Computer Science
Computer Science

Minor in Cybersecurity

Degree Structure

College

Computing and Informatics

Department

Computer Science

Level

Undergraduate

Study System

Courses

Total Credit Hours

18 Cr. Hrs.

Duration

Sophomore 3rd and 4th Years

Intake

Fall and Spring

Language

English

Study Mode

Full Time

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Important Dates

Undergraduate Admission Deadline

Undergraduate Admission Deadline

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Minor Overview

The proposed Minor in Cybersecurity at the University of Sharjah is an academic program designed to provide undergraduate students with a foundational understanding of cybersecurity principles and practices. It is intended to complement students' primary majors, offering a comprehensive set of skills that are critical in today's digital world. The minor is structured to accommodate students from various disciplines, aiming to enhance their knowledge and expertise in cybersecurity to meet the increasing demand for professionals in this field. 

Study Plan

What You Will Learn

The Minor in Cybersecurity will provide students with a foundational understanding of Cybersecurity principles, concepts, and best practices, covering areas such as network security, cryptography, risk management, and security policies. It equips students with practical skills to identify, assess, and mitigate Cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities, including hands-on experience with security tools and techniques, while also developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills specific to Cybersecurity, preparing students to address real-world security challenges and incidents.

University Requirements

College Requirements

Minor Requirements

A minimum CGPA grade of 2.5.

Third year student.

Programming Prerequisite:  basic programming course such as Programming 1, Programming for Engineers or equivalent.

Mathematics Prerequisite: Mathematics course such as Discrete Mathematics, Discrete Structures or Mathematics for Engineers.

 

Course Description

Minor in Cybersecurity – Mandatory Courses

1502170

 Introduction to Cybersecurity

Credit hour 3

Prerequisite:

None

Description: This course will introduce all aspects of cyber-security including business, policy and procedures, communications security, network security, security management, legal issues, political issues, technical issues, job and market prospects in cyber security. This serves as the introduction to the cyber security track in computer engineering department.

1502271

Introduction to Cryptography

Credit hour 3

Prerequisite:

1502170 – Intro. to Cybersecurity AND 1502111 -- Discrete Math for Engineers

Description: The course focuses on how to secure computer systems. More specifically, students learn how to design and deploy confidentiality services, integrity verification services and access control services to both computer and communication systems. Cryptographic hashing, symmetric and public key cryptosystems are covered in details. Mathematical principles underlying encryption and various codebreaking techniques are also covered. The course also covers the deployment of cryptographic products and protocols in digital systems and metrics to quantify their effectiveness in protecting the system.

1502475

Network Security and Protocols

Credit hour 3

Prerequisite:

1502346 – Comp. Comm. & Networks

AND (1502271 – Intro. to Cryptography OR 1502444 Computer and Network Security)

Description: The course discusses security attacks in computer networks and the vulnerability of networking protocols at the MAC, IP, transport, and application layers to these attacks. The course also discusses concepts and techniques for identifying, mitigating, and defending against security attacks in computer networks. The course includes programming-based implementation of security attacks as well as conducting them in virtualized network environments. The course also discusses IPSec, VPNs, DNS security, and Firewalls.

1502373

Information Security Management

Credit hour 3

Prerequisite:

1502170 - Introduction to Cybersecurity

Description: This course provides students with an insight into the fundamentals of managing modern information systems and their security operations. Topics include security policies and procedures, models and programs for designing and implementing security, risk management, access management and investigation, as well as legal and ethical implications of security management.

Minor in Cybersecurity – Elective Courses

1502270

Database Security

Credit hour 3

Prerequisite:

(1502111 – Discrete Math. For Eng. OR 1501279 Discrete Structures OR 1440262 Mathematics for Engineers)

Description: The course covers basic concepts of database management systems and known security threats on the data confidentiality and integrity. The topics include database models, SQL, mandatory and recommended access controls mechanisms, design of database with security in mind, protecting the integrity of data, protecting the security of database transactions, and database integrity rules. Topics on security of distributed databases and cloud databases will also be addressed.

1502371

Secure Software Design and Development

Credit hour 3

Prerequisite:

1502170 - Introduction to Cybersecurity

Description: This course covers the design and implementation of secure software. Some of the topics covered are the characteristics of secure software, the role of security in the development lifecycle, designing secure software, and best security programming practices. Security for web and mobile applications will be covered.

1502372

Introduction to Digital Forensics

Credit hour 3

Prerequisite:

1502170 - Introduction to Cybersecurity

Description: This course introduces digital forensics and cybercrime investigations. It covers the basic steps to conduct a digital forensic investigation, such as evidence gathering, preservation and analysis and presenting digital evidence to legal authorities. It also presents the tools used to find and analyze digital evidence on a variety of devices. Topics also cover laws and regulations in digital forensics.

1502471

Internet and Web Security

Credit hour 3

Prerequisite:

1502271 - Introduction to Cryptography

Description: The course provides an overview of the methodologies for developing secure web-based applications. More specifically, the course addresses various security vulnerabilities of web applications and how to protect web-based applications from cyber-attacks. Topics covered in this course includes: web application developments, basic network security mechanisms and tools, webservers and how to secure them, and securing e-commerce applications. Additionally, security issues related to web databases applications and collaborative Web applications, will be studied.

1502473

Ethical Hacking

Credit hour 3

Prerequisite:

1502170 - Introduction to Cybersecurity

Description: This course provides a basic understanding of penetration testing and ethical hacking techniques. In security testing, an ethical hacker with legal permissions attempts to penetrate a system or systems to find a weak link and then analyze ways to correct the security flaws. Students will learn some of the exploitation techniques and tools used for ethical hacking. The course also covers recommended solutions to correct these flaws and protect systems and networks from potential attacks.

 

Career Path

By taking the minor in Cybersecurity, students can explore numerous job opportunities in various sectors. Potential roles include Information Security Analyst, Network Security Engineer, Cybersecurity Consultant, Security Software Developer, Incident Response Specialist, Compliance and Risk Analyst, Ethical Hacker/Penetration Tester, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Forensic Computer Analyst, Cybersecurity Researcher, and Security Auditor. The program equips students with essential skills and knowledge to protect information systems and networks, aligning with industry trends and enhancing employability through relevant certifications like CISSP, CEH, and CompTIA Security.

How will you make an impact?

Every student’s journey at UoS and beyond is different, which is why our Career & Professional Development team provides personalized career resources to help students make an impact for years to come.

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