Program in Digital Forensics and Information Security

Professor:
Sanjay Goel, Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Morris Massry Endowed Professor

Associate Professor:
Lee Spitzley, Ph.D., University of Arizona

Assistant Professor:
Yansi Keim, Ph.D., Purdue University
Vinicius (Vinny) Lima, Ph.D., Purdue University
Xuecong Lu, Ph.D., University of Montreal
Prinkle Sharma, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

Visiting Assistant Professor:
Yuksel Celik, Ph.D., Selcuk University, Turkey
Srishti Gupta, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Lecturers:
Fabio Auffant, M.S., Champlain College
Seborah Snyder, M.B.A., University at Albany

Bachelors of Science in Digital Forensics & Information Security

The undergraduate curriculum in Digital Forensics and Information Security is designed to nurture the development of students who are able to think critically, perform high-level analysis, adapt to changing environments through innovation and exploration, and have a deep understanding of the technical, legal, financial and socio-psychological influences that are related to the practice of digital forensics and investigation of cyber-crime.

The curriculum is structured with four components: foundational principles, core competencies, concentration, and capstone. The first two components are designed to integrate the dissemination of fundamental principles with the cultivation of the critical skill set necessary for advance undergraduate coursework and interdisciplinary research. The remaining two components expand on these foundational skills to develop the topical expertise, technical depth, and independent analytic abilities that are essential to a well-rounded undergraduate educational experience.

This program will provide students with foundational technology skills in the areas of communications and networking, computer hardware, software development and database design, information security and the law. It will build core competencies in the area of data preservation, and examination and discovery in multiple areas including information security, criminal investigations, accounting and finance. The program culminates with capstone courses that consolidate the student learning in context of real problems. Overall, the program offers an academically rigorous preparation for students intending to pursue careers in digital forensics related fields as well as to pursue graduate education in the area of information security, digital forensics, and data analytics and law.

Admission Requirements

A select group of freshmen will be offered admission to the Massry School of Business Digital Forensics and Information Security major without any additional conditions beyond those for continuing enrollment at the University. Such admission will be based on a review of the student’s performance in high school as reflected in grade point average (HSGPA), performance on school-based tests such as Regents exams, scores on the SAT or ACT national exams, competitive rank in class, and similar metrics. To maintain enrollment in the major, at the completion of 56 credits, these students must also have completed the following seven courses with an average grade of at least C (2.00). RCRJ 281 or AMAT 108, APSY 101, BACC 211, BFOR 100, BFOR 201, BFOR 203, and BFOR 205.

Students not admitted as Direct Admission may apply for the major at the time of completion of 56 credits. Eligibility criteria at that time include a cumulative GPA of 3.00 in addition to completion of the same seven courses (based on matriculation date), with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00. Transfer student designated courses may differ according to articulation agreements, but cumulative GPA from the transfer institution must be a 3.00.

Requirements for the Bachelors of Science in Digital Forensics and Information Security:

The B.S. program in Digital Forensics and Information Security requires the completion of the following courses (68-69 credits) clustered in four components:

  1. Foundational Principles courses (22 credits)
    • BFOR 100 Introduction to Information Systems (3)
    • BFOR 201 Introduction to Digital Forensics (3)
    • BACC 211 Financial Accounting (3)
    • BITM 215 Information Technologies for Business (3)
    • APSY 101 Introduction to Psychology (3)
    • Select One of the Following Options:
      • RCRJ 202 Introduction to Law and Criminal Justice (4)
      • BLAW 220 Business Law (3)
    • Select One of the Following Options:
      • RCRJ 281 Introduction to Statistics in Criminal Justice (3)
      • AMAT 108 Elementary Statistics (3)
  2. Core Competencies courses (12 credits)
    • BFOR 203 Networking and Cryptography (3)
    • BFOR 204 Introduction to Cybersecurity (3)
    • BFOR 205 Introduction to Database Systems (3)
    • BFOR 206 Programming for Analytics (3)
  3. Concentration courses (27 credits)
    • BFOR 301 Computer Forensics (3)
    • BFOR 303 Computer and Memory Forensics (3)
    • BFOR 304 Mobile Forensics (3)
    • BFOR 305 Cyber Defense (3)
    • BFOR 306 Database Security and Forensics (3)
    • BFOR 400 Forensic Accounting and Fraud Detection (3)
    • BFOR 403 Risk Analysis and Security Policies (3)
    • BFOR 412 Cyber Incident Response and Penetration Testing (3)
    • BFOR 413 Multimedia Forensics (3)
  4.  Capstone courses (8 credits)
    • BFOR 401W Advanced Digital Forensics (4)
    • BFOR 402 eDiscovery Forensics and Moot Court (4)