Executive Leadership in Information Assurance

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New Term Starts on
January 6, 2025

Executive Leadership in Information Assurance (MSCS)

Overview

The Executive Leadership in Information Assurance specialization focuses on providing the fundamental skills that are required to understand global leadership concepts, bringing together all the components required for a C-Level information security position, and providing students with the knowledge of how to manage IT security projects to enhance the success rate for both organizations and IT managers. This specialization mostly leads individuals to assume the position of CISO (and even CTO) at companies.

In this information security master’s specialization, you will be trained in global business leadership, executive governance and management, and project management in IT security.

Program Summary

LEVEL OF STUDY

Graduate

NUMBER OF COURSES

12 (36 Credit Hours)

DURATION

2 Years – 10-week terms (4 per year)

TERM BEGINS ON

January 6, 2025

MODE OF STUDY

Online (Flexible with Hands-On Experience)

EC-Council University has been ranked in the “Top 45 Online Master’s in Internet Security Degree Programs” by Intelligent.com, highlighting our high standards of quality postsecondary education.

Job Roles

  • IT Project Manager
  • Chief Information Security Officer
  • Information Security Officer
  • Chief Security Officer
  • Information Assurance Security Officer

3 Industry Certifications Included in the Program!

ECCU understands the current need of students to be industry-ready; hence, all of EC-Council’s relevant industry certifications have been included in the various specializations, allowing the student to graduate with not only a Master’s degree, but a string of certifications as well.
Certifications Master’ Degree Courses EC-Council Examination Price ECCU Student Price
ECCU 500 Managing Secure Network Systems $350 + $100 Application Fee Included in the Program
ECCU 501 Ethical Hacking & Countermeasures $950 + $100 Application Fee Included in the Program
ECCU 523 Executive Governance and Management* $999 + $100 Application Fee Exam Fee: $999
*Upon successful completion of this course, students will be provided with an opportunity to take the Associate CCISO Program.
Note: Students who are interested in taking the CCISO exam will need to purchase a voucher from the ECCU Bookstore; in order to take the CCISO exam, student must show at least 5 years of experience in three of the CCISO domains.
*In order to qualify for the C|CISO Exam, candidates must have five years of experience in each of the 5 C|CISO domains verified via the Exam Eligibility Application.

Pricing

$540

/Per Credit Hour
C|CISO Certification: $999
Total Tuition Fee: $20,439
* Does not include miscellaneous pricing

FAQs

Ans.  The management and protection of knowledge, data, and information is known as information assurance in cybersecurity. Information assurance focuses on ensuring the integrity, availability, authentication, and confidentiality of information in an organization. On the other hand, information security is centered around the protection of information from unauthorized access.

Ans. Cybersecurity aspirants who wish to become an information assurance officer can opt for a Master of Science in Cyber Security degree with a specialization in Executive Leadership in Information Assurance. After completing this master’s degree, candidates can also apply for roles such as – IT Project Manager, Chief Security Officer, Information Security Officer and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

Ans. Some of the important leadership qualities of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) are – the ability to balance multiple stakeholders, persuasion skills, conflict management capabilities, ability to manage critical situations, and many more. A master’s in information assurance program helps candidates gain these leadership skills and qualities.

Ans. An information assurance officer is responsible for ensuring that information sent within a system is transmitted safely and then stored securely. The average salary of an information assurance officer in the United States is $79,462, according to PayScale.

Disclaimer – EC-Council University does not guarantee jobs or salary packages mentioned -above. Please refer to the sources mentioned to learn more.

Course Description

ECCU 505 Introduction to Research and Writing

Three Credit Hours

This foundational core course introduces students to basic English writing skills and research methods also including APA style writing, citing sources, determining when a website is credible, effective communication, outlines, and collaboration. Students will write/present portions of the above in the course in various formats.

MGMT 502 Business Essentials

Three Credit Hours

This course will lay a broad foundation of understanding the processes of global business principles  for a varied population of students who work in businesses of all kinds (including the IT and IA fields). It covers the latest changes in Information Technology for Business, including computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), application software, and recent ethical issues arising from IT. Real-life business examples are added throughout the course that reinforce the business principles.

ECCU 504 Foundations of Organizational Behavior

Three Credit Hours

This foundation course deals with organizational behavior and allows the technology practitioner to experience the basic facets of organizational theory and define the skills required to understand and apply the theory to a real organizational setting. Elements of the course are organizational structure, effective communication, team building, ethics, and project management as seen through the organizational lens.

ECCU 516 The Hacker Mind: Profiling the IT Criminal

Three Credit Hours

Cyberspace has increased human communication, connectivity, creativity, capacity and crime by leaps and bounds in the last decade. For all of the positive aspects it offers, it offers as many negative aspects. Those negative aspects are explored and developed by everyone from the high school challenge hacker to an international terrorist. The IT criminal threatens businesses, governmental agencies, militaries, and organizations of every kind. This course will survey the spectrum of psychological attributes that may make up the profile of the IT criminal.

ECCU 514 Leadership and Management in Organizations

Three Credit Hours

This course encompasses an extensive research project about cross-cultural differences in leadership conducted by a group of researchers in 62 countries. It lays a foundation for understanding the process of leadership. The study describes the roles, functions, and impact of global leadership concepts. Many team exercises provide the speed at which leaders must work. Research and views into how most cultures respond to this area of management are provided.

ECCU 500 Managing Secure Network Systems

Three Credit Hours

This course focuses on evaluating network and Internet security issues, designing and implementing successful security policies and firewall strategies, and exposing the system and network vulnerabilities and defending against them. Topics include network protocols, network attacks, intrusion detection systems, packet filtering, proxy servers, Bastion hosts and honey pots, hardening routers, hardening security, email security, virtual private networks, and creating fault tolerance.

ECCU 507 Linux Networking and Security

Three Credit Hours

This course focuses on configuring a secure Linux network using the command line and graphical utilities. Emphasis is placed on file-sharing technologies such as the Network File System, NetWare’s NCP file sharing, and File Transfer Protocol. Additional topics include making data secure, user security, file security, and network intrusion detection. Students will be required to take on the role of problem solvers and apply the concepts presented to situations that might occur in a work environment.

ECCU 501 Ethical Hacking & Countermeasures

Three Credit Hours

This course focuses on how perimeter defenses work, how intruders escalate privileges, and methods of securing systems. Additional topics include intrusion detection, policy creation, social engineering, DoS attacks, buffer overflows, and virus creation.

ECCU 511 Global Business Leadership

Three Credit Hours

This course is designed to provide fundamental skills needed to understand global leadership concepts such as developing technological savvy, appreciating diversity, building partnerships, creating a shared vision, maintaining a competitive advantage, integrity, and leading for change. This is a study of current and historical leadership theories with an emphasis on viewing the leadership function in the context of global organizational behavior and organizational designs.

ECCU 523 Executive Governance and Management*

Three Credit Hours

This course is designed to bring together all the components required for a C-Level position by combining Governance, Security Risk Management, Controls, Audit Management, Security Program Management and Operations, Information Security Core Concepts, Strategic Planning, Finance, and Vendor Management to lead a highly successful IS program.

*Upon successful completion of this course, students will be provided with an opportunity to take the EC-Council Information Security Manager (EISM) certification exam.
Note: Students who are interested in taking the CCISO exam will need to purchase a voucher from the ECCU Bookstore; in order to take the CCISO exam, student must show at least 5 years of experience in three of the CCISO domains.

ECCU 515 Project Management in IT Security

Three Credit Hours

This class is designed to provide students with knowledge of how to manage IT security projects to enhance the success rate for both organizations and IT managers. It acts as an operational framework for users who design their own IT security project plan. The goal of PMITS is to help students implement their IT project management skills by providing a roadmap for implementing IT security in their organizations. It standardizes the knowledge base for business professionals by incorporating the best practices and legal standards related to corporate IT security.

ECCU 519 – Capstone

Three Credit Hours

The Capstone is the summative experience designed to allow students to demonstrate all program outcomes and draw on the knowledge and skills learned throughout the entire program. Students can enroll in the Capstone after successful completion of all core degree requirements but must be within six semester credit hours of graduation. Students must demonstrate attainment of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and have the Registrar approval to registering this class.