Cyber Security Apprentice
AVEC SYSTEMS LTD
Bedford (MK44 3WJ)
Closes in 21 days (Friday 13 February 2026)
Posted on 21 January 2026
Contents
Summary
We are seeking a motivated Cyber Security Apprentice to join our team in Bedford. You’ll gain hands‑on experience supporting threat monitoring, incident response, and security operations while working closely with experienced security engineers.
- Wage
-
£20,000 a year
- Training course
- Cyber security technologist (2021) (level 4)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Friday 20 February 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 8 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
- Monitor basic security alerts and escalate potential threats.
- Assist with incident triage, evidence gathering, and documentation.
- Support vulnerability checks and track remediation tasks.
- Help maintain security logs, ticket updates, and routine cyber‑health checks.
- Provide guidance to users on safe security behaviours.
Where you'll work
Unit 13A, Stephenson Court
Fraser Road, Priory Business Park
Bedford
MK44 3WJ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
QA LIMITED
Training course
Cyber security technologist (2021) (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
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.
Training schedule
Why choose our Cyber Defender & Responder Level 4 apprenticeship?
The Cyber Defender & Responder apprentice will use investigation techniques and analytics skills to defend against and respond to cyber incidents within the network environment.
QA's exclusive partnership with Circadence Corporation, the pioneer of the hands-on gamified learning platform Project Ares®, allows us to uniquely incorporate hands-on scenario training into our cyber security apprenticeships. The Project Ares platform offers a totally immersive experience, using automated features to support skills adoption with an in-game advisor, Athena, who advises our players through scenario-based challenges. The platform scenarios replicate the unpredictability and escalating levels of complexity that cyberattacks can present. It drives high levels of engagement through leaderboards and badges, elements used widely in the gaming world.
QA’s Cyber Defender & Responder Level 4 apprenticeship programme enables the apprentice to:
- Develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills in a safe, but realistic environment
- Apply all of the acquired skills throughout the programme, with added scoring of players and opponent actions with replay for object assessment
- Take part in hands-on training and active-learning models that increase retention rates by 75% so that cyber apprentices can prepare for real-world challenges
Requirements
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Problem solving skills
Other requirements
There are entry requirements for this apprenticeship. Please click to apply to see the full list on QAs website.
About this employer
AvecSys provides comprehensive cyber security solutions designed to protect UK businesses from ongoing threats. Their approach focuses on making cyber protection simple, stress‑free, and accessible by using market‑leading technology and offering tailored security advice. They help organisations safeguard their employees, devices, and networks through a proactive, easy‑to‑understand security strategy.
Company benefits
- Mentoring from experienced security engineers.
- Access to certification pathways and cyber‑training resources.
- Pension, life insurance, and health insurance.
After this apprenticeship
Potential progression into roles such as:
- Cyber Security Engineer/Risk Analyst
SOC Technician
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
QA LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000009655.
Apply now
Closes in 21 days (Friday 13 February 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.