architectures, techniques for protecting networks, and the security of web applications — including machine-based anomaly detection, threat identification and AI-supported incident response. You’ll be able to deploy and manage security measures for computers and network devices.

• Attack and defense methods
• Network security and firewalls
• Cryptography and encryption technologies
• IT forensics and incident response
• Cloud security and cyber geopolitics
• Security of IoT and mobile devices

You’ll deepen your knowledge of information technology, IT security tools and both classic and AI-based security solutions such as anomaly detection and ML-driven SIEM. You’ll understand AI-supported attack techniques and be able to plan, implement and evaluate security measures across the IT infrastructure.

You’ll get to know relevant network security technologies and protocols and their AI-driven evolution — from adaptive authentication and next-generation firewalls to AI-powered SIEM and SOAR. You’ll identify risks, vulnerabilities and threats and design effective, intelligent security architectures.

You’ll work on the most important classic and AI-based attack techniques and countermeasures, and systematically analyze systems using data-driven AI methods for threat intelligence and automated vulnerability scanning.

You’ll differentiate the cloud service and delivery models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS; public, private, hybrid) and design the security controls that protect them — from CASBs and encryption to directory services and audit standards such as BSI C5.

You’ll strengthen the resilience of IT systems and networks using AI-driven resilience frameworks, predictive security analytics (CTEM) and AI-augmented incident response with SOAR automation — and learn to assess the resilience of AI models themselves and design human–AI teaming for critical incidents.

You’ll learn to design, harden and securely operate communication and telecommunication systems — from secure protocols (TLS, VPN, PKI) and wireless and 5G security to monitoring and detection — and apply AI-based anomaly detection and alert prioritisation while securing AI systems against LLM and adversarial risks.

Dive into your chosen specialisation track now and shape the focus of your studies. You’ll choose one of three areas: Computer Science for Cyber Defense & IT Security, Tools & Applications in Cybersecurity & AI Defense, or Cybersecurity & AI Management.

You’ll model and design relational, NoSQL and vector databases — including feature stores and RAG systems for AI applications — and secure both databases and AI pipelines through encryption, access control, federated learning and adversarial robustness, keeping data protection in model training in view.

You’ll implement IT security measures in practice — cryptography, identity and access management, SIEM and intrusion detection — and learn to assess risks with AI support, meet compliance standards such as ISO 27001, NIS2 and the CRA, and run security audits and plans within real business processes.

Dive deeper into your chosen specialization area and apply your skills to advanced problems.

You’ll gain a solid command of advanced research methods across paradigms — selecting and applying qualitative, quantitative and constructive (design-science) approaches, designing rigorous studies, and critically reflecting on and positioning your findings in the academic discourse.

You’ll master the core concepts of cyber and IT forensics and incident response, applying both classic and AI-supported tools to investigate incidents across traditional, cloud and AI-based systems — from ML-based data recovery to automated reporting — while respecting the legal and AI-specific rules of evidence.

Deepen your specialization further with advanced topics and applied case work.

In the research project, you’ll work on a current, relevant question in your specialization area — alongside our faculty and partner companies.

You’ll learn to argue complex technical problems and solutions convincingly, in writing and orally — presenting and defending the approach, process and results of your master’s thesis project to both experts and non-specialist audiences using digital media.

You’ve (almost) completed your studies. In your master’s thesis you’ll independently investigate a focused research question — selecting appropriate methods, applying the current state of research and defending your results — while making a real contribution to theory-to-practice transfer.