500

Prerequisite: CSIT 555 or CYBR 555 or permission of the instructor. 

Concepts of information assurance and security risk assessment. Protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data and their delivery systems. Topics include security assessment definitions and nomenclature, approaches for risk assessment, high assurance system design and techniques for quantitative and qualitative risk analysis.

Prerequisites: CSIT/CYBR 555 or permission of the instructor. 

Theory and practice behind the analysis of computing and networking equipment to determine if systems and networks have been used for illegal, unauthorized or unusual activities.

Prerequisites: CSIT 555 or CYBR 555 and CSIT 548 or CYBR 548 or permission of the instructor. 

Examination of the pervasive security threats related to the Internet, data communications and networking. Real-time or near real-time capture of information and the systematic tracking of transmissions. Topics include network-borne threats, detection, prevention and analysis; authentication; malicious software and firewalls.

Prerequisite: CYBR/CSIT 555 or Permission of Instructor

Security issues from a managerial, legal and ethical standpoint. Current legal obligations and limitations; linkage of security policy and practices with managerial operations and decision making. Topics include: security law, security policy making & implementation, policy practices & Acceptable Use Policies, and Litigation Avoidance.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of B- in CSIT 555 or CYBR 555 or permission of the instructor. 

Introduction to cryptology, the science of making and breaking secret codes. Topics include encryption, cryptanalysis, public and secret key encryption, block ciphers and digital signatures. Classic and modern cryptography and encryption concepts will be introduced as tools and safeguards to be applied, implemented and evaluated in real-world scenarios.

Data communications, computer networks and open systems. In-depth review of basic terminology and concepts in telecommunication protocols, transmission techniques, network architecture alternatives, internetworking, circuit and packet switching and telecommunication solutions. 

Prerequisites: IT 510 or permission of the instructor. 

Technical, operational and managerial issues of computer systems. Threats to computer security including schemes for breaking security, and techniques for detecting and preventing security violations. Emphasis will be on instituting safeguards, examining types of security systems and applying the appropriate level of security for perceived risks.

Prerequisites: CSIT 534 or CYBR 534 or permission of the instructor 

The course covers the methods and techniques associated with cybersecurity penetration testing or ethical hacking. Course topics provide a full cycle of activities related to ethical hacking, ranging from planning, reconnaissance and scanning to exploitation, post-exploitation, result reporting and remediation. The focus is for students to explore how system and network vulnerabilities can be discovered and exploited along with techniques on how to remediate them. The course includes a significant hands-on lab component.

Prerequisites: CYBR 521, CYBR 534, CYBR 535, CYBR 532 or CYBR 556, or permission of the instructor

The course should be taken on the last semester of the student’s program. The purpose of the semester-long capstone is to provide students the opportunity to work with a faculty or industry mentor on a cybersecurity research topic. Students are expected to demonstrate their mastery by generating serious, in-depth, scholarly and professional level output. The capstone is designed to be inclusive of any possible expression of research and scholarly output in cybersecurity, ranging from the practical development of systems and software to the theoretical analysis or interpretive contribution to a research topic. In all cases, the capstone should demonstrate the student’s summative expression of what they have learned in the MS program and should be evidenced, at minimum, in the form of a significant, capstone document. This document is expected to be in level and depth comparable to peer-reviewed publication.

 

Reading and/or research in a selected field. An approved title for the independent study must be submitted with the registration forms. Prerequisite: permission of the chair of the department. (1-3 credits)

Prerequisites: Completion of 15 credits beyond foundation courses, 3.5 minimum GPA and Permission from Instructor. This course is designed to provide cybersecurity professionals with a working knowledge and practical application of the topics covered in our cyber courses. The students will apply current research and accepted practices of the cybersecurity field in a variety of professional settings and will perform work supervised by both a professional advisor and a Hood advisor. Based on the description for the external position, students will craft an appropriate research/professional plan, in consultation with his/her Hood advisor. This course will help students synthesize previous concepts and training as they transition to the role of a professional. This course counts as elective credits towards degree completion.

A special topics course may be offered either within a single department or on an interdepartmenal basis. The content and methods of such courses depend upon the interests of the faculty and students.