Cybersecurity Management

Cybersecurity Technical Fundamentals (T83-560)*
3 Units
Required

This course presents a comprehensive survey of cybersecurity technology including basic theory and concepts. Students will gain hands-on familiarity of cybersecurity technology through lab exercises, in-class studios, and scenarios. Topics covered include security considerations surrounding operating systems, the web, email, databases, wireless, the cloud, and the Internet of Things. Also addressed are cryptography, secure software design, physical security, and human factors in cybersecurity.

Oversight for Excellence: Cybersecurity Management and Governance (T83-561)*
3 Units
Required

This course takes a comprehensive approach to the management of the organizational cybersecurity function. It also explores the principles of information technology governance. Coursework provides a deeper understanding of best practices for managing cyber security processes and meeting multiple needs of enterprise management by balancing the void between business risks, technical issues, control needs, and reporting metrics. Toward this end, the course addresses a range of topics necessary for success, including the elements of and how to establish a governance program, cybersecurity management frameworks, developing and implementing a cybersecurity strategy, deploying cybersecurity policy and controls, ensuring standards and regulatory compliance, functional and budgetary advocacy, interfacing with the C-Suite and Board, and talent acquisition and development. 

Efficient and Effective Cybersecurity Operations (T83-562)*
3 Units
Required

In this course, students will gain understanding of what it takes to manage the people, process, and technology for effective and efficient day-to-day cybersecurity operations. Using the Cybersecurity Operations Center (CSOC) as the fundamental exemplar, students will learn the functions and processes that comprise a typical CSOC with an underlying focus on continually optimizing operations for agility and performance. Options for structuring the CSOC will be examined along with core CSOC functions and processes such as threat intelligence; monitoring, detection, and threat assessment; vulnerability management; incident response; prevention, including awareness training; partner and third-party coordination; analytics, metrics, and reporting; training; and CSOC technologies and instrumentation.

Cybersecurity Risk Management (T83-566)*
3 Units
Required

In this course, students will gain deeper appreciation of the challenges faced by enterprises when addressing cybersecurity risks. The course will cover evolution of cyber threats, including attacker methods and their targets across different industries. Students will be able to understand the differences between enterprise, operational and cybersecurity risk management and the role that each play (or should play) in managing risks to an organization. Students will gain technical understanding of industry leading frameworks (COSO, ISO, NIST, FAIR) and become conversant with their strengths and weaknesses as well as the applicability and practicality of their implementation. 

The Hacker Mindset: Cyber Attack Fundamentals (T83-567)*
3 Units
Required

This course is designed to provide an introductory understanding of how offensive security techniques practically operate. During this course students will use hacking techniques to compromise systems, collect data, and perform other tasks that fall under the generally understood use of the term “hacker.” These techniques will be related to risk-based defensive security practices with a view toward enhancing the student’s understanding of what it takes to be a successful “defender.” By the conclusion of the course, students will have a baseline technical understanding of hacking techniques, will have executed offensive security operations, and will have increased technical understanding of what it takes to deal with cyber threats. 

Cloud Security (T83-587)
3 Units
Required

Today's organizations are more and more focused on delivering faster results and better products and services—and doing this securely—via an ever-evolving technological landscape. As a key component of the competitive landscape, cloud-based technologies have enabled critical capabilities, functionality, and innovations necessary to transform the way organizations survive and thrive in a competitive environment. As such, "The Cloud" requires cybersecurity practitioners to think differently about managing risk, producing resilient solutions, and dealing with 3rd party providers. In this course, students will learn best practices for cloud security to include methods for architecting and applying security-related features in a cloud platform. Through case studies, standards, best practices, and studio exercises, students will develop the necessary skills to identify security challenges of a cloud environment in support of the ongoing operations of the enterprise.

Leadership Seminar for Technology Professionals (T81-570)
3 Units
Required

This seminar is designed to develop the leadership capacity of professionals working in the information technology and cybersecurity fields. Although domain expertise plays an important role in the success of a technology professional, it’s when this expertise is integrated with the ability to lead people that transforms the merely competent into multi-dimensional force multipliers for the organization. In this course, students will participate in an immersive, seminar-based learning experience targeted toward professional and personal development on a range of essential leadership skills. Students will benefit from interaction with industry experts in the IT and cybersecurity fields and receive coaching support to achieve professional and personal goals. Each student will complete a series of self- and multi-rater assessments as well as a personal leadership development plan to gain insight and build competencies critical to effective leadership. Topics include creating a shared vision, strategy development, building and sustaining a healthy culture, essentials of finance and budgeting, driving results, energizing people for performance, innovation, emotional intelligence, navigating organizational politics, managing up, negotiations, stress resilience, talent coaching and development, effective communication, and time management.

Enterprise Network Security (T83-563)
3 Units
Elective

This course presents a detailed and comprehensive study of the architecture and defensive approaches to protect enterprise network environments against cyber threats. Students will gain practical experience in secure network architectures and design approaches. Using a building-block approach to case studies and design exercises, the course will establish the value of applied foundational security frameworks and system models. Specific topics include defensive network design, advanced treatment of appropriate security implementation tools and techniques, boundary defense, secure wireless and mobility solutions, remote and business partner access, and third-party and vendor interactions to ensure appropriate enterprise network solutions are implemented.

Access Control and Identity Management (T83-564)
3 Units
Elective

Business advancements due to technologies such as cloud, mobility, and the need to access information from anywhere using any device have made identity management and access control a critical component of cybersecurity. In this course, students will gain understanding of organizational and technical identity management and access control frameworks, learn central concepts such as least privileged access, authentication, and authorization that protect applications and systems from unapproved access. Topics covered include single sign-on, privileged account management, provisioning, role management, and directory services. Students will complete a “real-world” identity management and access control business case to identify risks and controls and create a strategy and roadmap to address challenges and propose solutions.

Cybersecurity Analytics (T83-565)
3 Units
Elective

This course provides an introduction to use of data analytics in support of an organization’s cybersecurity function. The course is designed to increase student understanding of how data analytics can be used to manage security and how data analytics can be used in support of risk-based assessment and decision making. Students who complete this course successfully will be able to apply data analytics techniques and tools to help organizations discover anomalies pertaining to cyber threats, implement, assess and monitor basic security functions, respond to emerging threats or prioritized requests as defined by organizational stakeholders, depict cybersecurity risk posture within the context of compliance and regulatory requirements, and construct a comprehensive cybersecurity analytics framework.

Emerging Issues and Technology in Cybersecurity (T83-568)
3 Units
Elective

Each new technology advancement brings with it promises and challenges. Will it be used for good or lead to disaster? This course examines contemporary and near-future cybersecurity threats and the potential security impact of new technologies. Topics include new forms of computing and communications and their implications for cybersecurity practitioners as well as incipient threat vectors. Historical security incidents will also be used to provide context and insight into the relationship of technology and security. Throughout the course, students will be challenged to develop strategies and responses to deal with emerging technologies and threats in ever-evolving cybersecurity domain.

Incident Response and Business Continuity (T83-569)
3 Units
Elective

This course focuses on the end-to-end process and methods to deal with cybersecurity incidents. Using recent examples of cyber breaches and incidents, students explore how CISOs react and respond to cyber breaches and incidents and learn best practices in doing so. Topics includes developing an incident response plan, organizing an incident response team, leveraging cyber intelligence and external partners to aid in response, handling public and private communications about the incident, and post-breach restoration. Particular attention will be paid to establishing a strong understanding of cybersecurity indicators and motives for espionage activities from both an external and rogue insider's perspective. Students will learn about host-based and network incident response tools and digital forensic tools including techniques and tactics for their effective use. This section of the course includes key "hands-on" activities typically used in post-breach analysis and investigations, such as forensic analysis of network storage, hard drives, and memory. Students will also become familiar with post-breach report construction and examine the proper drafting and use of such reports for submission to legal counsel, the courts, and to organizational leaders.

Managerial and Technical Approaches to Cybersecurity Assurance (T83-570)
3 Units
Elective

How do you know if your organization is secure? How do you communicate your security posture to those who don’t have expertise in cybersecurity? Many organizations fall woefully short in answering these questions. Too often gut feel takes the place of data-driven evidence of security. As a cybersecurity professional you are responsible to ensure your organization is secure and that you communicate your security posture with confidence to non-practitioners, especially your senior leadership and the board. This course provides you the concepts, methods, tools, and intellectual thought process to achieve cybersecurity assurance and how you as cybersecurity leaders communicate that assurance to the C-suite and the board. Topics covered include adopting a cybersecurity maturity model, metrics selection and development, the critical role of internal and external security assessments and compliance audits, vulnerability management as a foundation of cybersecurity assurance, and how to effectively employ red/blue team activities.

Network Security (E81 CSE 571S)
3 Units
Elective

This course is intended as a comprehensive introduction to the cybersecurity field. It covers a broad range of cyber security terms, definitions, historical perspectives, concepts, processes, technologies, and trends with a focus on managing risk and the employment of cybersecurity as an organizational enabler.