CYBR 495-001 Seminar in Cybersecurity - Competitive Cybersecurity Defense

Schedule (*all times are ET)

Course Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

1. Describe key aspects of secure management of an enterprise network, including managing user accounts; hardening workstations, servers, and applications; and monitoring network assets for indicators of compromise (IoC).
2. Develop plans for identifying network assets, analyzing the current security posture of those assets, mitigating vulnerabilities, and defending assets from malicious attack.
3. Work as part of a team to execute assigned responsibilities to implement cybersecurity best practices related to user management, network asset hardening, and network device defense.
4. Participate in at least one cybersecurity competition during the semester.
5. Properly use the Vocabulary associated with cybersecurity.

Policy Information

Academic Honor Code

As a student at The University of North Carolina Wilmington, I am committed to honesty and truthfulness in academic inquiry and in the pursuit of knowledge. I pledge to uphold and promote the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is a community of high academic standards where academic integrity is valued. UNCW students are committed to honesty and truthfulness in academic inquiry and in the pursuit of knowledge. This commitment begins when new students matriculate at UNCW, continues as they create work of the highest quality while part of the university community, and endures as a core value throughout their lives.

Please read and be familiar with the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code. I have highlighted some parts that are particularly relevant to courses I teach here.

Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated in this class.

Time Commitment

It is a matter of UNC system policy that you should expect to be committed for an average of 8.5 hours per week (hpw) to this class (or any 3-credit hour class).

A credit hour is defined as one 50-minute meeting of face-to-face instruction per week for 15 weeks, plus a minimum of 2 hours per week for 15 weeks of out-of-class student work.

• 1 credit = 50 min * 15 = 750 min instruction + 120 min * 15 = 1800 min student work; so, 12.5 hours of instruction + 30 hours of work = 42.5 hours
• 3 credits = 37.5 hours of instruction + 90 hours of work = 127.5 hours
• For distance education, an equivalent amount of work is required (though it may be blended differently, e.g. much less face-to-face instruction).
• **127.5 hours/15 weeks = 8.5 hours/week (hpw)

You should be mentally prepared to spend ~8.5 hpw on this class.

Grading

Grading Scale (+/- at instructor discretion)

A: (avg >= 90)
B: (90 > avg) and (avg >= 80)
C: (80 > avg) and (avg >= 70)
D: (70 > avg) and (avg >= 60)

Coursework Weighting

30% Discussions
30% Tests
10% Videos
10% Papers
20% Final

Late Policy

Discussions will close on the due date and will not generally be re-opened.
Exception: Unexpected life event that derails a reasonable plan to accomplish a discussion by the due time/date; e.g. car accident, illness, family death, etc. Email me if/when this occurs and I will be reasonable.

Extra Credit

Beyond attendance (see below), there is no specified extra credit in this class. I may, on occasion, subjectively award extra credit for assignment solutions that demonstrate meaningful, functional effort beyond the norm.

Attendance

I will offer opportunities to meet both in class and on Zoom. If you think it is to your benefit to attend, please do so. Otherwise, you will not be penalized for non-attendance.

For those who choose to attend and contribute to the class discussion, you will be awarded extra credit up to a maximum of 4 points (4%) on your final grade.

Communication

The best way to contact me is via email. When writing me email, please, indicate your class. Also, be clear/concise: start with your question and then provide supporting details. You do not need to tell me how hard you have been working or how confused you are. Example
If you post questions in the assignment comment section in Canvas, I will likely not see it - do not do that.

Technical Assistance

There are no special technical requirements for CYBR 201. If you have trouble with any UNCW-related infrastructure (e.g., Zoom, OneDrive, Horizon, VPN), you should contact TAC/ITS as they are the managers of these systems.

Student Illness

Students are to do a health check each day before coming to campus. Students who experience COVID-19 symptoms should immediately contact the Abrons Student Health Center at (910) 962-3280. If a student becomes ill, s/he should let the professor know and must not attend the course in-person. If a student is too ill to attend virtually, they will be given the opportunity to complete the material asynchronously.

Disaster Contingency Plan

In the event that UNCW closes, students will be given an assignment to make up for 1 week of missed class time. This will be emailed to students within two days of the UNCW closing announcement. In the event that the rest of the semester is online, students need to be prepared by having reliable internet access, a webcam, and a microphone.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability and need accommodations, you must be registered with Disability Services (DePaolo Hall, 910.962.7555). Please provide your Accommodations Letter within the first week of class or as soon as possible. You should then meet with your instructor to make mutually agreed upon arrangements based upon the recommendations in the Accommodations Letter. For additional information, please see UNCW Disability.

Title IX

UNCW takes all forms of interpersonal violence very seriously. When students disclose, first- or third-hand, to faculty or staff about sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking, this information must be reported to the administration in order to ensure that students' rights are protected, appropriate resources are offered, and the need for further investigation is explored to maintain campus safety. There are three confidential resources who do not need to report interpersonal violence: UNCW CARE, the Student Health Center, and the Counseling Center. If you want to speak to someone in confidence, these resources are available, including CARE's 24-hour crisis line (910-512-4821). For more information, please visit www.uncw.edu/care

Code of Student Conduct

This course is subject to the Code of Student Life of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (the Code). The full Code is found here Code of Student Life. UNCW practices zero tolerance for violence and harassment of any kind. For emergencies, contact UNCW CARE at 910.962.2273 or Campus Police at 910.962.3184. For University or community resources visit Safe Relate Campus Resources.

Religious Observance Policy

In accordance with NC SL 2010-211, students are entitled to two excused absences for religious observances per academic year. These absences must be requested using the form provided on SeaNet, under "Student Services." These requests must be submitted by the student prior to the absence. Once the request is submitted, an email will be sent to all impacted instructors automatically. There is no need to send additional notification to instructors or the Registrar's Office. Any absence for religious purposes will be considered unexcused unless the appropriate form is submitted.

Seahawk Respect Compact

In the pursuit of excellence, UNC Wilmington actively fosters, encourages, and promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open-mindedness among students, faculty, staff and the broader community.

• We affirm the dignity of all persons.
• We promote the right of every person to participate in the free exchange of thoughts and opinions within a climate of civility and mutual respect.
• We strive for openness and mutual understanding to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions.
• We foster an environment of respect for each individual, even where differences exist, by eliminating prejudice and discrimination through education and interaction with others.

Therefore, we expect members of the campus community to honor these principles as fundamental to our ongoing efforts to increase access to and inclusion in a community that nurtures learning and growth for all.