Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Technician

Occupational Skills Award

South Texas College offers an Occupational Skills Award (OSA) designed for students interested in a career in the field of cybersecurity, as well as those currently working in the cybersecurity profession seeking to update or increase their skills and education. The Cybersecurity Technician OSA offers hands-on activities related to industry. Students will have the opportunity to earn cybersecurity industry certifications to validate the skills they learned.

Cybersecurity Specialist

Associate of Applied Science

This hands-on Cybersecurity Specialist Associate of Applied Science degree offers practical experience in a wide array of cybersecurity and digital forensics situations that are applicable to the real world. The student will be exposed to everything from how to properly conduct an assessment, and secure and document a network. In addition, the student will learn how to establish a proper chain of custody that is admissible in a court of law when recovering files from intentionally damaged media.

This associate degree will prepare students to get certified by EC-Council, Microsoft, CompTIA, Cellebrite, Paraben and various organizations in the cybersecurity field. Cybersecurity Specialists are needed by today's companies to protect computer networks and determine the root cause of malicious attacks, legally collect evidence admissible in court and protect corporate assets and reputation. Upon successfully completing the program, students may work with various private corporations, Federal Government agencies, private industry and even local government agencies that need assistance in finding answers during an actual forensic investigation or a crime scene. During the last semester students are required to complete an internship. This internship will allow students to gain valuable industry experience.

Cybersecurity Specialist

Certificate

This Cybersecurity Program offers practical hands-on experience in cybersecurity that are applicable to the real world. The student will learn how to properly setup and configure a computer network. The student will learn to create security policies, read computer logs and monitor network traffic using a variety of industry recognized tools. In addition, the student will learn to conduct an initial security assessment, utilize industry best-practices to secure and document a computer network.

This certificate will prepare students for a career in cybersecurity. It will prepare students to get certified by EC-Council, Microsoft, CompTIA and various organizations in the cybersecurity field. This certificate will allow the student to transfer all the credit hours to the Associate of Applied Science degree for Cybersecurity Specialist. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Certificate

1. Students will apply industry best practices to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer networks.
2. Students will be able to install and configure a Linux based network system.
3. Students will be able to secure a computer network and its users from cyber attacks such as, password phishing attacks, social engineering attacks, and malware attacks.
4. Students will be able to assess the existing security plan in a local area network and individual network hosts and conduct an audit based on acceptable security practices.
5. Students will be able to develop information security policies for a wireless network.

Advisory Committee Members

Rick Mendoza, Information Security Officer, City of McAllen
Ray Mendoza, Owner, Mendoza Technologies
Jose Pena, IT Director, City of Pharr
Alex Velasquez, Security Manager, City of Pharr
Fernando Mercado, Network Supervisor, La Joya ISD

Occupational Skills Award

• Cybersecurity Technician Occupational Skills Award

Certificate

• Cybersecurity Specialist Certificate

Associate Degree

• Cybersecurity Specialist Associate of Applied Science

Cybersecurity Technician Occupational Skills Award

TSI Exempt

Cybersecurity Specialist Certificate

TSI Exempt

Plan of Study Grid

Fall		Credit Hours
ITSY 2400	Operating System Security	4
ITSE 2421	Object-Oriented Programming	4
ITSY 1400	Fundamentals of Information Security	4
ITNW 1416	Network Administration	4
	Credit Hours	16
Spring
ITSC 1416	Linux Installation and Configuration	4
ITSY 2445	Network Defense and Countermeasures 1	4
ITSY 2442	Incident Response and Handling	4
ITNW 1453	Supporting Network Server Infrastructure	4
	Credit Hours	16
	Total Credit Hours	32

¹

Capstone: Successfully passing ITSY 2445 Network Defense and Countermeasures.

Cybersecurity Specialist Associate of Applied Science

TSI Liable

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Credit Hours
ITSY 2400	Operating System Security	4
ITSE 2421	Object-Oriented Programming	4
ITSY 1400	Fundamentals of Information Security	4
ITNW 1416	Network Administration	4
	Credit Hours	16
Spring
ITSC 1416	Linux Installation and Configuration	4
ITSY 2445	Network Defense and Countermeasures	4
ITSY 2442	Incident Response and Handling	4
ITNW 1453	Supporting Network Server Infrastructure	4
	Credit Hours	16
Summer
PHIL 2306	Introduction to Ethics 1	3
	Credit Hours	3
Second Year
Fall
SPCH 1318	Interpersonal Communications 1	3
Social and Behavioral Sciences Elective 1		3
ITSY 2459	Security Assessment and Auditing	4
ITSY 2443	Computer System Forensics	4
	Credit Hours	14
Spring
ENGL 1301	Composition I 1	3
MATH 1332 or MATH 1414	Contemporary Mathematics 1 or College Algebra	3
ITSY 2401	Firewalls and Network Security Design	4
ITSC 2166	Capstone: Cybersecurity Practicum	1
	Credit Hours	11
	Total Credit Hours	60

¹

Identifies courses to fulfill minimum 15 credit hour general education requirement.