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   TERM PAPER:   

After reading sections 9.20 through 9.41, the student will submit by the 13th week a term paper researching the topic on computer security explaining: virsus, worms, Trojan horse, spyware, and Cyber Security, using mainly the Internet to collect the information for the paper. While researching the community college project, the student will look into each college catalog or lists of courses to see if that college offers a cyber security course.

In the State of Florida, Valencia Community College and Seminole Community College created six cyber courses which were added to the common course numbering system. An 18 credit cyber certificate was also added. At HCC, two of the six courses were added in the Fall 2003: CIS 1354 Introduction to Network

Security and CIS 2355 Advanced Network Security. Add a section to the paper which ,in addition to the cyber courses taught in the community colleges, describe how technicians obtain certification in Cyber Security. The paper will be at least three pages, double spaced. Web sites must be included in a reference bibliography section written in APA style or the style displayed by the instructor. Reference pages 5.27-5.28 for the style. Go to: http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html and select electronic sources or: http://www.apastyle.org/elecsource.html . Please note there are at least five different kind of Internet resources explained on this web site.

Another purpose of this paper is to learn how to site Internet references in papers written for other courses. This paper must be submitted in either: hard copy or with the electronic file in Word format . The paper may be submitted as an attachment to an email. The student will earn 300 points for this task.

H
CC's new courses:   
CIS-1354: Introduction to Network Security 3 Credits
Basic computer and network security concepts and terminology are presented. Basic threats, intrusion techniques and vulnerabilities are presented with an Introduction to physical, technical and administrative security and intrusion countermeasures and their implementation. Credit for this course does NOT apply to the Associate in Arts degree.

CIS-2355 Advanced Internetworking Security 3 Credits
Advanced computer and network security concepts and terminology are presented with a focus toward internetworked environments. Intrusion threats, intrusion techniques and vulnerabilities are discussed as are countermeasures and the implementation. Development of comprehensive network security plans, response and recovery plans and disaster recovery plans are included. Issues in wireless technologies are also introduced. Credit for this course does NOT apply to the Associate in Arts degree. Prerequisite(s): CIS-1354

In the community college section of the term paper which describes what courses and programs are being added in community college curricula to teach cyber security of servers and how technicians obtain certification in Cyber Security, specifically use the above course prefix and number to see what results you obtain using a search engine. Visit Seminole Community and Valencia Community College web sites to describe the additional courses they have introduced into the state computer science curriculum. Check Pasco-Hernando, Manatee, St Pete, Polk, and HCC to see if any of these courses are available in the bay area. What cyber security certificates may be earned at these colleges and what certification may be obtained from COMPTIA. Which national organizations focus on cyber security. What is the NSF scholarship for service program. Read the press release:
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/pr0266.htm

The first major workshop that focused on cyber security for community colleges may be found at:
The Role of Community Colleges in Cybersecurity Education

Also the agenda has many links:
NSF Cyber Security Education Workshop Agenda

The conference also published papers by participants: Background Readings Two of the participants at the workshop published a paper on cyber security courses in community college. Before doing The Community College Project, please read and see if two years later their research should have been updated with newer information. As you find cyber programs at other community colleges beside the ones mentioned in the paper, you may want to use this information to contact the authors to satisfy the last objective of Search 4:
Cybersecurity Education in Community Colleges Across America

Thirty-six universities have been designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance under the program. NSA granted the designations following a rigorous review of university applications against published criteria based on training standards established by the National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security Committee (NSTISSC).The list may be found at:
http://www.nsa.gov/isso/programs/nietp/newspg1.htm#Universities
On the list is Florida State University (http://www.cs.fsu.edu/infosec/). Recently they were one of 19 awarded a grant for the scholarship for service. This will be the first program in the state. Can you find FSU's abstract at the NSF? If so, include it as a direct quote for your paper.

What is the difference between and hacker and a cracker? The hackers Hall of Fame may be found at: http://tlc.discovery.com/convergence/hackers/bio/bio.html

SECURITY TIPS

1. Use protection software "anti-virus software" and keep it up to date.
2. Don't open email from unknown sources.
3. Use hard-to-guess passwords.
4. Protect your computer from Internet intruders -- use "firewalls".
5. Don't share access to your computers with strangers. Learn about file sharing risks.
6. Disconnect from the Internet when not in use.
7. Back up your computer data.
8. Regularly download security protection update "patches".
9. Check your security on a regular basis. When you change your clocks for daylight-savings time, reevaluate your computer security.
10. Make sure your family members and/or your employees know what to do if your computer becomes infected.

1.
Use protection software "anti-virus software" and keep it up to date. Make sure you have anti-virus software on your computer! Anti-virus software is designed to protect you and your computer against known viruses so you don't have to worry. But with new viruses emerging daily, anti-virus programs need regular updates, like annual flu shots, to recognize these new viruses. Be sure to update your anti-virus software regularly! The more often you keep it updated, say once a week, the better. Check with the web site of your anti-virus software company to see some sample descriptions of viruses and to get regular updates for your software. Stop viruses in their tracks!


2.
Don't open email from unknown sources. A simple rule of thumb is that if you don't know the person who is sending you an email, be very careful about opening the email and any file attached to it. Should you receive a suspicious email, the best thing to do is to delete the entire message, including any attachment. Even if you do know the person sending you the email, you should exercise caution if the message is strange and unexpected, particularly if it contains unusual hyperlinks. Your friend may have accidentally sent you a virus. Such was the case with the "I Love You" virus that spread to millions of people in 2001. When in doubt, delete!

3.
Use hard-to-guess passwords. Passwords will only keep outsiders out if they are difficult to guess! Don't share your password, and don't use the same password in more than one place. If someone should happen to guess one of your passwords, you don't want them to be able to use it in other places. The golden rules of passwords are: (1) A password should have a minimum of 8 characters, be as meaningless as possible, and use uppercase letters, lowercase letters and numbers, e.g., xk28LP97. (2) Change passwords regularly, at least every 90 days. (3) Do not give out your password to anyone!

4.
Protect your computer from Internet intruders -- use "firewalls". Equip your computer with a firewall! Firewalls create a protective wall between your computer and the outside world. They come in two forms, software firewalls that run on your personal computer and hardware firewalls that protect a number of computers at the same time. They work by filtering out unauthorized or potentially dangerous types of data from the Internet, while still allowing other (good) data to reach your computer. Firewalls also ensure that unauthorized persons can't gain access to your computer while you're connected to the Internet. You can find firewall hardware and software at most computer stores nationwide. Don't let intruders in!

5.
Don't share access to your computers with strangers. Learn about file sharing risks. Your computer operating system may allow other computers on a network, including the Internet, to access the hard-drive of your computer in order to "share files". This ability to share files can be used to infect your computer with a virus or look at the files on your computer if you don't pay close attention. So, unless you really need this ability, make sure you turn off file-sharing. Check your operating system and your other program help files to learn how to disable file sharing. Don't share access to your computer with strangers!

6.
Disconnect from the Internet when not in use. Remember that the Digital Highway is a two-way road. You send and receive information on it. Disconnecting your computer from the Internet when you're not online lessens the chance that someone will be able to access your computer. And if you haven't kept your anti-virus software up-to-date, or don't have a firewall in place, someone could infect your computer or use it to harm someone else on the Internet. Be safe and disconnect!

7.
Back up your computer data. Experienced computer users know that there are two types of people: those who have already lost data and those who are going to experience the pain of losing data in the future. Back up small amounts of data on floppy disks and larger amounts on CDs. If you have access to a network, save copies of your data on another computer in the network. Most people make weekly backups of all their important data. And make sure you have your original software start-up disks handy and available in the event your computer system files get damaged. Be prepared!

8.
Regularly download security protection update "patches". Most major software companies today have to release updates and patches to their software every so often. Sometimes bugs are discovered in a program that may allow a malicious person to attack your computer. When these bugs are discovered, the software companies, or vendors, create patches that they post on their web sites. You need to be sure you download and install the patches! Check your software vendors' web sites on a regular basis for new security patches or use the new automated patching features that some companies offer. If you don't have the time to do the work yourself, download and install a utility program to do it for you. There are available software programs that can perform this task for you. Stay informed!

9.
Check your security on a regular basis. When you change your clocks for daylight-savings time, reevaluate your computer security. The programs and operating system on your computer have many valuable features that make your life easier, but can also leave you vulnerable to hackers and viruses. You should evaluate your computer security at least twice a year -- do it when you change the clocks for daylight-savings! Look at the settings on applications that you have on your computer. Your browser software, for example, typically has a security setting in its preferences area. Check what settings you have and make sure you have the security level appropriate for you. Set a high bar for yourself!

10.
Make sure your family members and/or your employees know what to do if your computer becomes infected. It's important that everyone who uses a computer be aware of proper security practices. People should know how to update virus protection software, how to download security patches from software vendors and how to create a proper password. Make sure they know these tips too!

Windows Tips: For Security Reasons, It Pays to Know Your File Extensions

Spot hazardous files by learning about extensions.
Scott Dunn
From the February 2004 issue of PC World magazine Posted Tuesday, December 23, 2003

Computer viruses sometimes masquerade as harmless e-mail attachments. The fastest way to spot the interlopers is by their file extension--the letters (usually three) following the final period in the file's name. This extension is an essential aspect of nearly every file on your computer; without it, Windows doesn't know whether to open the file in your word processor or another app, to launch it as a program, or to let other programs use it as a system resource. Knowing a file's extension can also help you customize your system and clean out the dross.

Unfortunately, Microsoft started hiding file extensions in Windows 95. To make sure your file extensions are visible:
1. open Windows Explorer or any folder window and choose View,
2. then Folder Options or Tools,
3. then Folder Options (depending on your version).
4. Click the View tab,
5. make sure the option to 'Hide extensions for known file types' is unchecked (the exact wording will vary depending on your version of Windows; see FIGURE 1), and
6. click OK! Now extensions will be visible for nearly every file on your desktop and in your Explorer and folder windows.


This term paper directions Page was last modified by John Taylor:
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