| Instructor | Ben Weintraub (pronounced WINE-trowb) |
| Room | Mendoza 331D |
| Time (Section 1) | MW 9:30-10:45am |
| Time (Section 2) | MW 11:00-12:15pm |
| Office Hours | MW 4:00-5:00pm, 240 Flanner Hall |
| Grades and Assignments | Canvas |
Cybersecurity is at the heart of protecting modern organizations, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical information and systems. In this course, students will build an understanding of the principles, processes, and practices that underlie effective security programs. We will examine the roles of risk management, access control, network and system defense, incident response, and continuity planning, while also considering the human, organizational, and strategic dimensions of security. Through a combination of analytical frameworks, applied exercises, and discussions, students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to assess vulnerabilities, design security controls, and support resilient operations in diverse environments.
ISC2 CC Certified in Cybersecurity Study Guide, Mike Chapple, ISBN 978-1394213832
HBS Course Pack. We will be using a set of case studies throughout the semester. You will need the HBS CoursePack for this course, which you may purchase directly from Harvard Business School Publishing.
Amazon Web Services account. You will be able to access this through Canvas. Your account will include $75 of credit through a grant supported by the Accenture Endowment for Excellence in Business Technology. If you follow the instructions in labs and course exercises, this should be more than sufficient to complete the course successfully. Please do not use this AWS account for anything other than class activities or you may deplete the account credit and be unable to finish the lab exercises.
Video Lectures. Professor Mike Chapple has recorded video lectures covering all of the factual material in this course. You are expected to watch those videos prior to each module and will be assessed on that content. The use of these video lectures will free up our class time for discussion and hands-on activities.
Ghost in the Wires, Kevin Mitnick, ISBN 978-0316037723.
This class is conducted in accordance with the University’s Academic Code of Honor. I have a zero-tolerance policy for violations of this policy. To quote from du Lac, “At a minimum, a student found responsible for an Honor Code violation usually fails the assignment in question. A more serious offense may result in failure of an entire course, or suspension or dismissal from the university.”
My expectation for this course is that you will collaborate with other students during our in-class hands-on exercises. I expect that you will complete your lab reports, exams, quizzes, and other assignments on your own. You may discuss general strategies for solving problems with other students, but the assignment you turn in should be entirely your own work.
Exams and quizzes are to be taken in a closed-book manner, with no access to external resources or collaboration of any kind.
We run a student-centered class which consists largely of writing, discussion, and in-class activities of one kind or another. We expect everyone to participate in these activities, including our class discussions. These different forms of engagement reflect our conviction that everyone’s unique perspectives and ideas are valuable, and might bring to the conversation something nobody else has considered (including your instructors). If classroom participation represents a problem for you for some reason, reach out to us in person or online and we’ll find a way to get you involved.
Grades for the course will be determined using the following weightings:
| Final Exam | 40% |
| Labs | 25% |
| Quizzes | 15% |
| Case Studies | 10% |
| Participation | 10% |
The final exam will take place in class on October 12th.
I generally use the following grade scale: [0-59.9] F, [60-69.9] D, [70-72.9] C-, [73-76.9] C, [77-79.9] C+, [80-82.9] B-, [83-86.9] B, [87-89.9] B+, [90-92.9] A-, [93+] A.
However, it is important to note that the IT, Analytics and Operations department follows a grading policy for undergraduate courses that the overall GPA for a course must fall into the range of 3.0-3.6. After computing final grades according to my standard formula, I will compute the overall GPA for the class. If the overall GPA falls outside the required range, I will adjust the grading scale accordingly.
The last day to drop is prior to the 9th class meeting.
Be careful to follow the specific instructions for the content, formatting, and submission of each assignment.
You are expected to turn assignments in on time. All assignments are due by 9AM on the indicated date. Assignments turned in after the deadline but on the same day that they were due will be assessed a 25% penalty. Assignments turned in within one week of the due date/time will be assessed a 50% penalty. No assignments will be accepted more than one week after the deadline. Late submissions are not accepted after the last day of class, regardless of the original due date. Exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances. If you think this pertains to you, email me directly.
Some class sessions (noted on the syllabus) will begin with a short quiz on content covered in the asynchronous material. This quiz will be given in Canvas and will assess high-level understanding of the material.
The community we form as a class—which we view as one of the most valuable aspects of your Notre Dame education—depends upon all of us being present here with one another as regularly as possible. Participating in our discussions, completing in-class writing assignments, or engaging in small group activities are the best (and easiest) way for you to be successful in the course. We encourage you to make every effort to attend each class; let your instructors know when you have to miss for some reason.
Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) may not be used for any part of this course. Using AI to generate ideas, outlines, code, or prose is considered unauthorized assistance under the ND Honor Code. This includes grammar aides like Grammerly. Ask if you are unsure—clarity is part of learning.
Thank you to Mike Chapple from whom much of this content is derived.