Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and Cybersecurity

• FDN 1110 Student Success Seminar or FDN 2500 Strategies for Success — 1 credit hour
• FDN 1300 Student Leadership Seminar (campus only) — 1 credit hour
• FDN 2250 Blueprint for Success or FDN 3200 Career Advancement — 1 credit hour

General education courses are the foundation of the University’s outcomes and attributes for its graduates.

• ENG 1150 Composition I — 3 credit hours
• ENG 1200 Composition II — 3 credit hours
• MTH 1150 College Algebra or MTH 1100 Finite Math — 3 credit hours
• SPC 2050 Speech — 3 credit hours
• NSC 2100 Environmental Science or Natural Science — 3 credit hours
• HIS 2100 Foundations of the Modern World I or History Elective — 3 credit hours
• MTH 2310 Statistics I — 3 credit hours

• ACC 2410 Fundamentals of Financial Accounting — 3 credit hours
• ACC 2415 Fundamentals of Managerial Accounting — 3 credit hours
• ECN 2210 Principles of Microeconomics — 3 credit hours
• ECN 2220 Principles of Macroeconomics — 3 credit hours
• LAW 3000 Business Law I — 3 credit hours
• MGT 2300 Principles of Management — 3 credit hours
• MIS 1500 Business Productivity Software — 3 credit hours
• MKT 2080 Principles of Marketing — 3 credit hours
• FIN 3010 Financial Management — 3 credit hours
• MGT 4250 Organizational Behavior — 3 credit hours
• MGT 4800 Strategic Planning — 3 credit hours
• PHL 3100 Ethics — 3 credit hours

• ECN 4010 Economics of Public Policies — 3 credit hours
• PHL 4100 Philosophy of American Enterprise — 3 credit hours

• MIS 1110 Introduction to Management Information Systems — 3 credit hours
• MIS 2140 Programming I — 3 credit hours
• MIS 1300 Information Technology Infrastructure — 3 credit hours
• MIS 2150 Programming II — 3 credit hours
• CYB 2150 Scripting — 3 credit hours
• CYB 2300 Advanced Networking Systems — 3 credit hours
• CYB 2350 Software Defined Networking — 3 credit hours
• CYB 3300 Physical and Operational Security — 3 credit hours
• CYB 3000 Cryptography — 3 credit hours
• CYB 3200 Network Security — 3 credit hours
• MIS 3400 Systems Analysis and Design — 3 credit hours
• MIS 3800 Information Security — 3 credit hours
• MTH 3400 Introduction to Data Science — 3 credit hours
• CYB 4100 Ethical Hacking — 3 credit hours
• CYB 3950 Advanced Operational Security — 3 credit hours
• CYB 4000 Digital Forensics — 3 credit hours
• MIS 4500 Technology Senior Project — 3 credit hours

Students will develop a thorough understanding of the current operating systems, networks and communications infrastructure. Includes an understanding of the functions of operating systems, fundamental automated data and voice communications concepts and terminology, and modes of data transmission, transmission media, and different types of networks.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the functions of operating systems.
• Understand commercial and private communications media.
• Understand the development and potential future of business communications.
• Understand current software trends for data communications.
• Understand networks and network design fundamentals.
• Understand the function of collaborative software systems.
• Understand how to use the web for business.

Introduces students to the elements of business programming using a selected programming language. Study of the program development cycle and practice designing and writing business application programs. In designing programs, students will learn to identify program requirements, data requirements, user interface requirements and the programming processes needed to develop a solution. Based on their designs, students will code, test and evaluate their programs.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the program and data design methods used in programming.
• Compare the structured, object-oriented and event-driven programming paradigms.
• Identify the elements of business applications.
• Understand syntax and error handling processes in a popular business programming language.
• Describe the steps in the program development cycle: analyze, design, interface, code and test.
• Develop and document programs using programming tools.
• Write computer programs using a Windows-based language.

Students will examine the significant role that project management plays in the successful completion of an information technology project. The skills, tools and best practices used to effectively manage a project from its inception to successful closure will be discussed. Students will learn how to control the scope, time, cost and quality of projects, and gain hands-on experience using project management software.
Prerequisite: MIS 1500

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the constraints that affect project management.
• Describe the project management framework, which includes the stakeholders, project management knowledge areas and project management tools and techniques.
• Identify the phases of the project life cycle and compare the project life cycle and the product life cycle.
• Describe the main processes and deliverables in managing a project.
• Effectively use project management software to design a project.
• Work within a group to maximize the group effectiveness of a project.
• Analyze project requirements and develop a complete project plan for a business process change.

Examines the various tools and methodologies for the development and implementation of a business information system. Students will also examine the logical and physical organizations of data in an enterprise database. The systems approach is discussed in detail in conjunction with the current concepts of systems analysis and design. The life cycle concept, the importance of implementing controls during the planning, analysis, design, implementation and evaluation phases of a management information system to solve business management problems are highlighted.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the development of the life cycle of information systems.
• Compare the different methods and tools used in systems analysis and design.
• Describe the architecture and functions of database management systems.
• Use currently popular database management systems.
• Analyze information requests and write advanced SQL queries that produce the requested information.
• Describe the responsibilities of a database administrator.
• Analyze and document current business processes and systems using diagramming tools.
• Participate as a team member in the analysis and documentation of a business process.

This course surveys information security essentials needed for a foundational understanding of the Information Security discipline from the business level perspective. Common attacks and vulnerabilities against an organization will be identified and deliberated. Furthermore, the course provides a survey of how to mitigation the risk of attack, the managerial and legal requirements on organizations including reporting requirements, the professional ethics surrounding cybersecurity, and how these affect security policy formation and implementation.
Prerequisite: MIS 1500

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Understand common security vulnerabilities and attached that organizations face in the information age.
• Analyze security threats posed by the use of e-commerce technology for end-users and enterprises.
• Analyze the technology available to combat e-commerce security threats.
• Evaluate IT/Technology security management processes.
• Evaluate methods to mitigate risks, managerial and legal requirements, and ethical concerns of organizations in the information age.
• Create a robust incident response, disaster recovery and business continuity plans.

This course provides students with the fundamental concepts of information and cybersecurity. Specific topic areas covered include integrity, availability and confidentiality of data. Students will gain a fundamental knowledge of risk management, governance, cryptography and network security. Other topic areas include business continuity and legal issues. Students will also be introduced to major security incidents and cybersecurity trends. The threats and vulnerabilities organizations are facing as well as the tools and techniques used to secure them.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate foundational knowledge of cybersecurity principles
• Discuss the concepts relating to information security management, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA), vulnerabilities and threats, risks, and countermeasures.
• Define the common principles of cybersecurity management control.
• Develop security mechanisms that can be put into place to compliment nontechnical management controls.
• Discuss the current national legislation, regulations and standards that affect information security management, cybersecurity, information assurance and information governance.
• Explain cryptography and identify the tools for implementing core security services upon which all information security technologies are built.

Key topic areas include securing cyber-physical systems and maintaining an effective security operations program. Specific topics for this course include interconnected systems, sensors and devices. Students will analyze the inherent risks of cyber-physical systems will learn how to develop properly secured systems. The broader operations of cyber-physical security including maintaining policies, auditing, configuration/change management and vulnerability assessment will also be analyzed.
Prerequisite: MIS 1300

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate comprehension of the concepts used in physical security planning.
• Implement physical security measures.
• Develop protection mechanisms to safeguard sensitive information and preserve essential secrecy.
• Analyze physical security planning documents and their purposes.
• Discuss the operational security five-step process:

1. Identify critical information
2. Determine threats
3. Analyze vulnerabilities
4. Assess risks
5. Apply appropriate countermeasures

• Develop a plan to strengthen the people component of information security programs.
• Explain the 3 general categories that security controls fall under (physical, technical and operational controls).
• Discuss practical and proven techniques for effectively conducting security assessments.

An introduction to network security and cryptography. Specific content areas for this course are network services, devices, configurations and the vulnerabilities and threats within a system. Knowledge and experiential learning provided in this class includes detection and intrusion prevention of common attack types and designing network security architecture using tools such as firewalls and honeypots. Students will also gain fundamental knowledge of encryption methods, symmetric/asymmetric systems, cryptography and hashing. Students will gain hands on experience through red team blue team lab scenarios.
Prerequisites: MIS 1300, MIS 2140 and CYB 2100

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate proper network hacking and scanning techniques to evaluate security vulnerabilities across an entire network.
• Demonstrate proper use of authentication and encryption methods.
• Identify the various types of firewalls that are available and discuss the threats each helps mitigate.
• Apply network monitoring tools to discover and identify potential hackers and malware.
• Demonstrate the ability to access a target location using various covert and overt methods.
• Test and evade all security control types: logical, physical and administrative.
• Apply defensive security techniques, including network analysis training sessions and incident response drills.

This course further develops student skills through hands-on lab exercises that build upon the concepts learned in CYB 3200. Red team blue team scenarios will be used to reinforce hacking methodologies used to assess and attack a target computer system. Key topic areas include attack exploits and using security tools and techniques to find and fix vulnerabilities. Students engage in red team/ blue team exercises stressing ethical hacking and penetration testing. (Prerequisites CYB3200, CYB3300)

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Analyze the stages an ethical hacker takes in order to compromise a targeted system.
• Demonstrate the ability to install, configure, use and manage hacking software.
• Demonstrate foundational knowledge of cybersecurity policy and strategy concepts.
• Create cybersecurity and strategic policy documentation.
• Apply vulnerability analysis to identify network security loopholes.
• Analyze current global cybersecurity issues and how the errors made by users, administrators, or programmers can lead to exploitable insecurities.

The capstone course for the Cybersecurity program is designed to consolidate the business and cybersecurity knowledge acquired during the completion of the program. The skills, tools and best practices used to effectively manage a cybersecurity project from its inception to successful closure will be discussed. Students will manage a cybersecurity project that improves the security posture of an organization. Students will apply project management and cybersecurity best practices as they work through the project life cycle. This course promotes the development of consultative communication skills and interpersonal skills with team members and other project stakeholders.
Prerequisite: CYB 4100

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Implement solutions to secure computer systems and networks
• Perform a digital forensic investigation of real-world case
• Identify and assess cybersecurity threats.
• Defend against cyberattacks
• Detect, triage and mitigate cybersecurity breaches

Advances the students’ knowledge of programming concepts and design principles acquired in MIS 2140. Students will develop more advanced algorithms and use more complex data structures. Concepts of GUI, web-enabled and event-driven programming will be utilized.
Prerequisite: MIS 2140

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Incorporate information stored in a database into an application.
• Identify the elements of graphical user interface programming.
• Use controls and audit trails in programming.
• Develop web-based programs using programming tools.
• Develop programs requiring the use of more complex data structures.
• Develop a more thorough understanding of the complete process of program development.
• Write programs that interact with databases and the web.

In this course, students learn how to perform data analysis, identify vulnerabilities and automate large scale network attacks, along with other cybersecurity scripting opportunities. Fundamentals of scripting for security testing, data analysis and other routine IT tasks are explored.
Prerequisite: MIS 2140

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Discuss the native libraries and bindings available specifically for penetration testing and other cybersecurity tasks.
• Develop custom scripts to generate high volume attack traffic for vulnerabilities testing.
• Create scripts to perform data analysis from log events; identify potential vulnerabilities in software; and automate large-scale network attacks, extract metadata and investigate forensic artifacts.
• Develop code to intercept and analyze network traffic.
• Construct packet sniffers.
• Perform post-exploitation activities.

Students work independently and collaboratively to develop the complex skills necessary to design, create and maintain reliable and secure services, devices and applications in various networked environments. Through exploration and application of troubleshooting, administration and efficiency standards, students develop skills in network analysis. Additional topics include congestion control, switching, routing, analysis and design of network protocols (both wired and wireless), data centers, analysis and performance of content distribution networks, network security, vulnerability and defenses, net neutrality, and online social networks.
Prerequisite: MIS 1300

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Discuss virtualization technologies.
• Perform switching and routing process.
• Discuss and use Domain Name System (DNS) processes
• Perform DHCP and static IP Addressing procedures
• Explain standards for and operation of virtual private networks (VPN) and virtual local area networks.

In this course, software-defined networking (SDN) and increasing the agility and flexibility of networks are explored. Students learn how to improve network control by enabling enterprises and service providers to respond quickly to changing business requirements and how to manage an SDN deployment. SDN concepts and components are used to create through-modeling in an open networking platform that enables SDN and constructs a solid foundation for network functions virtualization (NFV) for all network sizes.
Prerequisite: CYB 2300

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Discuss software-defined networking.
• Explain and Analyze OpenFlow/ SDN control concepts.
• Apply virtualized switching concepts
• Apply virtual routing concepts.
• Apply SDN principles to solve network problems.
• Use application program interfaces (API) to relay information to switches and routers.
• Develop a virtual network.

Students examine cryptographic systems, including how to properly utilize these systems in real-world scenarios. Concepts include using shared keys to provide secure communication when adversaries attempt to manipulate and listen to network traffic. Research of deployed protocols to analyze mistakes in existing systems is conducted. Students apply public-key techniques to generate shared secret keys, which allow for secure communication. Students also explores advanced cryptographic skills, such as zero-knowledge, privacy mechanisms and other forms of encryption.
Prerequisite: MIS 1300

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Perform current cryptography methods.
• Discuss how crypto-primitives work.
• Discuss and perform encryption key standards.
• Identify and discuss basic key exchange methods.
• Discuss and identify data integrity issues.
• Apply techniques to analyze data integrity.
• Examine authenticated encryption standards.
• Analyze the role of digital signatures and certificates in the authentication of data.

Digital forensics explores the concepts and tools necessary for computer forensics. Students learn how to conduct investigations to correctly gather, analyze and present digital evidence to both business and legal audiences. Students examine the tools to locate and analyze digital evidence on a variety of devices, how to maintain up-to-date skills to work with changing technologies and about digital forensics laws and regulations.

Prerequisite: CYB 3000

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Perform digital forensics, the science of investigating cybercrimes.
• Employ fundamental computer forensic practices.
• Identify and apply current laws and procedures associated with digital evidence collection
• Examine the relationships between incident categories, evidence handling and incident management.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of digital forensic tools.
• Perform basic computer forensic analysis.

This course builds on concepts learned in CYB 3300. Students discuss various topics that include securing cyber-physical systems and maintaining an effective security operations program. Analysis of the inherent risks of cyber-physical systems and development of properly secured systems are completed. Students also explore operations of cyber-physical security, such as maintaining policies, auditing, configuration/change management and vulnerability assessment. Scripts to parse logs, conduct penetration testing and perform other cybersecurity tasks are developed.
Prerequisite: CYB 3300

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Build an effective threat hunting solution based on open-source tools.
• Demonstrate ability to find and investigate malware, phishing, lateral movement, data exfiltration and other common threats.
• Apply scripting knowledge to create scripts for parsing logs, conducting penetration testing and managing other cybersecurity tasks.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the zero-trust security framework.
• Apply foundational knowledge of the MITRE ATT&CK framework to structure intelligence about adversary behavior.
• Examine DNS sinkholes to help battle malicious software (malware and spyware) in networks.

This survey course will introduce students to the concepts and principles of Data Mining that supports the industry-standard CRISP-DM model. The model includes Data storage and preparation, database management, data visualization, and data-driven decisions for solving business problems.
Prerequisites: MIS 1500 and MTH 2310

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Recognize the opportunity and challenges of Big Data analysis
• Use Data Warehouse methodology to import, cleanse and reduce a large data set.
• Use software to explore, visualize and build a model from the data.
• List, describe and apply data mining solutions such as classification problems, clustering, co-occurrence and causal conclusions.
• Develop the ability to present a model to a business team; illustrates business understanding and modeling.
• Understand the concept of Predictive modeling.
• Critique a project proposal.