Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security and Defense

The certificate program in Cyber Security and Defense will prepare Computer Science professionals to identify, analyze, and mitigate technical cybersecurity related vulnerabilities, exploits and attacks against network and critical cyber infrastructure. The coursework emphasizes practical technical skills, analysis and research focused on current cybersecurity issues.

Certificate Objectives

With the advent of greater network, application, and infrastructure connectivity there are more advanced methods of cyber-attack. This certificate program focuses on both the technical and analytical aspects of advanced cyber security and defense.  Graduates of this certificate program will learn how to mitigate known cyber-related attacks against multiple network and infrastructure devices.  Graduates will also learn how to design secure solutions, analyze new cyber-attacks and provide solutions that balance risk, security, privacy, cost, and operations.  Each course in this certificate program provides project-based opportunities to extend technical skills in programming, network, operating system, infrastructure design and analysis as well as understanding prevention of cybersecurity breaches and incidents

Certificate Eligibility

A BS or equivalent in Computer Science is ideal. Applicants with BS degrees other than computer science will be individually evaluated for adequate knowledge in programming, algorithms, and system design and may be assigned additional courses to take as part of the certificate program to address deficiencies in background.

Students currently in BS-CS degree or in CS Scholars (Dual BS-MS) program at CU Denver need to have completed the undergraduate Operating Systems & Computer Networks and the recommendation of their academic advisor

Process to Attain Certificate Objectives

Student will need to complete a sequence of four separate graduate-level courses

• CSCI 5742 -3 credits - Cybersecurity Programming and Analysis
• CSCI 5743 -3 credits - Cyber and Infrastructure Defense

Two of the following: (depending on student background)

• CSCI 5573 -3 credits - Operating Systems
• CSCI 5765 - 3 credits - Computer Networks
• CSCI 5799 - 3 credits - Cloud Computing

Students must take and pass each course with a grade of B- or better and earn a GPA of at least 3.0 to obtain the Cyber Security and Defense Certificate.

Course Objectives

Cybersecurity Programming and Analysis

This course covers programming concepts related to the security of operating systems, applications, networks, and mobile devices.  This course will explore:

• Principles of network, database and operating system cybersecurity
• Use of multiple cybersecurity-related programming languages
• Building and extending existing scanning software
• Analysis and reporting of XML or JSON based cyber related data stores
• Analysis and reporting of cyber related NIST data stores
• Log analysis through programming and scripting
• Database programming and attack mitigation
• Analysis of intrusion prevention data
• Use of existing tool vs new tool creation analysis

Cyber Infrastructure and Defense

This course covers analysis and defense techniques for operational networks and critical infrastructure.  This course will explore:

• Design and use of cryptographic systems
• Network security firewalls and devices
• Intrusion detection systems
• Malware detection
• Distributed Denial of Service
• Infrastructure and Application attacks
• Emerging cybersecurity defense methods

Operating Systems

Students study the principles of computer operating systems and their essential components. Team projects expose students to a variety of system design issues as they relate to the functionality and performance of the system.

Computer Networks

An in-depth study of active research topics in computer networks

Cloud Computing 

This course studies fundamental designs and key technologies in Cloud Computing by reading technical articles, and conducting a semester group project.