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Course catalog

Cybersecurity Management · Proposed course

Foundations of Cybersecurity & Information Assurance

Course code
CSM 604
Credit hours
3
Program
MSCM
Delivery
Hybrid/Online

Course description

Course overview

This course introduces the core principles of cybersecurity and information assurance, covering the concepts, frameworks, and tools used to protect digital assets and information systems. Students will explore threat landscapes, cybersecurity architectures, cryptographic methods, and access control models while learning to assess vulnerabilities and apply mitigation strategies. Emphasis is placed on the CIA Triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability), defense-in-depth strategies, and foundational practices in information security management.

Course content is presented for institutional review and remains subject to approval and revision.

Academic focus

Course objectives

  1. 01

    Understand the foundational concepts of cybersecurity and information assurance.

  2. 02

    Identify threats, vulnerabilities, and attack vectors affecting modern information systems.

  3. 03

    Apply cryptographic principles and security controls to ensure data confidentiality and integrity.

  4. 04

    Design layered security models and implement best practices for system protection.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion

  1. CLO 1

    Describe and apply fundamental cybersecurity and information assurance principles (maps to PLO 3).

  2. CLO 2

    Evaluate common threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigation strategies (maps to PLO 2, PLO 3).

  3. CLO 3

    Implement basic cryptographic and access control mechanisms (maps to PLO 3, PLO 6).

  4. CLO 4

    Develop secure architecture models and risk mitigation plans (maps to PLO 2, PLO 5).

Proposed syllabus

Weekly course schedule

The sequence below reflects the current 15-week syllabus and remains subject to institutional review.

  1. Week 1

    Introduction to Cybersecurity and Information Assurance

  2. Week 2

    Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attack Vectors

  3. Week 3

    Security Models and Architectures (CIA Triad, Zero Trust, Defense-in-Depth)

  4. Week 4

    Risk Management and Security Frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001)

  5. Week 5

    Cryptography Fundamentals: Symmetric and Asymmetric Encryption

  6. Week 6

    Authentication, Access Control, and Identity Management

  7. Week 7

    Network Security Fundamentals and Firewalls

  8. Week 8

    Midterm Exam and Security Configuration Lab

  9. Week 9

    Cloud Security and Virtualization

  10. Week 10

    Security Operations and Incident Response Foundations

  11. Week 11

    Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing Basics

  12. Week 12

    Data Protection, Backup, and Disaster Recovery

  13. Week 13

    Emerging Technologies in Cybersecurity (IoT, AI, Blockchain)

  14. Week 14

    Final Project Presentations

  15. Week 15

    Final Exam and Course Reflection

Evaluation

Assessment and grading

  • Hands-On Security Labs – 25%
  • Midterm Exam – 20%
  • Final Exam – 20%
  • Applied Security Project – 25%
  • Participation and Discussions – 10%
A = 90–100%B = 80–89%C = 70–79%F = Below 70%

Course resources

Required texts and materials

  • Whitman, M. E., & Mattord, H. J. (2023). Principles of information security (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
  • Stallings, W. (2021). Network security essentials: Applications and standards (7th ed.). Pearson.
  • Additional readings, labs, and frameworks (e.g., NIST SP 800-53) will be provided via the LMS.