Cyber Defender Apprentice

PRECURSOR SECURITY LTD

Newcastle Upon Tyne (NE1 8AP)

Closes in 15 days (Wednesday 2 April at 11:59pm)

Posted on 17 March 2025


Summary

Velocity Academy have an exciting new opportunity for a Cyber Security Apprentice with Precursor Security based in Newcastle. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone to get themselves into Cyber Security and kickstart a career.

Wage
£21,500 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Salary: 18 - 25k depending on experience

Training course
Cyber security technologist (2021) (level 4)
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Possible start date

Monday 5 May

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you’ll do at work

Joining the team as an Apprentice Cyber Defender on the SOC Analyst team, you will learn all the skills and experience required to kickstart your career in blue teaming. You will be a self-driven and results-focused team player, focused on defending organisations from cyber threats. This is a hybrid role, 3 days in office per week. There may be a requirement to support work out of hours.

Your duties and responsibilities in this role will consist of:

  • Analysing security alerts using EDR & SIEM
  • Assisting colleagues with customer requests
  • Keeping up to speed with the latest cyber news and threats
  • Monitoring our threat intelligence feeds and keeping the wider team up to date
  • Provide security service and threat elimination for customers.
  • Completing training and your level 4 qualification

Where you’ll work

Block D, Portland House
54 New Bridge Street West
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 8AP

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

VELOCITY 1ST LIMITED

Your training course

Cyber security technologist (2021) (level 4)

Equal to higher national certificate (HNC)

Course contents
  • Discover vulnerabilities in a system by using a mix of research and practical exploration
  • Analyse and evaluate security threats and hazards to a system or service or processes. Use relevant external source of threat intelligence or advice (e.g. National Cyber Security Centre) Combine different sources to create an enriched view of cyber threats and hazards
  • Research and investigate common attack techniques and relate these to normal and observed digital system behaviour and recommend how to defend against them. Interpret and demonstrate use of external source of vulnerabilities (e.g. OWASP, intelligence sharing initiatives, open source)
  • Undertake security risk assessments for simple systems without direct supervision and propose basic remediation advice in the context of the employer.
  • Source and analyse security cases and describe what threats, vulnerability or risks are mitigated and identify any residual areas of concern.
  • Analyse employer or customer requirements to derive security objectives and taking account of the threats and overall context develop a security case which sets out the proposed security measures in the context with reasoned justification
  • Identify and follow organisational policies and standards for information and cyber security and operate according to service level agreements or other defined performance targets.
  • Configure, deploy and use computer, digital network and cyber security technology.
  • Recommend improvements to the cyber security posture of an employer or customer based on research into future potential cyber threats and considering threat trends.
  • Write program code or scripts to meet a given design requirement in accordance with employers' coding standards
  • Identify cyber security threats relevant to a defined context
  • Accurately, objectively and concisely record and report the appropriate cyber security information, including in written reports within a structure or template provided.
  • Design, build, test and troubleshoot a network incorporating more than one subnet with static and dynamic routes, to a given design requirement without supervision. Provide evidence that the system meets the design requirement.
  • Analyse security requirements given (functional and non-functional security requirements that may be presented in a security case) against other design requirements (e.g. usability, cost, size, weight, power, heat, supportability etc.) for a given system or product. Identify conflicting requirements and propose, with reasoning, resolution through appropriate trade-offs.
  • Design and build, systems in accordance with a security case within broad but generally well-defined parameters. This should include selection and configuration of typical security hardware and software components. Provide evidence that the system has properly implemented the security controls required by the security case
  • Design systems employing encryption to meet defined security objectives. Develop and implement a plan for managing the associated encryption keys for the given scenario or system.
  • Use tools, techniques and processes to actively prevent breaches to digital system security.
  • Configure digital system monitoring and analysis tools (e.g. SIEM tools), taking account of threat & vulnerability intelligence, indicators of compromise.
  • Conduct cyber-risk assessments against an externally (market) recognised cyber security standard using a recognised risk assessment methodology.
  • Develop information security policies or processes to address a set of identified risks, for example from security audit recommendations.
  • Develop information security policies within a defined scope to take account of legislation and regulation relevant to cyber security.
  • Take an active part in a security audits against recognised cyber security standards, undertake gap analysis and make recommendations for remediation..
  • Develop plans for local business continuity for approval within defined governance arrangements for business continuity.
  • Assess security culture using a recognised approach.
  • Design and implement a simple ‘security awareness’ campaign to address a specific aspect of a security culture.
  • Develop plans for incident response for approval within defined governance arrangements for incident response.
  • Integrate and correlate information from various sources (including log files from different sources, digital system monitoring tools, Secure Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools, access control systems, physical security systems) and compare to known threat and vulnerability data to form a judgement based on evidence with reasoning that the anomaly represents a digital system security breach
  • Recognise anomalies in observed digital system data structures (including by inspection of network packet data structures) and digital system behaviours (including by inspection of protocol behaviours) and by inspection of log files and by investigation of alerts raised by automated tools including SIEM tools.
  • Undertake root cause analysis of events and make recommendations to reduce false positives and false negatives.
  • Manage local response to non-major incidents in accordance with a defined procedure.
  • Discover vulnerabilities in a system by using a mix of research and practical exploration
  • Analyse and evaluate security threats and hazards to a system or service or processes. Use relevant external source of threat intelligence or advice (e.g. National Cyber Security Centre) Combine different sources to create an enriched view of cyber threats and hazards
  • Research and investigate common attack techniques and relate these to normal and observed digital system behaviour and recommend how to defend against them. Interpret and demonstrate use of external source of vulnerabilities (e.g. OWASP, intelligence sharing initiatives, open source)
  • Undertake security risk assessments for simple systems without direct supervision and propose basic remediation advice in the context of the employer.
  • Source and analyse security cases and describe what threats, vulnerability or risks are mitigated and identify any residual areas of concern.
  • Analyse employer or customer requirements to derive security objectives and taking account of the threats and overall context develop a security case which sets out the proposed security measures in the context with reasoned justification
  • Identify and follow organisational policies and standards for information and cyber security and operate according to service level agreements or other defined performance targets.
  • Configure, deploy and use computer, digital network and cyber security technology.
  • Recommend improvements to the cyber security posture of an employer or customer based on research into future potential cyber threats and considering threat trends.
  • Write program code or scripts to meet a given design requirement in accordance with employers' coding standards
  • Identify cyber security threats relevant to a defined context
  • Accurately, objectively and concisely record and report the appropriate cyber security information, including in written reports within a structure or template provided.

Your training plan

Velocity apprenticeship training programmes are delivered virtually by our fully qualified and industry experienced training team. Using their expert knowledge, they will provide the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace and to expand future career prospects.

Throughout the apprenticeship learners receive coaching, help and guidance from a dedicated team who are there to ensure they get the most from their programme.

Successful completion of this apprenticeship gives you an accredited Level 4 Cyber Security Technologist qualification, with training in how to:

  • Analyse security requirements and develop a security case taking account of all applicable laws and regulations
  • Implement structured and reasoned security controls in a digital system in accordance with a security case
  • Manage cyber security operations processes in accordance with organisational policies and standards and business requirements
  • Develop program code or scripts for a computer or other digital technology for example an industrial control system
  • Identify security threats and hazards to a system, service or processes to inform risk assessments and design of security features

For a full list of programme modules visit: https://velocity-pt.co.uk/

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English & Maths (grade Minimum 4)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Number skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

About this company

Precursor Security is a leading SOC, Incident Response and Penetration Testing provider based out of Leeds & Newcastle Upon Tyne. Their Security Operations Centre delivers both 24x7 proactive detection & response and Digital forensics & Incident Response (DFIR) services to a global customer base.

After this apprenticeship

  • The role offers long term security and the opportunity to progress into a permanent position

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

VELOCITY 1ST LIMITED

Tom Crossland

thomas.crossland@velocity-academy.co.uk

07887340679

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000309984.

Apply now

Closes in 15 days (Wednesday 2 April at 11:59pm)

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