The reliance on digital information in the enterprise has increased the criticality of the computing infrastructure. The news of successful attacks on the infrastructure has increased the awareness security. As a result, there is an growing need to provide the knowledge for careers in security and information assurance. Our specialization includes courses that focus on Cyber Security and it guides you through courses in databases, networks, and systems that have been designed to treat the security concerns in each of these fundamental areas of computing. The result is knowledge to understand and defend against attacks in each of the fundamental areas of the infrastructure. This option requires practical experience gained through a practicum.
The goal of our academic activities in Information Assurance (IA) and Cyber Defense (CD) is to promote knowledge, research and careers in securing the nation's critical infrastructure. Our research and community outreach promote understanding the needs, threats, and defensive actions that can be used to protect technical infrastructure. Our degree specialization responds to the regional and national need to prepare a growing number of IA/CD professionals to reduce vulnerabilities in the nation’s infrastructure. At the third annual State of Wisconsin Cyber security Summit on the Marquette campus, there was a focus on power grids, information databases, communications networks, and utilities, but the underlying theme was expanding knowledge. Our specialization in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense is designed to establish the knowledge about cyber security planning and management and cyber issues and defenses for networks, databases, and computing infrastructure. The required courses for this specialization reflect this broad technical perspective. While studying theory and performing classroom exercises serve to provide foundational knowledge, practical experience reinforces understanding. Our program requires students to demonstrate their understanding through a practical, professional experience. Here are the requirements for this specialization:
SPECIALIZATION: Information Assurance and Cyber Defense
- MSCS 6050: Introduction to Cybersecurity
- MSCS 6060: Principles of Service Management and System Administration
- MSCS 5300 Networks and Internets
- An elective chosen from MSCS 6355 Mobile Computing, MSCS 5800 Principles of Database Systems, or MSCS 6380 Advanced Database Systems (3 semester hours)
- MSCS 6964 Practicum for Research and Development in Computing or MSCS 6998 Professional Project in Mathematics Statistics and Computer Science or MSCS 6965 Curriculum Integrated Practicum
Research Interests
- Network protocol design and analysis
- Network topology modeling
- Security of the Internet routing protocols
- Security of physical-cyber systems
- Security, privacy and trust for mobile and ubiquitous computing
- Ethics and Privacy
- Secure storage