Diploma of Applied Cyber Security
ICT - Information and Communications Technology
Accredited Victorian cybersecurity diploma widely delivered through TAFE NSW, TAFE QLD and other state providers. Covers SOC operations, governance and incident response.
Entry requirements
- Cert IV in Cyber Security or equivalent
What you will learn
The 22334VIC is a Victorian accredited Diploma delivered nationally under reciprocity arrangements. It builds on Cert IV foundations to cover Security Operations Centre tier 2 analyst skills, governance and risk practice. Topics include conducting cyber security risk assessments, managing identity and access services, implementing perimeter security, configuring endpoint detection and response (EDR), conducting forensic investigation procedures, applying the Essential Eight maturity model, supporting ISO/IEC 27001 implementation, and designing security architecture for small to medium organisations. You work extensively in virtual lab environments with SIEM, EDR and penetration testing tools.
Skills you build
- SOC tier 2 incident triage and response
- SIEM rule writing and alert tuning (Splunk, Sentinel, Elastic)
- Endpoint detection and response (CrowdStrike, Defender for Endpoint)
- Vulnerability management and remediation prioritisation
- Basic forensic acquisition and chain of custody
- Risk assessment to ISO 31000 and NIST CSF
- Essential Eight maturity assessment
How the course runs
Most students study full-time over 6 to 12 months or online over up to 18 months. Around 700 to 900 hours of formal training, with theory and lab practice split roughly 30/70. Heavy use of virtual lab environments (TryHackMe, HackTheBox, AWS Skill Builder) plus tabletop incident response exercises. Many students complete industry certifications alongside the Diploma.
How you will be assessed
- Virtual lab assessments (incident investigation, log analysis)
- Written knowledge tests per unit of competency
- Capstone project (e.g. design a security program for a fictional SME)
- Tabletop incident response exercises
- Risk assessment and audit report writing tasks
Workplace and placement
No mandatory work placement, but most graduates target SOC tier 2, GRC analyst, vulnerability analyst or junior penetration tester roles. Some providers run Capture The Flag (CTF) competition teams and industry hackathon participation. Salaries follow the Information and Telecommunications Technology Industry Award or above-award rates driven by sustained cybersecurity skills demand.
Typical employers
- Security Operations Centres (Telstra, Optus, NAB, ANZ, Commbank, Westpac)
- Government cybersecurity teams (ASD, Services Australia, ATO)
- Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs)
- Big Four consulting cyber teams (Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, EY)
- Critical infrastructure security teams (energy, water, transport)
- Boutique penetration testing firms (Bugcrowd, Penten, Hivint)
Pay after this qualification
$75,000 - $110,000 per year
Source: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/explore-careers/occupation/ict-security-specialists. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
Is this the right course for you?
You probably thrive here if
- You enjoy hands-on lab work and tinkering
- You can self-direct learning at the pace of evolving threats
- You can keep up with industry certifications (CISSP, OSCP path)
- You can document findings clearly in incident reports
- You can handle shift work in 24/7 SOCs
It is probably not for you if
- You expect cybersecurity to be glamorous like in films
- You struggle with self-directed learning
- You cannot handle shift work in SOCs
- You are not comfortable with constant change in threats and tools
After you finish
After the Diploma you can progress directly to industry SOC tier 2 and GRC analyst roles, or to industry certifications (CompTIA CySA+, GIAC GCIH, SANS, OSCP). Bachelor of Cyber Security at Edith Cowan, RMIT, Deakin, La Trobe, UNSW and Macquarie offer credit toward a degree. Master of Cyber Security and Master of Information Security programs at UNSW, USyd, ANU, Monash provide postgraduate progression.