Course information
| Dates and times | 21, 22 and 23 April 2026, 4pm–8pm |
|---|---|
| Cost | Full price - $1,800 + Humanitix Booking Fee (excl. GST) Early bird* - $1,650 + BF |
| Location | Innovation Central Canberra Lab University of Canberra, Building 27, Level A |
| Commitment | 12 hours face to face and 6 hours (approx.) pre course material |
| Registrations close | 10 April 2026 (Unless sold-out prior) |
About the short course
With a cybercrime reported every six minutes and ransomware costing billions annually, Australia is facing an unprecedented cyber security crisis in need of immediate action (Department of Home Affairs, 2023).
The University of Canberra (UC), in partnership with Cisco Networking Academy, Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), and trusted industry leaders, offers Behind the Breach: Understanding Cyber Threats.
This short course empowers non-ICT individuals with essential cyber security skills, including a foundational understanding of cyber security risk management, recognising cyber threats and understanding pathways into cyber security careers.
Over three days, participants will hear from academic and industry experts with in-depth knowledge and experience working in the sector. Applying your learning to real world scenarios, you’ll gain skills to help you personally and professionally. Upon completion you'll receive a UC Certificate of Completion, and up to three optional recognised Cisco badges**.
*Early bird rate for the April short course closes on 20 March 2026.
**Cisco Networking Academy courses include Introduction to Cybersecurity (Beginner), Cybersecurity Essentials (Intermediate) & Cyber Threat Management (Intermediate). Pre learning for the Short Course is estimated to take 6 hours.
Who this course is for
- Those who have limited to no cyber security training but might work within the ICT industry.
- People not currently working in ICT seeking to retrain and enhance their skills.
- Those interested in protecting themselves online.
- Those who may currently be in an IT intensive role at an organisation that does not have a large IT department with cyber experts (eg: web administrators and ICT support officers).
Learning outcomes
After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Recognise the most common cyber security threats, attacks and vulnerabilities.
- Execute basic cyber security risk management procedures.
- Apply first order security principals when developing policies and procedures compliant with modern frameworks and governance practices.
- Support the implementation of security controls for networks, servers and applications, protecting data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Learn from industry experts
Rama Vadlamudi
Splunk
Rama Vadlamudi is a technologist and cybersecurity expert with over two decades of experience in IT and cybersecurity. Having worked with large systems integrators and vendor technologies, Rama has collaborated extensively with state and federal government agencies, including the Department of Defence. His expertise covers complex network deployments, cloud, security, and infrastructure, with a strong history in scalable data centre architectures, security frameworks, and AI-driven cybersecurity.
Rama's academic credentials include a Master of Engineering in Telecommunications, a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, and a Postgraduate Program in AI & ML. As a technology enthusiast, he is eager to share his experiences with both the challenges and opportunities presented by these advancements.
Prof. Frank Den Hartog
University of Canberra
Cisco Research Chair - Critical Infrastructure, University of Canberra.
A long track record in industry as well as academia with a focus on the cyber security of critical infrastructures such as telecommunication networks and Industry IoT. Based at Innovation Central Canberra, his current research topics include:- Zero Trust Architectures
- Physical Layer Security
- Programmable Networks
- Secure Industry 4.0
- Cyber-physical systems
Matt Carling
Cisco
Matt is a National Cybersecurity Advisor for Australia within the Trust Office of Cisco’s Security and Trust Organisation (STO). The STO core missions include protecting Cisco from cyber threat, protecting Cisco products through Cisco’s Trustworthy Systems program, and helping protect Cisco customers. Matt is focused on enabling a broad range of initiatives under these missions including sharing Cisco’s own cyber security experiences and practices with customers. Matt has held various roles over the last 24 years at Cisco across the services, sales, and engineering organisations covering service provider, enterprise, public sector, and national security and defence domains.
Matt holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Engineering (University of Canberra), Graduate Diploma in Management Sciences (University of Canberra), and a Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity (Charles Sturt University). Matt is also CISSP and CIPP/E certified.
John Cirocco
Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (Aus3C)
John Cirocco is an Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (Aus3C) Cyber Coach with an extensive career building telecommunications systems for the Space, Defence, Enterprise, and Government sectors.
As a communicator, John has performed key roles in Aus3C programs, including cyber clinics, workshops, and events specifically focused on helping small businesses navigate the complexities of cybersecurity. These programs have included: Cyber Uplift Step Program, Cyber Smart training (AICSA), Gig City Cyber program, and Cyber Clinics.
Imran Khan
Canberra Institute of Technology
Imran is an Educator in the Cyber Security and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at CIT. He has over 10 years professional working experience spanning in Cyber Security, ICT, Telecommunications, ISP, Networking, and Project Management areas across various organisations. Imran is also a Cisco Instructor for Networking and Cyber Security, teaching and engaging in the development phases with different Cisco and Microsoft courses. His teaching expertise spans from Cyber Security Threat Management, Cyber Threat Mitigation techniques, Threat Intelligence, Networking, Artificial Intelligence, Network Automation, Configuring, and managing Windows and Linux Based Server, Ethical Hacking, Essential Eight and many more.
Course structure
Day 1
- The basics: the role of trust in cyber security
- Key definitions and tools
- Governance risk and compliance and its role in protecting and limiting breach efforts
- Business protection and developing compliant policies for business
Day 2
- Cyber security threats, vulnerabilities, and attacks
- Threat intelligence and threat management in enterprise networks
Day 3
- Business protection and developing compliant policies for business
- Risk management and security controls
After completion
Once you’ve completed the Behind the Breach: Understanding Cyber Threats short course, you will earn a certificate of completion from University of Canberra, a Cisco Networking Academy digital badge for “Intro to Cyber Security”, plus the option to receive post course support to complete two additional badges for Cybersecurity Essentials & Cyber Threat Management.
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