Cybersecurity Minor

Overview:

Interested in understanding how systems can be hacked? Interested in understanding how systems can be designed to prevent them from being hacked? Want to understand how the latest reflection attack exploits have taken down entire systems? Want to learn the right areas of Computer Security to help you have relevant and useful skills for entering a growing field of industry? This minor may be of interest to you.

The CSE Department has been designated as a Center for Excellence in Cybersecurity Education and Research by the NSA and has an active cadre of students specializing in Cybersecurity, some of whom are supported by the NSF through it’s Scholarships for Service program. The minor program focuses on the technical aspects of security systems and is geared for those who are enrolled in a technical program in Computer Science or a related field. It covers, at a detailed level, technology that is used to detect security violations, technology that is used to build security appliances, and technology that is used to secure applications.

The program is unique within the NYU academic community and will be of interest to many students majoring in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s BS programs in Computer Science and Computer Engineering. It may also be appealing to some students in the CAS BA program in Computer Science or related programs.

Students taking the minor must complete several prerequisite NYU Tandon School of Engineering Math and Computer Science courses (or similar courses offered by Courant). The minor requirements then comprise five security related courses. Students may count CS / EE courses in the minor as CS / EE electives in the BS degree programs in Computer Science and Computer Engineering.

Cybersecurity is focused on the technical aspects of security systems and geared for those who are enrolled in a technical program in Computer Science or related field. It covers at a detailed level technology that is used to detect security violations, technology that is used to build security appliances and technology that is used to secure applications. This minor is geared towards students who want to work in a technical field of security such as penetration testing or developing secure applications or who plan to go onto graduate education in security. Inquiries should be directed to the coordinator of academic advising, Susana Garcia-Henriquez.

Cybersecurity Minor (15 credits):

Prerequisites:

Students will be expected to complete a minimal core curriculum (knowledge of programming, data structures, discrete math, and some computer architecture) in the CS undergraduate program, before enrolling in this minor, in order to be well prepared for the security coursework. Students who would like to pursue this minor who are not also CS majors will have to complete these courses (or show equivalent mastery) in addition to the minor requirements.The typical pathway through the pre-requisite chain for NYU Tandon School of Engineering students will include the following five courses:

CS-UY 1114 Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving
CS-UY 1134 Data Structures and Algorithms *
CS-UY 2124 Object Oriented Programming*

*Note: Students who entered NYU Tandon prior to FA16 may take CS-UY 1124 Object Oriented Programming and CS-UY 2134 Data Structures and Algorithms instead of CS-UY 1134 and CS-UY 2124.

MA-UY 2314 Discrete Mathematics
CS-UY 2214 Computer Architecture and Organization

NYU Tandon School of Engineering Computer Science or Computer Engineering majors can take CS-UY 3224 Operating Systems as a co-requisite with CS-UY 3923 Computer Security .

Alternatively, students may satisfy most of the pre-requisites with courses in the College of Arts and Sciences:

CSCI-UA.0002 or placement exam
CSCI-UA.0101 (Introduction to Computer Science)
CSCI-UA.0102 (Data Structures )
CSCI-UA.0201 Computer Systems Organization)
MATH-UA.0120 (Discrete Mathematics).

These prerequisites can be completed by the fourth or fifth semester, leaving 3-4 semesters to complete the minor. Some courses require other security courses as prerequisites. Students should be sure to fulfill all necessary course requirements.

Cybersecurity Minor Courses:

This minor consists of 15 credit units: four required 3-credit courses and one 3-credit elective.

Cybersecurity Minor Required Core (12 credits):

CS-UY 3923 Computer Security 3 Credits
CS-UY 3933 Network Security 3 Credits
CS-UY 4753 Application Security 3 Credits
CS-UY 4793 Computer Networking 3 Credits OR ECE-UY 3613 Communication Networks

Cybersecurity Minor Electives (3 Credits):

In addition to these four core courses, students must take 3 additional credits from the following security courses from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering CS curriculum and from university-wide electives. Course options include:

NYU Tandon SOE Security Courses

CS-UY 4763 Information Systems Security Engineering and Management 3 Credits
CS-UY 4773 Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Analysis 3 Credits
CS-UY 4783 Applied Cryptography 3 Credits
EL-GY 9423 Computer Electronic Devices and System: Intro to Hardware Security & Trust 3 Credits

University-wide Electives:

Students may take a security related elective from outside the NYU Tandon School of Engineering with permission of the program director. Students who are doing a security related senior design project may use this as one elective in the Cybersecurity minor.

Suggested Sequence of Courses:

Computer Security (CS-UY 3923 ) can be taken at the same time as Operating Systems (5th semester of study for students entering CS BS program without advanced placement). Computer Security is a prerequisite for Application Security (CS-UY 4753 ). Computer Networking (CS-UY 4793 ) can be taken as early as the 4th semester, once the student has completed Data Structures & Algorithms (CS-UY 2134 ) and Object-Oriented Programming (CS-UY 2124 ). Computer Networking is a prerequisite for Network Security (CS-UY 3933 ), which, in turn, is a prerequisite for certain, more advanced electives. Students are advised to take these core courses during the junior year and/or first semester of the senior year, and then to take remaining security electives during the senior year.

CAS students who plan to take the cybersecurity minor should be aware that the minor will require them to take at least four courses (12 credits) at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and that there is a limit (four courses or 16 credits) on the number of courses they may take outside of CAS. Thus, they must plan their programs carefully.