Edward Snowden, NSA whistleblower, studied for a Masters degree in Computer Security at the University of Liverpool

It is believed that the former CIA technical assistant learned many skills here which informed his work for the US government

Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who exposed the USA's mass surveillance programme Prism, trained in cyber security at the University of Liverpool.

The 29-year-old former CIA technical assistant has grabbed headlines across the world after leaking top secret documents and going into hiding in Hong Kong.

It has now been revealed that he studied for a Masters degree in Computer Security at the University of Liverpool in 2011.

The course is described as giving expertise in “cryptography, forensics, network design and programming the internet, along with an examination of commercial and legal considerations that influence security policy.”

Snowden never completed the course but likely learnt skills that contributed to his career working in a NASA data centre in Hawaii. It was here that he gained access to the documents at the core of the international snooping scandal.

A university source told the Liverpool Echo: “My instincts are that there would be something of relevance in what he learned on the course.”