Cybersecurity Operations (Combined BS + MS)

To properly secure an organization¿s information infrastructure and assets, periodic assessments of security posture at multiple levels are critical. This course provides a comprehensive approach to penetration testing and vulnerability assessment, covering key phases from reconnaissance to exploitation and post-exploitation techniques. Students will apply industry-standard penetration testing methodologies, use advanced tools such as Nmap, Wireshark, Metasploit, and Snort, and conduct controlled cybersecurity testing to simulate real-world attacks. Emphasis is placed on reporting and remediation, ensuring students can document findings and recommend actionable security improvements. This course aligns with CompTIA PenTest+ certification objectives, equipping students with essential offensive security skills needed for penetration testing, ethical hacking, and vulnerability analysis.

Full course description for Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, cryptography is fundamental to securing sensitive information, protecting communications, and maintaining data integrity. This course provides a comprehensive foundation in applied cryptography, covering the historical evolution, mathematical principles, encryption techniques, and real-world implementations of cryptographic security. Students will explore symmetric and asymmetric encryption methods, including Feistel networks, S-Box design, RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography, while also applying cryptographic principles to security technologies such as SSL/TLS, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and military-grade encryption. The course delves into cryptanalysis techniques to assess cryptographic vulnerabilities and adversarial attack methods used to bypass encryption defenses. Additionally, students will evaluate the future of cryptography, including quantum-resistant encryption, cloud-based cryptographic applications,…

Full course description for Cryptography for Cybersecurity Practitioners

Operating systems form the backbone of modern computing and play a pivotal role in cybersecurity and cyber operations. This course comprehensively introduces operating system theory while integrating essential security concepts. Students will learn core OS fundamentals¿including process management, memory management, and file systems¿through a combination of theoretical study and practical exercises. The curriculum includes hands-on experience with low-level programming using Assembly and C, as well as the utilization of Unix-like operating system APIs. Emphasis is placed on understanding OS architecture, identifying common vulnerabilities, and applying basic mitigation strategies through secure coding practices. This balanced approach establishes a solid foundation in OS principles and security, preparing students for more specialized studies in malware analysis, reverse engineering, and vulnerability assessments in advanced courses.

Full course description for Secure System Programming and OS Theory

Cyber operations encompass both offensive and defensive security strategies, requiring a deep understanding of network security, system vulnerabilities, and operational tactics. This course provides a comprehensive foundation in cyber operations, focusing on security principles, network architecture, protocol analysis, and strategic cyber engagements. Students will analyze fundamental cybersecurity principles and evaluate how failures in security design lead to system vulnerabilities that can be exploited in offensive cyber operations. The course covers network traffic analysis, TCP/IP protocols, and cyber operations phases, including planning, execution, authority considerations, and post-operation assessment. Students will design defensive network architectures with multi-layered security controls, ensuring mission security objectives are met. Additionally, the course examines the balance between usability and security, addressing human behavior risks that undermine system security…

Full course description for Cyber Operations Fundamentals

This course explores digital forensic methodologies, legal considerations, and investigative techniques used in modern forensic analysis. Students will develop the expertise to analyze forensic images, identify suspicious or concealed files¿including those hidden through steganography and data obfuscation¿and implement advanced strategies for evidence recovery across diverse digital environments, including Windows, macOS, smartphones, memory, and network systems. Emphasizing the use of cutting-edge forensic tools and bootable utilities, students will learn to extract and preserve digital evidence while maintaining data integrity. The course also examines contemporary methods used for hiding, encrypting, and scrambling data, equipping students with the skills to develop effective countermeasures in forensic investigations. Additionally, students will gain proficiency in preparing legally admissible documentation, maintaining a proper chain of custody, and drafting forensic reports that…

Full course description for Digital Forensics I

This course provides an in-depth examination of forensic techniques for investigating digital evidence across modern operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. Students will develop expertise in analyzing file systems to identify critical forensic artifacts and data structures essential to investigations. The course covers advanced memory forensics techniques to extract and interpret volatile data, including active processes and encryption keys. Students will also conduct network forensic investigations, utilizing packet analysis and decryption techniques to uncover hidden or encrypted malicious communications. Emphasizing correlation and interpretation of forensic evidence from multiple sources, students will integrate log analysis, system artifacts, and event timelines to reconstruct digital incidents. Hands-on experience with state-of-the-art forensic tools will enable students to perform forensic acquisitions of locally attached storage devices while ensuring data…

Full course description for Digital Forensics II

The increasing interconnectedness of digital systems and the rapid evolution of malicious software (malware) pose significant threats to individuals, businesses, and critical infrastructure. As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, the ability to analyze, dissect, and reverse-engineer malware is essential for threat intelligence, incident response, and cybersecurity defense. This course provides an in-depth exploration of malware analysis and reverse engineering methodologies, equipping students with the technical skills to investigate, understand, and mitigate malicious software. Students will analyze the characteristics, propagation methods, and impact of various types of malware, assessing their persistence mechanisms and interaction with host systems and networks. Using modern forensic tools, students will apply advanced static and dynamic analysis techniques to deobfuscate and reverse-engineer malware samples. The course also covers attacker techniques designed to evade…

Full course description for Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering

As the first course in a two-part capstone sequence, CYBR 498 provides students with the foundational framework to conceptualize, research, and plan a rigorous cybersecurity project. This course guides students through the identification and formulation of a well-defined research problem, leveraging current cybersecurity trends, industry challenges, and emerging threats. Students will conduct a comprehensive literature review, synthesizing insights from scholarly research, industry reports, and additional learning resources to support the development of a viable cybersecurity solution. Emphasis is placed on problem definition, scope of work, and research methodology, ensuring that students construct a strong theoretical and practical foundation for their capstone project. In addition to technical research, students will explore legal, ethical, and compliance considerations relevant to cybersecurity research and professional practice. To further enhance career readiness, students will…

Full course description for Cybersecurity Capstone I Concepts, Research and Planning

As the culminating experience of the undergraduate Cybersecurity program, CYBR 499 challenges students to apply their acquired knowledge, technical expertise, and industry best practices in developing a comprehensive security solution. This project-driven course requires students to integrate research, risk assessment, security implementation, and ethical considerations into a capstone project that addresses real-world cybersecurity challenges. Students will conduct independent research, analyzing and synthesizing scholarly and professional cybersecurity literature to support their project development. They will identify, evaluate, and mitigate cybersecurity risks and threats, applying advanced enterprise security strategies to enhance system defenses. Students will develop critical leadership and collaboration skills throughout the course, managing tasks and responsibilities in a high-pressure project environment. Effective communication is emphasized, as students will present their…

Full course description for Cybersecurity Capstone II - Design, Development, and Implementation

Understanding vulnerability discovery and exploitation is fundamental to cyber operations, equipping professionals with the skills to identify, analyze, and mitigate security weaknesses across various computing environments. This course provides an in-depth exploration of vulnerability analysis, emphasizing the patterns of vulnerabilities and attack methodologies to help students develop a comprehensive security mindset. Students will analyze various types of vulnerabilities, assess their root causes and impact on security, and explore exploitation techniques and mitigation strategies. Key topics include buffer overflows, privilege escalation attacks, input validation flaws, fuzzing, crash dump analysis, exploit development, and security mitigations such as DEP and ASLR. The course also delves into security design principles, guiding students to integrate proactive security measures into system architecture, software development, and risk mitigation frameworks. Through hands-on…

Full course description for Vulnerability Discovery and Exploitation

Cryptography is a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity, protecting data across wireless networks, cloud computing, and next-generation applications. This course provides an in-depth exploration of advanced cryptographic techniques, focusing on their practical implementation in securing real-world systems. Students will analyze cryptographic security mechanisms in SSL/TLS, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), military applications, cryptanalysis, and cryptographic backdoors. Emphasis is placed on evaluating cryptographic frameworks in vehicular ad hoc networks, smart grids, e-health systems, and mobile social networks. Students will also design and implement encryption-based defense strategies to enhance data confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. Additionally, the course examines the threat posed by quantum computing to modern cryptographic systems and explores post-quantum cryptography solutions. By the end of the course, students will have the expertise to apply, evaluate, and…

Full course description for Applied Cryptography

In an era of sophisticated cyber threats, organizations rely on proactive threat intelligence and hunting strategies to defend against advanced network intrusions and data breaches. This course equips students with the knowledge and practical skills to collect, analyze, and apply Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) at tactical, operational, and strategic levels to enhance cyber threat-hunting operations and defensive cybersecurity mechanisms. Students will evaluate cyber threat intelligence frameworks, including MITRE ATT&CK, to identify adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and detect advanced cyber threats. The course covers correlating Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) from multiple intelligence sources, including Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), to strengthen proactive threat detection and response. Emphasis is placed on implementing intelligence-sharing frameworks and protocols to facilitate active cyber defense through threat-hunting and coordinated threat mitigation…

Full course description for Cyber Threat Hunting and Intelligence

As wireless and mobile technologies continue to evolve, they play an increasingly critical role in global communications, cybersecurity, and cyber operations. This course provides an in-depth exploration of cellular and wireless network architectures, emphasizing their security features, vulnerabilities, and risk mitigation strategies. Students will analyze the core architectures and security mechanisms of various generations of cellular networks, assessing operational differences and security challenges unique to wireless environments. The course covers modern encryption standards, authentication protocols, and access control policies, equipping students with the skills to design and implement secure wireless networks. Additionally, students will assess security protocols used in wireless communications to ensure authentication, data integrity, and confidentiality. Through hands-on exercises, students will investigate and mitigate threats to wireless and mobile networks, identifying…

Full course description for Securing Wireless and Mobile Technologies

This course provides a comprehensive examination of virtualization architectures and cloud security, with a focus on enterprise and cloud environments. Students will analyze the security implications of hypervisors, virtual machines (VMs), networking, storage, and management interfaces, gaining an in-depth understanding of the risks and challenges associated with virtualized infrastructures. The course also explores cloud service models¿including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS)¿as well as deployment strategies, evaluating security trade-offs and risk management considerations for diverse workloads. Students will gain hands-on experience in securing cloud-based workloads in environments such as AWS and Microsoft Azure, addressing deployment, configuration, scalability, and security challenges. Emphasizing compliance and governance, students will assess and apply industry security standards, audit policies, and…

Full course description for Virtualization and Cloud Security

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, which serve as the backbone of critical infrastructure across manufacturing, energy, transportation, and utility sectors. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of ICS/SCADA architectures, their operational environments, and the evolving cybersecurity threats targeting these systems. The course examines the vulnerabilities inherent in industrial automation, the complexities of embedded systems, and the security frameworks designed to mitigate attacks. Through hands-on exercises, case studies, and industry-standard tools, students will gain practical experience in securing and assessing ICS environments.

Full course description for Industrial Control Systems Security and Resilience

Any IT development project contains significant risks. However, keeping the status quo is also risky in rapidly changing technological and competitive environments. This course is designed to familiarize the student with risk analysis concepts derived from many sources including financial, actuarial and statistical studies, insurance and risk analysis, software quality assurance methodologies, management and audit trails and many others. Student will learn to assess the risk in an information systems portfolio and develop strategies for managing the many risk types discussed: Prerequisites: MIS 600.

Full course description for Risk Analysis in Information Technology

With Information Technology playing an ever greater role in organizations, and the widespread availability of technology with the ability to collect and create information on everyone, many new ethical issues have been created. This course will frame many current ethic issues in IT and help the student develop methods of analyzing and dealing with these issues in real world situations. Topics may include issues such as privacy, copyright and intellectual property, employee monitoring approaches, multinational information flows, corporate intelligence and others. Hacking, computer security, viruses and other acts of destruction will be reviewed from an ethical perspective.

Full course description for Cyber Ethics

The Cyber Operations Capstone Project is a culminating experience where students synthesize, apply, and critically evaluate cybersecurity concepts in a real-world context. Throughout the graduate program, students identify, formulate, and develop their capstone projects, producing a comprehensive, scholarly, and professional-level research project that reflects their advanced knowledge and technical expertise. This capstone follows a phased approach, where students solidify their project scope and research methodology in the initial phase and design, develop, and implement their solutions in the final phase. The project emphasizes evidence-based decision-making, integration of industry best practices, and rigorous academic research to address complex cybersecurity challenges. Students will critically analyze and synthesize relevant scholarly and professional literature, ensuring their work contributes meaningfully to the field of cyber operations. The capstone experience culminates in…

Full course description for Cyber Operations Capstone Project