Cybersecurity Career Accelerator

Accelerate from technical specialist to security leader

Develop the skills to lead security teams effectively - including exclusive 2-day Cambridge residential with practising security managers.

How it works

6 Months Online

8-10 hours/week • Evening live sessions
Work from anywhere • All sessions recorded

Two-day Cambridge Residential
(In-person or Virtual)

Security leadership panels • Crisis simulation lab
Historic hall dinners • Networking

12 Months Career Support

One-on-one coaching • Industry mentorship

6 MONTHS ONLINE

  • 8-10 hours/week
  • Evening live sessions
  • Work from anywhere
  • All sessions recorded

TWO-DAY CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTIAL (OPTIONAL)

  • Security leadership panels
  • Crisis simulation lab
  • Historic hall dinners
  • Networking

12 MONTHS CAREER SUPPORT

  • One-on-one coaching
  • Industry mentorship
  • Historic hall dinners
  • Networking

Check if this is right for you

See if this programme aligns with your career goals and help shape the curriculum

Starts

Late 2025 - TBC

Duration

6 months + 12 months coaching support

Investment

£8,995 (payment plans available)

Format

Online plus two-day Cambridge residential (optional)

Cohort

Limited to 40

Why cybersecurity management matters now

AI-driven attacks

AI attacks increased by 135% in 20241 and are evolving faster than your current defenses

New regulations

New regulations (NIS2, DORA, GDPR) make you personally accountable2

Leadership demand

90% of organisations report critical gaps in security management3. While others struggle with the leadership gap, you could fill it.

Become the security leader organisations need

Technical skills got you here. Leadership skills take you further. This Leadership Accelerator will enable you to:

Stand out for
promotion

Bridge the gap between technical expertise and people leadership: the #1 skill gap identified by hiring managers1

Frameworks and
Methodologies

Security managers earn on average 25-40% more than senior analyst roles, according to the 2024 UK Cyber Security Salary Guide2

Lead with
confidence

From AI threats to hybrid team management, gain frameworks that 72% of organisations say they desperately need3

What you'll learn

Build the complete skillset to lead security teams and drive real impact

This programme develops the practical leadership capabilities security professionals need to advance from individual contributor to team leader, covering people management, strategic thinking, and stakeholder communication.

  • Team Leadership & Security Management
    • Build and motivate your first security team-managing former peers with confidence.
    • Create security strategies that align with business goals (and get approved).
    • Develop team KPIs and demonstrate the value of security investments
    • Navigate the shift from individual contributor to people manager
  • Security Operations & Risk Management
    • Implement practical frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001) that work in real organisations.
    • Manage security budgets and vendor relationships effectively.
    • Build risk registers that non-technical stakeholders actually understand.
    • Design security processes that balance protection with user experience.
  • Communication & Incident Leadership
    • Translate technical risks into language that gets executive buy-in.
    • Build compelling business cases for security investments (with ROI calculations).
    • Lead incident response from a management perspective—coordinating teams, not keyboards.
    • Present confidently to senior stakeholders and audit committees.
  • Modern Security Challenges
    • Govern AI tools and emerging technologies in your organisation.
    • Address hybrid working, cloud security, and BYOD challenges.
    • Build security awareness programmes that actually change behaviour.
    • Apply lessons from real breaches to strengthen your security posture.
  • AI in Security Leadership (20-hour specialised module)
    • Understand AI threats facing your team (deepfakes, automated attacks)
    • Evaluate and implement AI-powered security tools.
    • Build governance for safe AI adoption in your organisation.
    • Stay ahead of the AI security curve as a competitive advantage.
  • Applied Learning: Real Employer Project
    • Work on live security challenges from partner organisations.
    • Present your solutions to their leadership teams.
    • Build a portfolio that proves your strategic thinking.
    • Get feedback from practicing security managers.

Two-Day Cambridge Residential Experience

University of Cambridge • Institute of Continuing Education

Accelerate your learning through intensive on-campus immersion:

Security Leadership Panel Sessions:

Learn directly from security managers and team leaders at top organisations.

Cambridge Networking:

Connect with peers over dinners in the historic halls.

Crisis Simulation Lab:

Lead a team through a live breach scenario and practice your incident management skills.

Mentorship Opportunities:

Get personalised guidance from security managers who've successfully transitioned from technical roles.

This exclusive on-campus experience—valued at over £2,000 and included in the programme fee—is available only to Career Accelerator participants. While designed to be attended in person at the University of Cambridge, a remote attendance option is available for those unable to travel. Spaces are limited to ensure personalised attention and meaningful engagement.

Hands-on learning: Real employer project

Work on live security challenges from partner organisations.

Present solutions to senior leadership teams.

Build portfolio evidence of your strategic thinking.

How it works

Six months to transform your leadership capabilities, plus ongoing career support

Online Learning

Months 1-6

Asynchronous self-paced learning plus live interactive sessions with security managers and Cambridge faculty

Real employer project - work on actual security challenges from partner organisations

Connect with 40 security professionals on similar journeys

Cambridge Residential

Month 3

In-person or Virtual 2-day Cambridge residential experience

Security leader panels, crisis simulations and networking in historic halls

Intensive on-campus learning experience

Career Coaching

Months 7-12

12 months career coaching with one-to-one support after programme completion

Navigate your transition into leadership roles

Ongoing networking opportunities and ongoing development

Earn a Certificate from Cambridge PACE

Recognition from one of the world's most prestigious universities

Upon completion, receive recognition from one of the world's most prestigious universities—a credential that signals leadership readiness to employers globally.

The Cambridge PACE Cybersecurity Leadership Accelerator is currently in development. By expressing interest, you're helping the University assess market needs and shape the curriculum. Final programme details subject to confirmation.

Learn from those who've made the transition

Industry partnerships (partners announced soon) ensure you're learning what hiring managers actually want

Our curriculum is shaped by security leaders who've successfully moved from technical roles to management. They've shared the exact skills, frameworks, and approaches that accelerated their careers—now available to you.

Designed by security leaders, for emerging leaders

Learn directly from security managers and team leads who understand your journey.

Through practical case studies, team scenarios, and hands-on exercises, you'll develop the leadership skills that matter.

Key Leadership Skills You'll Master

Managing former peers and building team credibility

Navigate the delicate transition from colleague to manager

Translating security risks for non-technical stakeholders

Master the art of risk communication to executives and boards

Balancing hands-on work with management duties

Learn when to delegate and when to stay technically involved

Building budgets and demonstrating team value

Justify security investments and showcase team contributions

Designed and delivered by Cambridge academics and current security executives

Dr. Sarah Johnson

Reader in Computing, Cambridge PACE

Leading expert in cybersecurity governance with 15+ years developing executive education programmes.

Marcus Chen

CISO at Barclays

Former GCHQ analyst, now protecting one of Europe's largest financial institutions.

Dr. Rachel Thompson

Senior Lecturer, Cambridge PACE

Risk management specialist who bridges academic research with real-world security challenges.

Who this Accelerator is for

This course is ideal for mid-level cyber professionals ready to move from technical execution into strategic, leadership-focused roles.

SOC & Incident Response

SOC analysts, incident responders, and threat hunters looking to advance beyond technical roles

Security Engineering

Security engineers, DevSecOps specialists, and cloud security engineers

GRC & Risk

GRC analysts and cyber risk specialists

Penetration Testing

Penetration testers and red teamers

Emerging Leaders

Team leads or security SMEs

Subject Matter Experts

Security specialists looking to move into leadership

Ah, you found me

Get more info

Complete the form below to receive more information about the Career Accelerator curriculum, programme fees, how you’ll learn, and more. You will be redirected to the programme brochure on submission.