Syllabus: WBIT 4520 Information Assurance and Security - Fall 2010 - Bhagyavati
Class Cancellation PolicyWhile class cancellation does not apply to an asynchronous online course, should instructional delays occur due to server or connection problems or other unforeseen circumstances, we will endeavor to remain on schedule. Such remedies may include adjustments to due dates of assignments and online discussions, etc.
Attendance/Participation
All students enrolled in the WebBSIT Program must verify their enrollment via Vista. Enrollment verification information is provided to the Financial Aid Office of your home institution. To verify your enrollment you must log-in to each of your Vista courses by 5:00 PM on the first day of course instruction. Consistent participation is required. Activities include, e-mail correspondence, discussion threads and study groups, assignment submissions, etc.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal policy varies by institution. In general, students who stop attending class without a submission of the necessary withdrawal paperwork will receive an automatic grade of ‘F’. Students who withdraw after the mid-point of the course will receive an automatic grade of ‘WF’. Withdrawal policy and procedures are published in the Academic Catalog of your consortium institution.
No-Show
Students must log into their Vista courses by 5 pm of the class start day (see Academic Calendar) to confirm their attendance. Remember, you are taking an online course, so participation is the only way the instructor can "see" you. If you fail to log into your courses by 5 pm of the start day of classes, or fail to complete course activities within a 2-week period at any time during the semester, the instructor will consider your lack of activity as an indication of your intention not to continue in the course. At this point, the instructor may choose to remove you from group activities.
Failure to participate without officially withdrawing from the course will result in a grade of F. The special circumstances of taking a WebBSIT course demand regular and consistent participation. Pace yourself and make sure that your responses to communications and assignments are timely. If you are not able to participate in any assigned class activities, contact your instructor immediately. A registered student, who has failed to attend class (in person or electronically) by the final payment deadline for the term, is considered a “no show.” No show students will be administratively withdrawn and not be reinstated, and are obligated to pay registration fees in effect at the end of drop-add period although they did not attend any classes.
Technology Requirements
Computers located in on-campus labs or libraries cannot be used as the primary computer resource for taking online classes. You will need the reasonably small suite of hardware and software listed below.
Required Hardware / (1) Computer: A personal computer with Windows XP or higher, or a MacIntosh with OS X.
(2) Sound: A sound card with speakers or headphones.
(3) Monitor: A VGA (or equivalent) or better monitor.
Strongly Recommended Hardware / (1) Printer connected to the computer
(2) CD-ROM drive
(3) Microphone or headset
Internet Connectivity / For a dial-up connection, at least a 56k modem is recommended. Slower dial-up connections will affect course performance. High speed Internet connectivity (cable or DSL) is strongly recommended.
Required Software / (1) Microsoft Office 2003 or beyond, including: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
(2) Other software as required to test port scanning, wireless security, etc. as needed
(3) Web Browser: A JavaScript enabled Web browser. These include Netscape 7.1, Internet Explorer 6.0 or newer versions of either. (Note: Internet Service Providers with proprietary browsers such as Prodigy or some versions of AOL may have difficulty with JavaScript-based activities. Contact your Internet Service Provider to determine if the browser will work with JavaScript.)
(4) Virus protection software
(5) Flash Player: Animations (Tutorials) used in this course may require the installation of the cross-platform Flash Player. Download the latest version of Flash Player at
Academic Honesty
Unless otherwise indicated, all assignments and discussions are individual assessments. Evidence of collaboration between students on these tasks will be treated as cheating. Note that representing the work of another as your own is also considered cheating. The usual penalty for cheating is an 'F' in the course. Any student guilty of a dishonest academic activity such as (but not limited to) copying sections from another student's paper or plagiarizing from another source such as a website will receive an F in this course. For further information on Academic Dishonesty review that section of Academic Catalog of your consortium institution.
Assessment Policies/ Overview of Grading/ Grading Scale
Your course grade will be calculated as follows:
40% Discussion Participation in 5 unit discussions
40% Individual Assignments in 5 units
20% Individual Project (Deliverable is a cohesive term paper)
This course does not have examinations. All assignments and term paper will receive numerical grades. In order of significance, the most important factors determining your assignment grade are (1) completeness, (2) correctness, (3) organization, and (4) readability.
Completeness / If your writing is a collection of answers, then completeness is a measure of the total number of questions that you have successfully covered. A question is considered to be covered if the underlying answer looks reasonable and it explains your thought in a non-trivial fashion (i.e., simply quoting text from somewhere as an answer is considered trivial). You should try your best to write in your own words and provide credit for sources, quotes and citations.
Correctness / Correctness becomes a grading issue only for problems that are completely answered or covered. A correct answer addresses the question according to well-defined arguments and knowledge from assigned reading materials. Specifically, if you have got a question mostly completed, you will get credit for answering it, but points will be taken off for errors or ill-conceived arguments. If you don't have a question mostly covered, you will not get credit for it. Grading policies are designed to be fair both to the person being graded and to the class as a whole.
Organizational and writing style / Finally, quality of organization and quality of your writing will be assessed subjectively. There are two aspects of these qualities that can affect your grade: (a) If there are statements in your writing that significantly and noticeably affect readability, they are considered to be significant; and (b) If there are errors that make it difficult for me to understand your writing, this results in a drastic increase in the amount of time required to review your assignment, these issues are considered to be significant. The word “significant” here means “adversely affects your grade.”
Assignments and group paper may not be revised after the due date. The grade you get is the grade you earn. There is NO do-over in the college-level study.
Assessment Deadline Policies (Late Work)
No late work policy / Don't procrastinate! No late assignments, discussion postings or group projects/papers will be accepted. It is my strict policy not to accept late submissions. I know that events and situations in life can happen without notice, so I am generous with partial credits. Submit partial assignments for partial credit by the deadlines.
Proctored Exams
This course has no examinations, proctored or otherwise.
Important Dates
Please see for important WebBSIT dates.
VISTA 8 Maintenance Schedule
Link to the University System of GeorgiaVista Maintenance Schedule
Section Information: Fall 2010 - Bhagyavati
Course Name / WBIT 4520 Information Assurance and Security
Course Description
This course is an introduction to information security in computing. Topics include computer, network (distributed) system and cyber security; digital assets protection; data backup and disaster recovery; encryption, cryptography, computer virus, firewalls, terrorism and cyber crimes; legal, ethical and professional issues; risk management; and information security design, implementation and maintenance.
Prerequisites and co-requisites
Prerequisite / Architecture and Operating Systems, WBIT 3500
Pre- or Co-requisite / Data Communication and Networking, WBIT 3510
Course Objectives/Outcomes/Goals
Access control systems and methodology / Enable students to understand the techniques and technologies used to control what can be accessed, access security models, access control administration, data ownership and attack methods.
Telecommunications and network security / The student will learn networking structures, devices, protocols and remote access administration for external, internal, public, and private communications systems.
Security management practices / Inform the student about identification of company assets, the proper way to determine the necessary level of protection required, and what type of budget to develop for security implementations with the goal of reducing threats and monetary loss.
Application and systems development security / Examines the security components within operating systems and applications and how to best develop and measure their effectiveness. The student will understand software life cycles, change control, application security, malicious code, data warehousing, development practices and their risks, and system storage and processing components.
Cryptography / Includes the methods and techniques for disguising data for protection purposes. The student will understand the techniques, approaches and technologies available for encrypting data and information.
Security architecture and models / Examine the concepts, principles and standards for designing and implementing secure applications, operating systems, and systems. It also includes international security measurement standards and their meaning for different types of platforms.
Operational security / Implies control over personnel, hardware, systems, and auditing and monitoring techniques. The student will understand the importance of operations security and the possible abuse channels and how to recognize and address them.
Business continuity and disaster recovery planning / Are key components in information security. The preservation of business activities, identification of real risks, risk assessment, and countermeasure implementations are all components of business continuity planning.
Ethics, law, and investigation / Includes computer crimes, forensics, laws, and regulations to explore investigation techniques, evidence gathering, and incident handling programs.
Physical security / Involves threats, risks and countermeasures to protect facilities, hardware, data, media and personnel. Included are topics on facility selection, authorized entry methods, and environmental and safety regulations.
Textbook Information
Title / Principles of Information Security
Author / Michael Whitman, Herbert Mattord
Publisher / Course Technology Cengage Learning
Edition/Year / 3rd edition 2009
ISBN / 1-4239-0177-0
Type / Required resource
Instructor Information
Name: Bhagyavati (Dr. B for short)
Email: from within Vista interface (preferred) or (if Vista email is not working)
Instructor Contact Policy
Email is the official tool for contacting me. The email policies for this class are as follows:
(1) Students are required to use their Vista email account for all communications.
(2) Students are expected to check their email accounts on a daily basis.
(3) I will respond to your emails within 36 hours of receipt EXCEPT on holidays and weekends.
(4) Follow-up to unanswered email is welcomed, as there are instances in which messages may get “lost.”
For assignment questions and other sensitive questions, please use email. For generic questions, use the discussion boards. If you need my prompt feedback, please use Vista email. I can also be reached at if Vista email is not working due to rare and unexpected technical glitches.
Policy on Changes to the Syllabus
I reserve the right to change the syllabus and class schedule, including assignments and tests, with prior notice given to the class.
Section Instructor: . Bhagyavati
E-mail /