Online Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
Course Descriptions
Each course is offered as a 100% online course of eight weeks (but equivalent to standard 13 weeks), with students taking two courses each semester following the program on a part-time basis. At this time, full-time studies are not available. Students are expected to commit 130 and 150 hours in total for a 3-credit course. The courses will include high-quality video lectures, activities, and individual and group assessments. Most of the course materials will be delivered asynchronously; therefore, students in different time zones may participate and progress at their own pace. Some selective components may be delivered synchronously when it is most appropriate.
Required courses (15 credits)
INFS 680: Introduction to Cybersecurity and Cryptography (3 credits)
A general introduction to cybersecurity and cryptography. This course examines the main threats that organizations face towards the protection of data and information concerning its customers and trade secrets. It also covers, at a high level, the basic control mechanisms and processes that can be put in place to protect against these threats and a general introduction to the concepts of cryptography as a way to secure communications. (No prerequisite)
INFS 681: Modern Software Exploitation and Defense (3 credits)
This course examines modern exploitation and defense techniques for binary executables and web application and the practices that compromise modern protective techniques. The course is divided in two parts. The binary executable section covers a wide range of topics including reverse engineering, string format vulnerability, and code injection while the web security section will explore tools used against web applications such a cross-site scripting, session hijacking and SQL injection. (Co-requisite: INFS 680, Prerequisite for MISt students: INFS 629)
INFS 682: Network and Endpoint Security (3 credits)
This course will cover network security and the various technologies, policies, and procedures that are used in combination to create multiple layers of protection within an organization’s computer network. The various vulnerabilities and threats to networks will be explored in detail, as well as the many network security controls that are currently available. (Co-requisite: INFS 680, Prerequisite for MISt students: INFS 629)
INFS 683: Windows and Linux OS Hardening (3 credits)
Operating system (OS) hardening techniques for Windows and Linux. This course covers both fundamental and advanced topics in operating system security and aims at arming students with the awareness of potential OS security breaches and practical skills of securing a modern operating system. Topics include credential management, process protection, memory protection, malware mitigation, firewall configuration, and intrusion detection tools. (Co-requisite: INFS 680, Prerequisite for MISt students: INFS 629)
INFS 684: Information Security Management (3 credits)
An overview of information security management within an organization. The course aims to train students and practitioners to manage and respond to information security threats, whether they be internal or external, discrete or persistent, non-destructive or catastrophic. Topics include information security policy and governance, risk and vulnerability detection, threat readiness, investigation, recovery, privacy and legislation. This course integrates a capstone project that provides students an opportunity to use the knowledge acquired from prerequisite courses in a simulation of a cybersecurity incident. Working in small groups, learners will experience the full life cycle of a cybersecurity incident, from preparation to discovery to recovery. The project spans the whole 8 weeks with one week fully dedicated to an online simulation of a data breach. (Prerequisite: INFS 680, INFS 681, INFS 682 and INFS 683)