IST 661 - Security Policy and Risk Assessment
Syllabus for section FD5, Fall II 2024.
This course is fully online and does not meet in person. It is also asynchronous, which means that there is no specific time that you must be online each day. However, it is necessary to participate in weekly discussions several days each week.
Instructor Information
Dr. Mike Murphy
mmurphy2@coastal.edu
Office Location: Penny Hall (formerly AOC2) room 238
https://ww2.coastal.edu/mmurphy2
Office Hours
I will generally be available in Microsoft Teams during the following Eastern times:
- Tuesdays 13:00-15:00
- Wednesdays 13:00-15:00
I am available at other times by appointment. Please email me for scheduling.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Engage with the information systems technology professional or academic communities through superior communication, analytical, technical, and critical thinking skills.
- Explore and extend creative use of emerging information systems technologies in a secure manner.
- Critically evaluate and manage information security policies, principles, processes, services, and technologies to manage risks and security threats for ensuring a secure information system technology infrastructure.
Texts and Materials
- No textbook is required for this course.
- Readings, reference materials, tutorials, and videos will be assigned.
Technology Requirements
- Broadband Internet access is required to access course materials.
- A device capable of accessing Moodle to participate in weekly discussions is required.
Grading
This course uses an ungrading approach with weekly assignments centered around a discussion. The first assignment each week will require some outside reading and/or research to prepare an initial discussion post, while the second assignment will require engaging in a discussion with other students. Assignments will receive feedback and an indication of completeness, but grades will not be given in the traditional sense. An opportunity to revise each assignment using followup posts will be provided in the days following the due date (see below).
At the end of the session, a final letter grade must be assigned per University policy. This final letter grade is assigned as follows:
| Grade | When Assigned |
|---|---|
| A | All assignments are complete and meet requirements. |
| B+ | 1 assignment is missing, incomplete, or does not meet requirements. |
| B | 2 assignments are missing, incomplete, or do not meet requirements. |
| C+ | 3 assignments are missing, incomplete, or do not meet requirements. |
| C | 4 assignments are missing, incomplete, or do not meet requirements. |
| D+ | 5 assignments are missing, incomplete, or do not meet requirements. |
| D | 6 assignments are missing, incomplete, or do not meet requirements. |
| F | 7 or more assignments are missing, incomplete, or do not meet requirements. |
There is NO final exam in this course.
Discussions
In general, we will have a new discussion each week. This discussion will be broken into two assignments. The first assignment requires you to make an initial discussion post that relates the week’s topic to your own professional experience. Once you have made your own post, the second assignment will require you to engage in one or more discussions with other students in the class. You will read another student’s initial post and respond with a relevant question in order to initiate a conversation with that student. You will also engage with other students who respond to your own initial post.
To make this discussion process run smoothly, new discussions will generally start each Wednesday. The initial discussion post should be completed by the end of the following Saturday. Follow-up posts should be completed by the end of the following Tuesday. The last two weeks of the session will be interrupted by Thanksgiving Break, so the timing will not be ideal toward the end.
Revisions and Late Submissions
You should endeavor to have your discussion posts done on time, since it is important to the flow of the course. I will provide at least a 30 hour grace period by waiting until Monday to evaluate your initial post (due on Saturday) and waiting until Thursday to evaluate your follow-up posts (due on Tuesday). As part of the evaluation, I may ask you questions in the forum about your initial post and/or your answers to my questions. These questions from me provide you with a revision opportunity, and the answers will be due the following Tuesday, when the forum will also close to new posts.
No work will be accepted after the assignment closing date. It is your responsibility to plan ahead and be prepared for any contingencies that might arise during the session (including illness, family emergencies, work conflicts, computer problems, and other things both within and beyond your control). Exceptions to this policy will be granted only for accommodations officially provided by Accessibility and Disability Services or for lengthy absences that are excused under University policy STUD-332: Class Attendance.
Attendance Policies
Regular weekly participation in this course is required. Per University policy, missed assignments will be recorded as absences. Failure to start the first assignment before the published session census date may result in being dropped from the course, per University policy and federal financial aid guidelines.
Other Policies
Academic Integrity
The CCU Academic Integrity Code (part of the Code of Student Conduct) applies to this course. In particular, making false statements, hiring or permitting someone else to complete course activities, working together on individual activities, and willful and flagrant plagiarism are all examples of academic integrity violations. Violations of the CCU Academic Integrity Code in this course may result in a course grade of FX.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools MAY NOT be used to generate discussion posts or replies. Use of AI tools to write forum messages constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communications Policy
I will normally reply to email within 1-2 business days. Email received over a weekend or on a holiday may not receive a response for 1-2 business days after the weekend or holiday. Please note that I’m only able to answer the phone and return phone calls on days where I work from the office (typically, days when I have posted office hours). Email is a much faster way to reach me and receive a reply.
Disability Accommodations
Per University policy, I can only grant you accommodations that are authorized through Accessibility and Disability Services. Please have your accommodations information sent to me within the first week of class or within a week of approval if accommodations are implemented in the middle of the session.
Contingency Plan
Per the CCU Academic Continuity Plan, courses will continue online whenever the University is unable to hold in-person classes. Since this course is already an asynchronous online course, we will continue our discussion assignments as scheduled unless the University announces otherwise. ALWAYS take your laptop or other computer with you whenever you go out of town, including during University breaks, evacuations, and other travel. Remember that you could encounter travel difficulties and have issues returning on time, even if University operations are not affected.
For fall semester courses, please review my Hurricane Information page. Always monitor your email and the CCU Website for official announcements regarding irregular operations.
Disclaimer
Portions of this course may deal with issues related to cost analysis, laws, and ethics. I am not a lawyer, accountant, or financial advisor, and no portion of this class constitutes legal, financial, or other regulated professional advice. This syllabus is tentative and is subject to change with notice to the class during the semester. If a portion of this syllabus is found to be non-compliant with University policies or applicable laws, the remainder of this syllabus will remain effective.