No prior particular knowledge required
- Be able to identify system vulnerabilities and how to proceed during a forensic investigation based on the information provided by specific system architecture reports.
- Be able to describe current techniques for identifying and protecting individuals and businesses from cybercrime in a report with recommendations.
- Be able to justify methods for assessing the security of systems, networks, or infrastructures in a report with recommendations.
- Cybersecurity Assessment and Auditing
- Cyber fraud prevention
- Ethical hacking
- Analysis of firewall types
- Implementation of virus and malware protection systems
- User and application access control
- Access control and authentication mechanisms
- Analysis of practical application access control proposals
The blended mode is based on a proprietary methodology developed by La Salle URL that combines the active online methodology SDBL (Self Directed Based Learning) with several face-to-face sessions distributed throughout the master.
The SDBL methodology is based on situational learning and self-directed learning. With situational learning, the student is taught, through challenges, to deal with real problems and situations in the company with which he/she can consolidate the new knowledge acquired. With self-directed learning, the student decides how to advance in his training based on his previous experience.
On a weekly basis, the LMS (Learning Management System) platform releases the content of a new topic. The way the week works is as follows:
Synchronous kick-off session [1]:
o The teacher gives an overview of the contents and tasks that the student will encounter during the week. The objective of this meeting is to try to discover and reveal on a personal level which aspects of the week's tasks may be more difficult for the individual student.
o The teacher solves possible doubts of the students about the previous week's topic.
- Between synchronous connections:
o The student visualizes the content of the sessions and develops the tasks given to him/her about the topic of the week to consolidate knowledge and identify doubts.
Synchronous check point session:
o The teacher solves any doubts the students may have about the contents of the current week.
o The teacher presents additional content or case studies, which are of interest to the students.
o The teacher generates debate and discussion among the students about the contents of the week in course with the objective of helping the students in their assimilation, therefore, improving their learning.
- Resto de la semana. El objetivo es terminar el desarrollo de las tareas de la semana en curso a partir de las aclaraciones recibidas en la sesión síncrona de check point para superar los ejercicios, tareas y/o entregables del tema. Cabe mencionar que la mayor parte del tiempo dedicado durante esta última parte de la semana debería ser empleado en resolver las tareas y entregables, más que en asimilar contenido (aspecto que debería haber quedado resuelto entre las sesiones de kick-off y check point).
The LMS platform opens the content gradually (week by week) so that the whole group follows the same academic path. In other words, the sequential opening of topics is done so that all students in the program are working on the same subjects simultaneously.
On the other hand, the blended mode also provides very dynamic and experiential face-to-face sessions. Several classes are seminar-style, where students experience the simulation of a cyber-incident based on a real case, putting into practice the concepts learned. The facilitators of these sessions, CISOs (Chied Information Security Officers) or Information Security Officers (ISOs) from recognized companies, will observe how the students handle the different challenges posed throughout the seminar and will discuss with them their recommendations and feedback at the end of the session.
Other face-to-face sessions are for monitoring the work done, where students will be able to validate with the expert mentor the resolution of the tasks posed in the subjects and consult doubts before presenting the final version of their work in another face-to-face session programmed exclusively for this purpose.
[1] The synchronous sessions with the mentor are optional for students to attend, last approximately one hour, and are recorded and uploaded to the LMS.
Highly significant evaluation activities:
1. 2 case studies to be delivered (50%).
2. Group presentation (10%)
3. 20 multiple-choice questions (30%)
Addenda:
- Use of Artificial Intelligence tools.
This Master's course allows the use of AI to assist in the completion of a deliverable, but its use must be acknowledged. On the assumption that you have used any AI tool, include a paragraph at the end of any assignment that uses AI explaining what you used the AI for and what prompts you used to obtain the results. Failure to do so will be considered as an action that tends to falsify or defraud the academic evaluation systems and, therefore, the copying policy of La Salle Campus Barcelona Copying Policy | La Salle | Campus Barcelona (salleurl.edu) will be applied.
- Demonstrate academic integrity in the totality of their work.
If a student is caught cheating in any way on an exam, plagiarizing or rewriting exercises, activities, assignments, presentations, or submitting team work that he/she has not collaborated on, be prepared to receive a penalty in the final grade for the course.
The student and the group must ensure that the work they submit is their own. The student is responsible for citing all sources relied upon in their submissions, using quotation marks when language is taken directly from other sources.
Two case studies to be delivered (50%): It is to deliver two exercises in which needs are raised for an organization in the field of cybersecurity, must be argued and justified, explaining the benefits for the cybersecurity of the organization.
- Deliverable 1: Cyber exercises, describe some cyber exercises to be performed in your company.
- Deliverable 2: Choose an EDR/XDR and a Firewall in which you will have to choose and justify one, according to the needs of your organization and the services provided by each technology and manufacturer.
- Deliverable 3: Define how you would make an access control system, in which you must choose a tool and explain how and why it would be integrated.
2. Group presentation (10%): In this section, you are part of a discussion group to research and present a specific topic related to cybersecurity. The presentation should be clear, concise and well structured, and should include an introduction, development of the topic, conclusions and recommendations. This assessment allows the development of teamwork skills, communication and presentation of ideas and also from the point of view of a Cybersecurity manager, who detects new needs to protect the organization, taking into account new trends in cyber-attacks.
3. 20 multiple-choice questions (30%): This exam will evaluate theoretical knowledge on the key concepts of information security management. The multiple choice questions may be multiple choice.
1. Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). Security Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing v4.0.
a. Description: International reference guide for the secure implementation of cloud services, including access control, protection against malicious code and secure architecture.
b. Link: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org
2. ENISA. Cybersecurity Threat Landscape.
a. Description: Annual analysis of the main threats and trends in cyberattacks, with technical and strategic recommendations.
b. Link: https://www.enisa.europa.eu
3. MITRE. ATT&CK Framework.
a. Description: Knowledge base on tactics, techniques and procedures used by real cyberattackers.
b. Link: https://attack.mitre.org
4. CCN-CERT. Guía CCN-STIC 803: Buenas prácticas en ciberseguridad.
a. Description: General reference document that includes recommendations and guidelines to protect systems, networks and services against multiple threats, covering aspects such as access control, antivirus, firewall, pentesting, auditing, authentication, etc.
b. Relation: Provides a solid foundation of recommended practices applicable to all blocks of the course
c. Link: https://www.ccn-cert.cni.es/publico/series-800.html
1.CCN-CERT. Guía CCN-STIC 817. Auditoría de Seguridad.
a. Description: Official Spanish guide for the development of cybersecurity audits, including methodologies, controls and evidence.
b. Relation: provides methodological structure for practical cases of auditing, technology selection and access control
c. Link: https://www.ccn-cert.cni.es
2. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations.
a. Description: Comprehensive catalog of security controls applicable to IT systems, networks and organizations.
b. Relation: ideal technical complement to justify measures and assess the security maturity of an organization
c. Link: https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-53/rev-5/final
3. Gartner. Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms.
a. Description: Comparative evaluation of leading endpoint protection solutions (EDR/XDR), ideal for justifying technology selections.
b. Relation: Useful as an objective reference for deliverables that require choosing advanced protection solutions.
c. Link: https://www.gartner.com/en/documents