ReAct+ funded, 5-day course

Secure AI Development course
attack, defend and test AI systems.

A five-day, hands-on course in Cardiff or live online. If you live in Wales and have been made redundant or are under notice, the Welsh Government's ReAct+ grant can pay the full £1,500 fee.

Ask about a funded place → How funding works
Duration
5 days
Level
Intermediate
Format
Cardiff or online
Course fee
£1,500
Your course, costed
Secure AI Development, 5 days£1,500
ReAct+ vocational training grant−£1,500
You pay£0

When your grant is approved before the course starts. ReAct+ can also help with travel and childcare costs while you train.

// About the course

What the course covers.

Every organisation adopting AI opens up new ways to be attacked: prompt injection, data leakage through AI assistants, and agents with more access than they should have. People who can test and secure these systems are in short supply.

This hands-on course teaches you to attack and defend AI applications in a safe lab, using the OWASP Top 10 for LLM applications and the UK NCSC's guidance on secure AI system development.

  • OWASP Top 10 for LLMs
  • Prompt injection labs
  • Python
  • Red-teaming tools
  • NCSC secure AI guidance
  • UK GDPR

Who it's for

  • Cyber security staff adding AI to their skills
  • Developers building AI systems who need to secure them
  • IT and governance professionals responsible for AI risk

Before you start

Basic Python or IT security experience.

// Outcomes

By Friday, you'll be able to

  • Explain the main threats to AI systems
  • Carry out and defend against prompt injection
  • Prevent sensitive data leaking through AI tools
  • Secure retrieval systems and AI agents
  • Plan and run a red-team test of an AI application
  • Map controls to UK guidance and UK GDPR
// Course outline

Five days, day by day.

Each day mixes short explanations with hands-on labs. Day five is for finishing and presenting your project.

  1. Day 1

    The AI threat landscape

    • How AI systems are attacked
    • OWASP Top 10 for LLM applications
    • Threat modelling an AI app
    • Setting up the lab
  2. Day 2

    Prompt injection and data leakage

    • Direct and indirect prompt injection
    • Jailbreaks and their limits
    • Leaking data through outputs
    • Defensive patterns
  3. Day 3

    Securing RAG and agents

    • Access control in retrieval
    • Tool misuse and excessive agency
    • Model and package supply chain
    • Sandboxing and least privilege
  4. Day 4

    Testing AI systems

    • Planning a red-team exercise
    • Automated attack testing
    • Evaluating fixes
    • Writing up findings
  5. Day 5

    Governance and response

    • NCSC secure AI development guidance
    • UK GDPR and AI
    • AI incident response
    • Project presentation
Your portfolio project

A security assessment

A red-team test of a deliberately vulnerable AI assistant, with a findings report, fixes applied and evidence that they work.

Roles this course prepares you for

  • AI security analyst
  • Application security tester
  • Junior cyber security analyst
  • AI governance officer

What you leave with

A working project in your own GitHub portfolio and an Apex Training Wales certificate of completion.

// ReAct+ funding

How to get your place fully funded.

ReAct+ is a Welsh Government grant for people affected by redundancy. Your Working Wales adviser makes the application, and we give them the course details they need.

  1. Check you're eligible

    Aged 20 or over, living in Wales, with the right to work in the UK, and under notice of redundancy or made redundant in the last six months.

  2. Speak to Working Wales

    Call free on 0800 028 4844 or book an appointment online. Tell your adviser you'd like to take Secure AI Development.

  3. We send your course details

    Contact us and we'll provide the course outline and fee your adviser needs for your ReAct+ application.

  4. Start once approved

    When your grant is approved, we confirm your start date. The £1,500 fee is covered, so there's nothing to pay.

Eligibility and grant amounts from Working Wales. Final funding decisions are made by the Welsh Government.

// Common questions

About the course and the funding.

Is the hacking legal?
Yes. All attacks are carried out against lab systems we provide for the purpose. We also cover the rules of engagement for testing systems at work.
Do I need a security background?
It helps but is not required. If you have basic Python, you can follow the labs, and we explain the security concepts as we go.
Who is eligible for ReAct+ funding?
You must be aged 20 or over, live in Wales and have the right to live and work in the UK. You must also be under formal notice of redundancy, have been made redundant in the last six months, or be an ex-offender or serving a community sentence. A Working Wales adviser confirms your eligibility.
Will I have to pay anything?
The course fee is £1,500, which matches the maximum ReAct+ vocational training grant. If your grant is approved, the grant covers the full fee. Funding must be approved before your course starts.
Can ReAct+ help with travel or childcare?
It can. Alongside the training grant, ReAct+ can provide up to £200 towards costs such as travel and up to £2,100 towards childcare or caring costs while you train. Your Working Wales adviser will tell you what applies to you.
What if I'm not eligible for ReAct+?
You can still take the course. Contact us about paying for the course yourself. Employers can also book any of these courses in-house for their teams.
// Get started

Ready to retrain in AI? Let's check your funding.

Tell us which course you're interested in and your situation. We'll explain the next steps and send your adviser everything they need.

Ask about a funded place → info@apextrainingwales.co.uk