Syllabus for CYB-510

CYBERSECURITY FOUNDATIONS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Cybersecurity Foundations covers fundamental concepts of the interdisciplinary field of cybersecurity by taking into consideration both technical and management aspects. Students analyze cyber threats and vulnerabilities and examine common cyber defense technologies, processes, and procedures. Students are exposed to how cybersecurity can be enforced in networks, operating systems, and the software development lifecycle (SDLC). The course also introduces students to the human, legal, privacy, and ethical aspects of cybersecurity. The goal is to prepare students for advanced study in cybersecurity.

COURSE TOPICS

Cybersecurity governance and frameworks
Cyber risk assessment and management
Cybersecurity best practices
Cybersecurity planning
Network security
Operating systems, application, and software security
Exploits and security tools

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, students should be able to:

CO 1 Examine the fundamental concepts, technologies, components, and security issues related to networks.

CO 2 Employ the principles of cybersecurity.

CO 3 Assess common network vulnerabilities.

CO 4 Determine how the fundamental concepts of cybersecurity can provide system security.

CO 5 Describe potential system attacks based on potential damage and the actors responsible.

CO 6 Evaluate tools, methods, and components to apply cybersecurity defense protection.

CO 7 Examine the different types of attacks and their characteristics.

CO 8 Illustrate SSL, VPN, security storage, and other cryptographic-based security applications.

CO 9 Navigate the applicable laws and policies for various cybersecurity industries.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.

Required Textbook

Brooks, C. J., Grow, C., Craig, P., & Short, D. (2018). Cybersecurity Essentials. Indianapolis, IN: John Wiley & Sons.

ISBN-13: 978-1119362395

Required Labs

Infosec Learning Labs

Additional Learning Resources

Various videos and article readings, which are linked in the modules.
National Institute of Standards and Technology website

COURSE STRUCTURE

Cybersecurity Foundations is a three-credit online course consisting of 9 modules. Each module includes an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

Module 1: Cybersecurity Essentials
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 4, CO 6
Module 2: Cybersecurity Governance
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 4, CO 6, CO 9
Module 3: Cybersecurity Frameworks
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 4, CO 9
Module 4: Cyber Risk Assessment and Management
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 3, CO 4, CO 6
Module 5: Cybersecurity Best Practices (Part 1)
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 3, CO 4, CO 6, CO 8
Module 6: Cybersecurity Best Practices (Part 2)
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 3, CO 8

Module 7: Cybersecurity Planning
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 3, CO 4, CO 5, CO 7
Module 8: Operating Systems, Application, and Software Security
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 3, CO 4, CO 5, CO 6, CO 7
Module 9: Exploits and Security Tools
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 3, CO 4, CO 5, CO 7

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, complete Infosec Learning Labs, and complete the Course Reflection. See below for details.

Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in SafeAssign.

Discussion Forums

In addition to an ungraded About Me Forum, you are required to participate in six graded online class discussions.

Communication with your mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online class discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

All of these responses must be substantial. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate or your mentor, state and support your position.

You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation, including your use of relevant course information to support your point of view, and your awareness of and responses to the postings of your classmates. Remember, these are discussions: responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, mature, and respectful.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete four written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. For specific details, consult the individual course modules.

Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.

InfoSec Learning Labs

You are required to complete and submit results for six Infosec Learning Labs for this course. Each lab is either 90 minutes or 120 minutes in duration, regulated by a timer. They are designed to be completed in one sitting to simulate a real experience, so you cannot save your progress to return later. For an optimal experience, use a Chrome web browser with an Internet connection to run the labs.

While working through each lab, keep in mind you will need to answer several questions at the end of each lab, including writing a reflection that describes your overall impressions and experience of completing the lab. You will also need to submit a screenshot toward the end of your lab with a timestamp and your name. Submit both the screenshot and your lab reflection results to your mentor using the appropriate “Infosec Lab Results” link in Moodle.

Please see the Infosec Learning Labs section of the course website for further details and instructions. Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.

Course Reflection

For this course—and throughout the Master of Science in Cybersecurity (MSCYB) program—you will complete a course reflection, which includes collecting digital artifacts, participating in course reflection discussion forums, and writing a course reflection essay. Reference the Course Reflection section of the course website for full requirements and instructions.

Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Online discussions (6)—20%
Written assignments (4)—25%
Infosec Learning Labs (6)—40%
Course Reflection—15%

Course Reflection discussions (2)—5%
Course Reflection essay—10%

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A	=	93–100	B	=	83–87
A–	=	90–92	C	=	73–82
B+	=	88–89	F	=	Below 73

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., assignments, discussion postings, projects). Graduate students must maintain a B average overall to remain in good academic standing.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
Take time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State University.
Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
If you are not familiar with web-based learning, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the Course Calendar. The Course Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.
Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC POLICIES

To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.

For more, see: