Course Information
Class Format: In-Class meetings
Meetings: Tuesdays & Thursdays: Section 002: 3:30 PM – 4:50 PM
Location: Alter Hall, Room 607
Course Objective
This course is a broad introduction to the managerial issues of information security. Because security is multifaceted, the topics of the class range widely, including technical (e.g., cryptography), managerial (e.g., policy compliance), physical (e.g., door locks), and psychological (e.g., social engineering) issues. A key objective of the class is to develop a security mindset, in which one learns to think like an attacker for ways to exploit a system.
Course Learning Goals
Develop a security mindset
- Learn to think like a security professional—how to identify threats like an attacker, and how to model and mitigate those threats.
Gain a working knowledge of methods to protect data
- Gain a working knowledge of modern methods of protecting data: encryption, hashing, confidentiality, authentication, integrity, non-repudiation, certificates, and IP security.
Learn methods of attack and defense
- Learn methods of attacking systems and how to protect against those methods of attacks.
Appreciate the broad disciplines required for IS security
- Appreciate the broad disciplines required for information security to work. We’ll cover subjects as comprehensive as cryptology, physical security, psychology, and management.
Communicate security risks and controls effectively
- A substantial portion of the course will be devoted to practicing capable, proficient written and verbal communication of cybersecurity risks, threats, mitigations, and responses to relevant stakeholders for their decision making.
University-Designated Writing-Intensive (W) Course
This is a University-designated writing-intensive course, and by passing this course, students will fulfill the University requirement that “All undergraduate students must complete at least two writing-intensive courses for a total of at least six credits” (https://bulletin.temple.edu/undergraduate/academic-programs/writing-intensive-courses/).
As such, this course requires a substantial amount of writing for individual assignments throughout the semester. There is no group project in this class; all deliverables are individual assignments. There will be no mid-term and final exams.
Writing-Related Goals
- Students will learn how to write about highly technical cybersecurity topics for a non-technical audience.
- Students will learn how to explain business implications of cybersecurity risks, threats, mitigations, and responses.
- Students will learn how to organize their writing for impact and actions.
- Students will learn how to produce an executive summary in a concise manner for executive clients/superiors.
Information Literacy Goals
- Students will learn how to discover relevant information on cybersecurity risks, vulnerabilities, and mitigations from credible, reliable, and authoritative sources in a self-directed manner.
- Students will learn how to deploy these information resources effectively in their project reports to advise on cybersecurity risks, vulnerabilities, and mitigations.
- Students will develop the following information literacy skills with in-class instructions and activities:
- How to identify credible and authoritative sources for cybersecurity matters
- How to discover relevant information resources
- How to incorporate the information in their writing assignments