Digital Cyber Security Level 3

Every day, organisations face cyber attacks and they need people who can stop them. On this T Level, you’ll learn how to protect businesses, their systems and their data from cyber threats.

You’ll start with the core knowledge behind digital careers, including problem solving, data, digital environments, security, emerging issues, the business context, and the laws and regulations that govern technology.

You’ll then specialise in Cyber Security, learning how to put security procedures and controls in place to keep an organisation and its data safe, carry out security risk assessments, and advise on how to address the weaknesses you find, just like a working security analyst.

You’ll practise your skills in our Cisco Academy lab and learn to research and evaluate the latest threats.

You’ll also complete an industry placement of at least 45 days (315 hours) with an employer, giving you the opportunity to put your skills into practice in a real workplace.

Developed by Pearson with employers, this T Level is a technical alternative to A Levels that can prepare you for a career in one of the most exciting areas of technology.

You’ll be assessed through two externally set examination papers and an employer-set project as part of the core component.

For the occupational specialism, you’ll complete an externally set practical project.

You must also successfully complete an industry placement of at least 45 days.

You could progress into roles such as:

• Cyber security technician
• Security Operations Centre (SOC) analyst
• Security analyst
• IT support technician
• Network technician

With experience, you could progress to roles such as penetration tester, incident responder, threat intelligence analyst or security engineer.

You could also progress to a cyber or digital apprenticeship, including degree apprenticeships, or go to university. The T Level carries UCAS points equivalent to three A Levels, and popular degree choices include Cyber Security, Computer Science and Computer Forensics.

Cyber security can offer strong career prospects. The median advertised salary for a core cyber job in the UK was £55,000 in 2024, 12% higher than the wider IT sector. Starting salaries are lower, but can increase with experience and professional certifications (DSIT, 2025).

The UK cyber workforce grew by 5% to around 143,000 people, and almost half of UK businesses still report gaps in basic cyber skills. Manchester is one of the top five UK cities for cyber job adverts, and in 2024 the North West attracted 49% of all UK cyber security venture capital investment (DSIT, 2025).