Catalog Program Preview

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCES DEGREE

2012 - 2013

INFORMATION ASSURANCE AND CYBERSECURITY

Award: Associate of Applied Sciences Degree

No. of credits required:

67-68

For more information: Contact Prof. Sabum Anyangwe, 443-412-2466, sanyangw@harford.edu; or Advising, Career, and Transfer Services, 443-412-2301.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This degree program prepares students to enter the high-demand field of information technology security. With the increase of viruses and other security breeches, companies need professionals who can protect their data and equipment from internal and external security threats. Students in this program gain hands-on experience with the latest hardware and software and learn to implement appropriate security policies and procedures. Students planning to transfer should select electives according to the requirements of the receiving institution.

PROGRAM GOALS
Upon successful completion of this program of study students will be able to:

Apply software patches to operating systems and applications
Assess a computer system's security vulnerabilities using appropriate resources
Use standard software tools to detect attempted security breaches of computer systems
Implement computer network security defenses
Sit for CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Administrator) certificate examinations if desired

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, computer security specialists plan, coordinate, and maintain an organization’s information security. These workers educate users about computer security, install security software, monitor networks for security breaches, respond to cyber attacks, and, in some cases, gather data and evidence to be used in prosecuting cyber crime. The responsibilities of computer security specialists have increased in recent years as cyber attacks have become more sophisticated. Employment is expected to grow much faster than the average, and job prospects should be excellent. Overall employment may increase by as much as 50% from 2008 to 2018. Growth will also be driven by the increasing need for information security. As cyber attacks become more sophisticated, demand will increase for workers with security skills.

Note: The following codes identify courses which satisfy the General Education Degree Requirements: