Cyber Security Defense

Cybersecurity Defense Certificate

 

Using the foundation established through the Cybersecurity Fundamentals certificate, students enrolled in Cybersecurity Defense graduate certificate, will obtain a detailed understanding of and ability to construct systems and function in real operational situations involving cyber security. They will gain the technical depth required to actively prepare for and respond to attacks. Students will learn to analyze network traffic to extract the observable characteristics of networks and network devices, thus providing a basis for defensive strategies. They will learn to build tools and how to configure systems and networks to permit systems to foster resiliency and continuity of operations, perhaps with reduced capacity, through attacks. Students will learn how to construct systems and tools to mitigate the impact of malicious software. Students will learn forensic techniques to retrieve and analyze stored information that may be corrupted or hidden. Considerable programming and hands-on work with systems and networks will be required.

How it Works:

The Cybersecurity Defense certificate (Curriculum: 258 DL / 259 Res) is a graduate-level, non-degree program designed to enable DoD, U.S. Government and other personnel to obtain a detailed understanding of, and ability to, function in real operational situations involving cyber security..

As distance learning, the program is typically taken over a three-quarter period: one course per quarter. When students take the certificate in residence, the certificate can be completed in a single quarter.

The Cybersecurity Defense certificate can be combined with the Cyber Security Fundamentals certificate to create a resident program that is a minimum of two quarters in duration.

This Cybersecurity Defense certificate program may be applicable toward a Master's degree in Computer Science, Curriculum 368.

This certificate provides participants with the knowledge and skills to:

  • Gain the technical depth required to actively prepare for and respond to attacks.
  • Analyze network traffic to extract the observable characteristics of networks and network devices, thus providing a basis for defensive strategies.
  • Build tools and learn how to configure systems and networks to permit systems to foster resiliency and continuity of operations, perhaps with reduced capacity, through attacks.
  • Construct systems and tools to mitigate the impact of malicious software.

Download the Cyber Studies: Graduate Certificates for Non-Resident Students overview for details about each of our certificate offerings. For additional questions pertaining to the Cyber Security Defense graduate certificate, please email: cyberapps@nps.edu

Application Procedures:

This program is for U.S. Government civilians and military personnel.

Employees of certain Federal contractors may be eligible for the program.  Please contact the certificate program for details.

Currently the CSD certificate is offered on a cohort basis and all applicants must be members of funded cohorts. We work with cohort sponsors who determine the members of each cohort. After your sponsor has selected you for the program, you must complete the admissions process.

Apply online here: http://nps.edu/Academics/Admissions/ApplyOnline/ApplyNow.html

Courses:

The Cybersecurity Defense graduate certificate is obtained by successful completion of any three of the following:
  1. CS4600 - Secure Systems Principles
  2. CS4677 - Computer Forensics
  3. CS4558 - Network Traffic Analysis
  4. CS4684 - Cyber Security Incident Response and Recovery

The total number of NPS graduate credits obtained for the certificate is 12, where laboratory credits are counted as half.

Costs:

Program costs are based upon a cohort mode.  

  • The cost for a 20 student cohort tuition is $67,000.
  • The cost for a 25 student cohort tuition is $83,750
  • A three-course cohort of 25 students is $251,250.

Tuition for DL classes is $3,350 per student per class.

If books are required they will result in additional costs.

*NPS tuition rates are subject to change.

Prerequisites:

Students entering this program are expected to have a strong foundation in cyber security and networking. In addition, entering students will be expected to understand and use the languages and techniques of operating system and network component development: the C programming language, assembly, shell scripting, use of linkers, loaders, and debuggers.

We recommend the Cybersecurity Fundamentals certificate, programming experience, plus courses in operating systems, computer architecture, and networking for best results in this certificate program.