Villanova's Cybersecurity Graduate Certificates cover the major security areas related to our interdependent network of information technology infrastructures, which includes the Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded processors and controllers in critical industries.
Updated 10/20/2023
Requirements
Five courses, including at least three security courses. The security courses can be selected from the core, systems, policy, and/or operations specialization areas, and must include at least one of the core courses.
Theory and practice of computer communications security, including cryptography, authentication, and secure electronic mail. Topics include secret and public key cryptography; message digests; password-based, address- based, and cryptographic authentication; privacy and authentication in email; PEM, PGP, and S/MIME. Use of various algorithms.
Malware and cyber threats: computer network defense; software for Data Protection and Privacy, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC); trusted computer systems and secure applications; identy and access management including biometrics; next generation security concepts.
Credit Hours:
3
Last Offered:
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Hardware security topics including embedded systems security hardware Trojans, security in implantable medical devices, security in RFID/NFC, protection from side channel attacks, tamper resistance and crypto processor design, trusted FPGA design/JTAG, hardware-based cryptanalysis.
This course examines common low-level software vulnerabilities that take advantage of current system architectures. Mitigation strategies at the software level and the system level will be discussed and analyzed
Basic foundation of the post-quantum crypotographic engineering and recent advances in the field; introduces design and implementation techniques for the arithmetic unit and overall post-quantum cryptography on both hardware and software platforms, and side-channel attack skills.
Security risks of critical infrastructure systems such as electrical, pipelines, water, and transportation. Design and setup of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) systems. Security challenges and defense-in-depth methodology. Hands-on lab experiments.
Security requirements and design principles for secure software development. Security issues in current applications, database systems and web systems. Identifying vulnerabilities, their impact, and solutions to securing them.
Prerequisites:
ECE 8484
Credit Hours:
3
Last Offered:
Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021
Legal rights and liabilities associated with computer security, information privacy; Rights enforceable by private parties; Liabilities associated by private parties and governments; Legal aspects of records management; Un-authorized computer use; Computer Fraud and Abuse Act; Trade Secrets; Economic Espionage Act; Civil Law Claims; Privacy; Export Control; Constitutional Rights; USA-PATRIOT Act; HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley; Digital Rights Management.
Quantifying security in an unambiguous way using the Trusted System Evaluation Criteria. "Hacking" a system, developing and implementing countermeasures and threat removal, techniques for Access control, confidentiality, etc. Secure the network, web, enterprise and database, the Cloud and the Semantic Web.
Provides a technical analysis of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and application areas. Learn the process of mining and signing blocks using Proof of Work and Proof of Stake. Analyze problems best suited for public and and permissioned blockchains for distributed applications.
Credit Hours:
3
Last Offered:
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2021
CRSE Attributes:
NONE
Electives In addition to the following courses, any of the core and specialization area courses may be used as electives.
Computer components, subsystems, and their interaction. Instruction sets, central processing units, microprogramming, intersystem communications, interrupts, DMA, memory hierarchy, and operating system demands on hardware. Prerequisite: Undergraduate background in digital systems (equivalent to ECE 2042).
Credit Hours:
3
Last Offered:
Spring 2025, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021
Topics include: concepts in nomadic computing and mobility; challenges in design and deployment of wireless and ad hoc networks; MAC issues, routing protocols and mobility management for ad hoc networks and networks of the future. Prerequisites: ECE 4470 or equivalent.
A hands-on course on software and architecture aspects of embedded systems. Topics include: embedded processor architecture, software architecture and development, communicating with I/O devices, firmware and operating systems, buses and embedded networks, memory technology and design, and low power design.
Credit Hours:
3
Last Offered:
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Programming using the UNIX operating system, shells, utilities, and C. Emphasis on standards including the ISO/IEC C standard and the POSIX/IEEE Open Group Single Unix Specification.
Credit Hours:
3
Last Offered:
Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Spring 2019
CRSE Attributes:
NONE
ECE 8487 - Advanced Machine Learning
ECE 9030 - Independent Study
ECE 9031 - Research I
ECE 9032 - Research II
ECE 9090 - ECE Project
CSC 8210 - Hlthcare Safety Secur Law&Eth
CSC 8301 - Design and Ana of Algs
CSC 8310 - Programming Languages
CSC 8510 - Theory of Computability
CSC 8453 - Software Testing&Quality Assur
CSC 8490 - Database Systems
CSC 8515 - Machine Learning
CSC 8540 - Software Engineering
CSC 8566 - Internet of Things
CSC 9010 - Special Topics (with approval of the advisor)
MAT 7770 - Number Theory
MAT 8650 - Abstract Algebra
MAT 8790 - Special Topics (Applied Linear Algebra)
