Curriculum & Course Sequence

Examines the technology and methodology for protecting information to ensure its integrity, confidentiality and authenticity. It covers the foundations of cryptography, modern cryptographic protocols, algorithms and implementation issues. Also included are topics in private and public key cryptography, block ciphers, pseudorandom functions, encryption standards, message authentication, digital signatures and key management.

Explores the threats and risks prevalent in today’s organizations as a result of the pervasive use of technology. Students learn risk evaluation techniques and identify security and control techniques minimize the potential of a security breach.

Explores the use of intrusion detection methodologies, CSI hardware and software tools, and approaches to computer crime incident response. Computer forensic principles, including operating system concepts, registry structures, file system concepts, boot process and file operations are examined. This course also includes an overview of the theory and techniques utilized for tracking attackers across the Internet. Practical exercises are drawn from case studies of Internet-based crimes.

The ongoing need for fast, versatile and more powerful communication systems has accelerated the growth of wireless, mobile and cloud computing. In many cases, securing these emerging platforms is an afterthought, thus leaving critical systems prey to invidious cyber-attacks. This course examines a broad range of contemporary techniques to support and maintain operational integrity and data protection within each modality.

Cybersecurity professionals have a unique responsibility to find and understand an organization’s vulnerabilities, and to work to mitigate their threat. This course will teach students how to perform reconnaissance by studying a target’s infrastructure through data mining blogs and social networking sites. Students will be immersed in an interactive lab environment where they will be shown how to scan, test, hack, and secure systems from an ethical perspective using various tools, techniques, and methodologies for network penetration testing.

Fundamentals of information systems in organizations, with a focus on the impact of information systems on organizational behavior, communications and managerial style. The use, misuse and management of computer-based systems and their integration with organizational goals are emphasized. Information systems in the functional areas of marketing, production and finance are studied. The case study method is used.