Refer to Discussion Forum, Facilitator Introduction and Expectations
MSIA675 - Offensive Cyber Security
Exposes students to the different hands-on tactics used by offensive cyber security professionals. Topics include reconnaissance, high-jacking, cracking, vulnerability exploitation, and malware deployment.
This course has a prerequisiste of MSIA605 Advancing to Cyber Security. You need successfully completed the pre-requisite course before joining this class. The only exception is given to those who are experienced IT professionals and have knowledge and skills of OS, Networking, VM, VPN, and basic Unix command line command. Take your own risk to the class or contact your academic adviser to verify your qualification, please.
Upon completion of this course, learners should be able to:
Although this is an introductory course, it is a Masters level course, and up to 20 hours of course work per week is expected to receive a successful passing grade.
Basta, A., Basta, N., & Brown, M. (2014). Computer security and penetration testing.
All written assignments must be written using the American Psychological Association (APA) style and format, which includes a title page, executive summary, and referencepage.
Online Format: Sign on to WorldClass (D2L) and become familiar with the course navigation. Complete the readings listed in the Course Assignments and Activities table below.
Classroom-based Format: Complete the readings listed in the Course Assignments and Activities table below. Instructor will make assignments.
Classroom-based Format: This assignment is due the first night of class.
Online Format: The instructor will specify the due dates for all assignments.
| Week | Readings | Graded Assignments or Assessments (Percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| 1: Ethics, Reconnaissance and Scanning | Chapters 1-3: Ethics of Hacking and Cracking; Resonances; Scanning Tools |
Activity 1: Introductions Activity 2: Discussion–Reconnaissance Activity 3: Lab – Q & A Discussion Activity 4: Begin Paper - Ethics of Hacking and Cracking (Due Week 2) Activity 5: Knowledge Checks Activity 6: Lab – Scanning Tools |
| 2: Cracking, Spoofing and Hijacking | Chapters 6-8: Encryption and Password Cracking; Spoofing, Session Hijacking |
Activity 1: Discussion – Spoofing and Hijacking Activity 2: Lab – Q & A Discussion Activity 3: Due Paper - Ethics of Hacking and Cracking (Due Week 2) Activity 4: Knowledge Checks Activity 5: Lab – Password Cracking |
| 3: TCP Vulnerabilities and Network Devices | Chapters 5 & 9: TCP/IP Vulnerabilities; Hacking Network Devices |
Activity 1: Discussion – TCP/IP Vulnerabilities Activity 2: Lab – Q & A Discussion Activity 3: Knowledge Checks Activity 4: Lab – Hacking Network Devices |
| 4: Trojan Horses and Denial-of-Service Attacks | Chapters 10-11: Trojan Horses; Denial-of-Service Attacks |
Activity 1: Discussion – Trojan horse Activity 2: Lab – Q & A Discussion Activity 3: Knowledge Checks Activity 4: Lab – Denial-of-Service Attack |
| 5: Buffer Overflows and Programming Exploits | Chapters 11 & 12: Buffer Overflows & Programming Exploits |
Activity 1: Discussion – Buffer Overflows Activity 2: Lab – Q & A Discussion Activity 3: Knowledge Checks Activity 4: Lab – Programming Exploits |
| 6: Mail and Windows Vulnerabilities | Chapters 14 & 16: Mail Vulnerabilities & Windows Vulnerabilities |
Activity 1: Discussion – Mail Vulnerabilities Activity 2: Lab – Q & A Discussion Activity 3: Knowledge Checks Activity 4: Lab – Windows Vulnerabilities |
| 7: Linux and Web Application Vulnerabilities | Chapters 15 & 17: Linux Vulnerabilities & Web Application Vulnerabilities |
Activity 1: Discussion – Linux Vulnerabilities Activity 2: Lab – Q & A Discussion Activity 3: Knowledge Checks Activity 4: Lab – Web Application Vulnerabilities |
| 8: Incident Handling | Chapter 18 Incident Handling |
Activity 1: Capstone – Q & A Discussion Activity 2: Capstone Project |
| TOTAL: |
| Assignments | Weighted Percentage |
|---|---|
| Discussions/Knowledge Checks (8) | 15% |
| Labs (7) | 60% |
| Paper – due Week 2 | 10% |
| Capstone Project | 15% |
| TOTAL | 100 % |
Review the CCIS Policies on the Regis University website.
NOTE TO LEARNERS: On occasion, the course facilitator may, at his or her discretion, alter the Learning Activities shown in this Syllabus. The alteration of Learning Activities may not, in any way, change the Learner Outcomes or the grading scale for this course as contained in this syllabus. Examples of circumstances that could justify alterations in Learning Activities could include number of learners in the course; compelling current events; special facilitator experience or expertise; or unanticipated disruptions to class session schedule.