Cyber Security Technologist - Level 4

Level 4 Apprentice Standard Cyber Security Technologist

How long: 2 years  

Where: London - Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4 week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements 

Salary: £25,216 

What you'll need

  • You should already hold or be working towards a minimum of 2 GCSEs Grade 4 (C) and above or equivalent in Maths and English and 2 A-Levels or equivalent A*-D or equivalent
  • As part of the qualifications above you should have an A-Level (A*-D) or GCSE (A*-C) in an IT subject (or equivalent) 
  • You are not eligible for this scheme if you currently hold or are working towards a qualification at the same or higher level in a related subject or have already studied content from the qualification for this scheme
  • You must be 18 years old before 9 September 2024 to be eligible
"True Cyber Security prepares us for what's next, not what was last!"

Job overview 

We use technology and connected devices every single day. Networks, computers, programs, hardware and software - and the information stored on them - need protection from theft, damage, disruption and misdirection. This protection is called Cyber Security. Any technology or device which connects to the internet, or an internal network/intranet needs such protection. 

Cyber Security plays a key role in today's data-driven world. Our team helps keep London's transportation system safe & secure. You'll contribute to the development, improvement and security of our technology, making sure the technologies our customers use every single day to get around are working effectively. 

What you'll be doing 

Your development programme will be made up of a series of placement rotations throughout the Cyber Security team, for example with the:

  • Security Operations Centre (SOC)
  • Advisory team
  • Cyber Engineering team
  • Assurance team

Our aim is to give you the skills and breadth of experience you need for your successful career. We also understand that everyone's career is different, so every apprentice's journey is unique. Here's an idea of what yours could look like: 

Year 1 

Placement 1 - SOC - 12 months 

  • Respond to security alerts and tickets 
  • Work with SIEM tool and designing alerts  
  • Assist with vulnerability management 
  • Research threats and creating threat intelligence reports 
  • Assist with security incidents 

Placement 2 - Assurance - 4 months    

  • Ensure policies are up to date and the corresponding procedures and guidance can be understood and implemented by all colleagues 
  • Ensure our suppliers who provide a service to TfL are adhering to any cyber security clauses within their respective contract  
  • Help to coordinate penetration testing against TfL's environments to best help security efforts

Placement 3 - Advisory - 4 months  

  • Oversee the lifecycle of a project providing cyber security advice to IT and OT projects 
  • Review high level and low-level designs 
  • Facilitate security testing 
  • Support incident response exercising 
  • Conduct cyber security assessments 
  • Support cyber security awareness activities 

Placement 4 - Engineering - 4 months  

  • The engineering function feeds directly into the SOC, responsible for developing the use cases/alerts used by the SOC to respond  
  • Ensure the various tools used by the Cyber Security team are running and being used as effectively as possible 
  • Monitor the logs of the TfL estate and correlate to the current threats being used by attacker to generate effective and preventative alerts  

There is flexibility for apprentices to tailor their scheme to their interests, with several placements available within the various Cyber Security teams. We are aware that some apprentices have or develop an interest to a technology area and we want to ensure you get the most from your apprenticeship with TfL.

We recommend the first placement be within the SOC team. This will teach you important, foundational skills and develop your understanding of corporate cyber security whilst also providing you valuable hands-on experience. This placement will also give you chance to learn how the TfL Cyber Security Operations Centre works and protects our infrastructure and services. 

Where this career can take you 

Upon successful completion of this scheme, you could roll-off into a role as a Cyber Security Analyst. This could lead to further career development opportunities, for example as a Senior Cyber Security Analyst, Cyber Security Engineer, Cyber Risk Analyst or Cyber Security Adviser.   

Meet the alumni

"The TfL apprenticeship scheme was the perfect way to kickstart my career - it's provided me with exposure, experience and real responsibility from day one." 

Kieran Owusu  

"The cyber security apprenticeship provided me with the perfect environment to kickstart my career. The combination of learning on the job and the education via the apprenticeship supplies the perfect balance to become an important part of the team."

Mustafa Kidiya