Master’s in COMSEC/CRYPTO and Secure Defence Communications Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in COMSEC/CRYPTO and secure defence communications engineering, structured in 12 modules covering the mathematics of cryptography, symmetric, asymmetric and post-quantum cryptography, secure protocols, key management, TRANSEC and TEMPEST, product certification and secure architectures, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in COMSEC/CRYPTO and Secure Defence Communications Engineering — studying from Australia
Defence is one of Australia's largest engineering employers, with major programmes in land systems, naval platforms, aircraft and integrated systems managed through the Department of Defence. Land systems engineering supports armoured vehicles, weapons and logistics equipment, often through prime contractors and local industry partners. Industry involvement is strongly encouraged through the Defence industry policy framework. Engineers work on sustainment, capability development, systems integration and safety assurance, typically in Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne and regional defence precincts.
Fees for Australia: A$15,800 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
Questions from Australia
How does defence engineering recognition work in Australia?
Defence engineering in Australia is largely run through the Department of Defence and its industry partners, which set their own security clearance and qualification requirements. Engineers Australia is the professional body for accreditation. SEIUM's private qualifications are not accredited by these bodies, so recognition is for employers or the relevant body to decide.
Which Australian employers hire in defence and land systems?
Australia has defence prime contractors, the Department of Defence, and specialist land systems firms. Many of these roles require Australian security clearances, which depend on citizenship and background checks rather than course completion. Ask employers how they weigh private qualifications against experience and clearance requirements.
Is the course manageable with a job, and does it need a visa?
The programmes are 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from Australia without a student visa. Specialist courses take 300 hours, diplomas 800 and master's 1,900. An assigned technical tutor supports you, fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the disciplines of communications security.
Apply symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic algorithms.
Plan the migration to post-quantum cryptography.
Design secure communication protocols and architectures.
Manage the life cycle of keys and certificates.
Evaluate products against Common Criteria and FIPS 140-3.
Comply with national and European information security regulations.
Who it's for
- Communications security engineers in defence, government or industry.
- Applied cryptographers who want a systems and certification perspective.
- Security architects designing classified or high-assurance networks.
- Security product evaluators working with Common Criteria or FIPS 140-3.
- Key management officers responsible for cryptographic material.
- Information security auditors focusing on ENS, NIS2 and ISO/IEC 27001.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the defence and security sector.
What you'll work with
- FIPS 140-3 (security requirements for cryptographic modules)
- ISO/IEC 15408 (Common Criteria for IT security evaluation)
- NIST FIPS 203 (ML-KEM post-quantum key encapsulation)
- NIST SP 800-57 (key management recommendations)
- Esquema Nacional de Seguridad, RD 311/2022 (Spanish National Security Framework)
- Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS2, cybersecurity across the Union)
- ISO/IEC 27001 (information security management systems)
- IETF RFC 8446 (TLS 1.3)
- OpenSSL
- Wireshark
- EJBCA
- ProVerif
- SoftHSM
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1COMSEC disciplines: cryptographic, transmission, emission and physical security1.2Confidentiality, integrity, authenticity and availability1.3Threat models in communications1.4History of military cryptography1.5Organisational framework for information security1.6Information classification: levels and markings1.7National security authorities1.8Industrial security and clearances1.9Professional ethics and confidentiality1.10Case study: threat analysis of a corporate network
2.1Modular arithmetic and number theory2.2Groups, rings and finite fields2.3Computational complexity2.4Shannon's information theory2.5Random number generation2.6One-way functions2.7Elliptic curves2.8Lattices and hard problems2.9Formal security proofs2.10Practical exercise: implementing GF(2^8) arithmetic in Python
3.1Block ciphers: AES and its structure3.2Modes of operation: CBC, CTR and GCM3.3Stream ciphers: ChaCha203.4SHA-2 and SHA-3 hash functions3.5MAC codes and HMAC3.6AEAD authenticated encryption3.7Key derivation: HKDF and PBKDF23.8Differential and linear cryptanalysis3.9Secure implementation against side channels3.10Lab: analysis of modes of operation with OpenSSL
4.1RSA: fundamentals and OAEP padding4.2Diffie-Hellman and ECDH4.3ECDSA and EdDSA digital signatures4.4Public key infrastructure4.5X.509 certificates and chains of trust4.6Revocation: CRL and OCSP4.7Hierarchical certification authorities4.8eIDAS qualified electronic signatures4.9Certificate life-cycle management4.10Practical exercise: deploying a PKI with EJBCA
5.1The quantum threat: Shor's and Grover's algorithms5.2NIST FIPS 203, 204 and 205 standards5.3Lattice-based ML-KEM5.4ML-DSA and SLH-DSA for signatures5.5Hybrid transition schemes5.6Cryptographic agility5.7Post-quantum migration plans5.8ENISA and CCN recommendations5.9Quantum key distribution5.10Workshop: cryptographic inventory and migration plan
6.1TLS 1.3: handshake and cipher suites6.2IPsec: IKEv2, ESP and AH6.3High-assurance network encryptors at a conceptual level6.4MACsec on Ethernet links6.5Wi-Fi security with WPA36.6End-to-end secure messaging6.7Voice over IP security with SRTP6.8Formal analysis with ProVerif and Tamarin6.9Classic implementation errors6.10Lab: TLS handshake analysis with Wireshark
7.1Life cycle of cryptographic keys7.2NIST SP 800-57 recommendations7.3Key generation and distribution7.4HSM modules and their certification7.5Storage and custody7.6Rotation, compromise and revocation7.7Key management in disconnected networks7.8Accounting for cryptographic material7.9Auditing key management7.10Practical exercise: key management with SoftHSM and PKCS#11
8.1TRANSEC: protecting the traffic pattern8.2Spread spectrum and frequency hopping8.3Low probability of detection8.4TEMPEST compromising emanations8.5Zoning and SDIP-27 standards8.6Shielding and filtering of equipment8.7Physical security of facilities8.8Laboratory emission measurements8.9Security of portable equipment8.10Case study: TEMPEST zoning of a room
9.1Common Criteria ISO/IEC 154089.2CEM evaluation methodology9.3Protection profiles9.4FIPS 140-3 and CMVP9.5National certification scheme9.6Catalogue of qualified products9.7Evaluation laboratories9.8Evaluation of cryptographic algorithms9.9European EUCC certification9.10Workshop: analysis of a protection profile
10.1Classified networks and domain separation10.2Secure exchange gateways10.3Data diodes10.4Zero-trust architecture10.5Security in satellite communications10.6Security in tactical radios10.7Security in the government cloud10.8System accreditation10.9Security incident management10.10Practical exercise: designing an architecture with a data diode
11.1Spanish National Security Framework (ENS)11.2NIS2 Directive11.3NATO information security regulations11.4EU Cybersecurity Act11.5Export controls on cryptography11.6Wassenaar Arrangement11.7Information security governance11.8ISO/IEC 27001 and 2700211.9Auditing and compliance11.10Case study: ENS audit of a system
12.1Definition of the communications system12.2Threat and requirements analysis12.3Selection of cryptographic mechanisms12.4Design of the secure architecture12.5Key management plan12.6Certification analysis12.7Post-quantum migration assessment12.8Conclusions and recommendations12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is OpenSSL, Wireshark, EJBCA, ProVerif and SoftHSM, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for cryptographic protocol analysis, public key infrastructure deployment and product evaluation against protection profiles. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: FIPS 140-3, ISO/IEC 15408, NIST FIPS 203, NIST SP 800-57, Esquema Nacional de Seguridad, RD 311/2022, Directive (EU) 2022/2555, ISO/IEC 27001, IETF RFC 8446.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with OpenSSL, Wireshark, EJBCA, ProVerif and SoftHSM, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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