Online BS in Cybersecurity: Information Assurance

The purpose of this course is to explore the evolving crime phenomenon resulting from the technology revolution over the last 60 years. An examination of the unique human-computer relationship will be conducted to develop an understanding of how criminal activity has adopted the use of new technologies to further their criminal activity. Additionally, a review of social constructs relating to high tech criminal activity will be provided.

Describes the legal and ethical issues associated with information security including access, use, and dissemination. It emphasizes legal infrastructure relating to information assurance, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and Telecommunications Decency Act, and emerging technologies for management of digital rights. It examines the role of information security in various domains such as healthcare, scientific research, and personal communications such as email. It examines criminal activities such as computer fraud and abuse, desktop forgery, embezzlement, child pornography, computer trespass, and computer piracy.

This course builds a common cross-disciplinary understanding in the foundations of information assurance. Presents an overview of basic principles and security concepts related to information systems, including workstation security, system security, and communications security. It introduces information security via database technology, discusses legal infrastructure such as DMCA, Telecommunications Act, wire fraud, and other ethical issues. Covers security methods, controls, procedures, economics of cybercrime, criminal procedure, and forensics. It describes the use of cryptography as a tool, software development processes, and protection.

Students in this course will learn why Information Security is critical in our world today. Students will gain an understanding the necessary steps we must take to protect our Personal Identifiable Information (PII) to protecting company suppliers (supply-chain), customers, and overall company assets. Students will also learn why secure software requires implementing secure practices early in the Software Development LifeCycle (SDLC), by adhering to the concepts that enable further understanding of the challenges of insecure and vulnerable software.

Prerequisite: CSC 101

This course identifies legislation, policies and frameworks in the US and the EU related to computer and digital privacy, building upon earlier CBY curriculum. Students will learn concepts of personally identifiable information (PII) across multiple platforms and industries. From a risk management perspective, by the end of the course, students will understand how to protect PII and data privacy.

This capstone course is designed to provide an opportunity for the student to synthesize, reflect upon, and analyze the complex and robust field of cybersecurity. This course will highlight the major current issues in the field of cybersecurity.

Prerequisite: CBY 202, CBY 301, and CSC 210

In this course, students will be provided a baseline of knowledge of the fundamentals of computers and digital literacies to ensure they will be able to understand a constantly changing technology oriented landscape. In this course, students will be exposed to the fundamentals of computing technology, including computer hardware and software concepts; the Windows operating system and commands; drives, folders, and files; Google’s suite of applications; use of the Internet and growing connectivity with everyday devices; and digital literacy knowledge and skills. By mastering the fundamentals of computing technology and demonstrating digital literacy, students will have the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century workforce.

This course emphasizes technical computing concepts and the development of skills in a technology driven world. It further provides students with skills to perform basic operations involved in system administration, with an understanding of the roles of an operating system, its basic functions, and the services provided by the operating system. An introduction to coding languages is provided. Finally, the course provides students with the ability to create simple scripts/programs to automate and perform simple operations.

The purpose of this course is an in-depth exploration of data security controls and techniques. This course will examine theoretical concepts of network security implementation. This course will examine network security tools and techniques and include hands-on practical applications. Networking has enabled the emergence of mobile and cloud computing, creating one of the most important technological paradigm shifts in computing of the past decade. Coming advancements in wireless networking are expected to transform the technological landscape over the next decade by enabling an endless possibility of new applications, including the Internet of Things and wireless virtual reality, through the emergence of wireless networks with gigabit speeds. In order to play a role in this era of new network-powered advancements, students must have a thorough understanding of emerging networking topics, especially in the wireless domain.

This course introduces a systematic approach to programming. Specifically, this course teaches students to use Python to solve real world problems. By the end of the course, students will be able to construct a program from a series of instructions in Python.

Students will learn throughout this course the overall market around the Internet of Things (IoT), the expansive quantity globally, the technology used to build these kinds of devices, how they communicate, how they store data, and the kinds of distributed systems needed to support them. Students will further understand and appreciate the role big data, cloud computing and data analytics in a typical IoT system. This course will also explore the basics of modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) and some of the representative applications of AI, as well as exposing students to the basic ideas, challenges, techniques, and problems in AI.

In this course students will apply the practices for effective reading and writing introduced in ENG 114 to the distinctive language and forms of various disciplines. This course lays the foundation for academic and professional research and stresses the use of appropriate and effective information sources. Readings for a variety of academic audiences will provide students with strategies to communicate in the sciences, business and technology, psychology, liberal studies, and the social sciences. Research and documentation skills appropriate to the disciplines are stressed. In addition to leading students through the research process from start to finish, this course will examine the many ramifications of academic honesty.

Prerequisite: ENG 114

Dr. Keevers holds a Doctorate in eLearning & Instructional Technology from Northcentral University, a master’s degree in information technology management, and post-graduate coursework in business management and information security. He is also certified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and holds a certification as a mobile forensics examiner.

Dr. Keevers’ research interests include eLearning, intrinsic motivational theory, and the Internet of Things (IoT). He is also an active member of InfraGard, a joint partnership run by the FBI and the private sector.

Choosing a major for your cybersecurity degree allows you to gain career-ready skills in a specific area of expertise. With these specialized skills, you can stand out to employers and qualify for specialist positions in the field.

While completing the Information Assurance major, you’ll learn to protect digital infrastructure and help organizations keep valuable information secure.

You’ll complete 120 credits, including 39 major-specific credits, to earn the BS in Cybersecurity: Information Assurance. For more information, visit the courses page.

The online BS in Cybersecurity is offered 100% online at this time. This allows you to study at the times and locations that are best for you throughout your entire program without ever coming to campus.

Requirements include a high school diploma, a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and official transcripts from your high school and, if applicable, all regionally accredited institutions you have attended. Learn more about our requirements on the program’s admissions page.

Yes, it is possible to change your major after enrollment. Depending on the transferability of courses, you may lose credits by doing so. Contact us for more information.

Graduates of this program have the computer science, programming, and incident response skills to succeed in roles like information security analyst and secure systems auditor. Learn more about your career options by visiting the careers page.