INFM 202-10 (1-Unit)
Information Security Overview
Fall Semester 2021 Syllabus

Dr. Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca
E-mail
Office: office location: Email, Zoom, and IM
Office Hours: Email, Zoom, and IM

Canvas Information: Courses will be available on August 9th, 6 AM PT unless you are taking an intensive or a one-unit or two-unit class that starts on a different day. In that case, the class will open on the first day that the class meets.

This one-unit course runs from August 9, 2021, through October 3, 2021. The class will be available on Canvas on August 9, 2021. Grades will be posted at the end of the semester.

You will be enrolled in the Canvas site automatically.

Course Description

Fundamentals of network security, compliance, and operational security; threats and vulnerabilities; application, data, and host security; access control and identity management; and cryptography. Students will be provided with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience using typical cybersecurity solutions.

Course Requirements

This one-unit course is an offering of SJSU’s School of Information, which offers all courses completely online. Home computing requirements are posted online for prospective students at Home Computing Environment. Students must meet those minimum requirements to participate in the activities for this course. 

Assignments

Formal assignments for this course are as follows:

• Labs (CLO#1-3) 

Students are to complete lab assignments.  Lab assignments provide students a real-life look at the use of various tools and systems that are used to mitigate network attacks.  Students must have access to Infosec to complete lab assignments. 

• Discussion Posts (CLO#1-2) 

Students will participate in the discussion board by providing ideas and/or opinions relating to assigned readings and lectures, and current events.  Discussion board participation cannot be made-up once the discussion has been completed. 

• Exam (CLO#1-2) 

Students will complete a comprehensive exam at the end of the semester.  

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Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

Graduate Standing or Instructor Consent. 

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Recognize and describe information security threats and vulnerabilities.
2. Understand and evaluate information systems security controls.
3. Use current techniques, skills, and tools necessary to protect and safeguard information resources.

SLOs and PLOs

This course supports Informatics SLO 5: Demonstrate understanding of the fundamentals of network security, compliance, and risk mitigation by evaluating and applying cybersecurity solutions to specific organizational security problems.

SLO 5 supports the following Informatics Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):

• PLO 1 Apply technology informatics skills to solve specific industry data and information management problems, with a focus on usability and designing for users.
• PLO 3 Demonstrate strong understanding of security and ethics issues related to informatics, user interface, and inter-professional application of informatics in specific fields by designing and implementing appropriate information assurance and ethics and privacy solutions.

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Textbooks

Recommended Textbooks:

• Ciampa, M. (2022). CompTIA security+ guide to network security fundamentals (7th ed.). Cengage. Available through Amazon: 0357424379

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Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

• C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
• B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA);
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, BS-ISDA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation. You must repeat the class if you wish to stay in the program. If - on the second attempt - you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  
• A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

Per University Policy S16-9, university-wide policy information relevant to all courses, such as academic integrity, accommodations, etc. will be available on Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs' Syllabus Information web page at: https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/syllabus-info.php. Make sure to visit this page, review and be familiar with these university policies and resources.

In order to request an accommodation in a class please contact the Accessible Education Center and register via the MyAEC portal.

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