Cybersecurity (SEC)
SEC 515 Data Security and Identity Management Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Fall (odd-numbered years).
Course Description: This course will cover techniques used to protect data from unauthorized access or corruption, and techniques used to identify, authenticate, and authorize individuals or groups to access protected resources. Students will work with open-source tools for cryptography and identity management. Students will participate in a research seminar project or take an approved certification exam during the semester.
SEC 525 Ethical Hacking Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Spring (even-numbered years).
Course Description: This course will cover how to identify different vulnerabilities from an attacker's point of view, what they might do with these vulnerabilities, and what measures you can take to mitigate these risks. Students will gain practical skills through red-team exercises and penetration labs. Students will participate in a research seminar project or take an approved certification exam during the semester.
SEC 535 Network and Endpoint Security Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Fall (even-numbered years).
Course Description: This course will teach students to secure networks and network endpoints such as computers, routers and loT devices. Vulnerabilities of common networks and endpoints will be discussed together with the threats that exploit those vulnerabilities. Students will learn about the vulnerabilities and attack vectors for various hardware and software components and they countermeasures that thwart these attacks. Students will learn the underlying security theory and will gain hands on experience through lab exercises. Students will participate in a research seminar project or take an approved certification exam during the semester.
SEC 545 Security Program Governance Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Fall (odd-numbered years).
Course Description: This course introduces the development and management of cybersecurity programs within organizations. Governance frameworks and regulations will be studied through development of policy, implementation of controls and audits, analysis of risks, and response to simulated incidents. Students will gain skill with management tools, analyze security concerns with employees and vendors, and implement communication strategies with a variety of stakeholders. Students will participate in a research seminar project or take an approved certification exam during the semester.
SEC 555 Cyberlaw and Investigations Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Fall (even-numbered years).
Course Description: This course introduces the US and international laws on cybersecurity, including law related to privacy, data security, crime, and intellectual property. Students will also explore the implications of culture and international agreements on policy and critical infrastructure. Students will learn the essentials of computer investigations through the application of forensic tools. Students will participate in a research seminar project or take an approved certification exam during the semester.
SEC 600 Introduction to Graduate Studies in Cybersecurity Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Fall.
Course Description: This course covers the fundamental issues and principles of computer-and-network security through studying theory and through hands-on assignments and lab exercises. The course will look at the capabilities of modern cryptographic systems and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Students will learn how to secure a computer, or a network, by analyzing its security requirements and applying common techniques to enforce them.
SEC 610 Advanced Cryptography Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Spring (even-numbered years).
Course Description: This course focuses on the issues associated with the design, provision and management of security services for modern communication and information systems. Students will learn different practical encryption methods for data protection.
SEC 620 Cloud Computing Security Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Spring (odd-numbered years).
Course Description: Enterprise-scale cloud computing is proliferating because of its cost effectiveness and enhanced resource manageability. The primary objective of this course is to equip students with solid understanding of cloud computing. It covers cloud computing and services in both business and technical viewpoints. Could security architecture will also be covered with an emphasis on the four major categories of security controls.
SEC 630 Software and Computer Security Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Spring (odd-numbered years).
Course Description: This course covers fundamental issues and first principles of software and computer security. This course will discuss basics of physical security, operating system security, and network security, web/e-commerce security as well as distributed application security. Security models and policies, standards and methodologies for security evaluation and certification will also be covered.
SEC 640 Advanced Network Security Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Spring (off-numbered years).
Course Description: This is a hands-on network security course building on top of the networking and general security knowledge that students have already learned in previous courses. In this course, students will learn about different attacks against network protocols and applications. They will also learn about how attackers exploit the vulnerabilities of conventional network technologies to launch those attacks. They will also learn about the countermeasures that are designed to thwart the attacks and, more importantly, how each countermeasures work.
SEC 660 Internship Practicum Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: This course offers graduate students in Cybersecurity an opportunity to integrate theory with practice. Students work full-time or part-time for a company in a position related to their graduate coursework. Anticipated learning objectives are established in a contract agreed to by the student, the company supervisor (if applicable), and the faculty mentor. Students will be required to develop a report upon completion of the class of publishable quality demonstrating what they've learned through the experience. May be repeated for credit.
SEC 690 Research Methods Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: The purpose of this course is to prepare students with the knowledge and skills required for conducting a master-thesis research. Students will learn about important topics such as the empirical research process, conducting a literature survey, and writing research papers in publishable quality. After successfully completing this course, students will be equipped with essential skills to start a master-thesis research and to write a master-thesis proposal.
SEC 692 Advanced Research Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: In this course, students will develop their master thesis proposal, which presents preliminary results of testing their hypotheses that they have formulated for tackling their research problems. This course can only be taken once for credit.
SEC 693 Capstone Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: To continue on the experiment results and preliminary conclusions drawn in the master thesis proposal, students will take this course to complete their master thesis. The deliverable of this course is a master thesis in a publishable quality. May be repeated for credit.