Cyber 101: Week 1–4 Course Overview, Admin Corner, and Real-World Context

Week 1–4 Overview and Admin Corner (Cyber ONE ZERO ONE)

  • Purpose of the session: to orient students, outline the upcoming weeks, and connect theory to real-world practice in cybersecurity and resilience.

  • Week 1 focus: introduction and course overview

    • Intro to each other and the course structure

    • Syllabus review, Internet, security, and complexity as key themes

    • Complexity is a top priority topic for honors students; will be discussed in person (eye-to-eye) today or in week 2 or 3

    • Complexity is growing with AI and distributed processing in vehicles, mobility devices, and related systems

  • Week 2 focus: network intrusion

    • Topics: cyber attacks and data security

    • You’ll see videos and slides on network intrusion and securing data

  • Week 3 focus: CIA triad and real-world discussions

    • CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) as a major feature in the assigned reading with Eddie Amoroso and Matthew Amoroso

    • Instructor’s real-world perspective: regional cybersecurity coordinator for the National Capital Region

    • Role includes convening CIOs/CISOs across counties and managing interface with threat actors, federal government, international partners, and vendors

    • Counties mentioned to illustrate complexity and scale (e.g., Montgomery County, MD; Fairfax County, VA; Prince William County, VA; Howard County, MD; City of Frederick; City of Silver Spring; City of Leesburg, etc.)

    • Benchmark example: Fairfax County’s county executive budget/economic influence can exceed the governor of several states in dollar terms (approx. 175175 in the given context) illustrating the scale of local government as a cybersecurity stakeholder

  • Week 3 content continuation: technical and organizational considerations

    • Attack surface expansion and scaling security across the enterprise

    • Form factors include dashboards in cars, modern devices, thin clients, laptops, and mobile phones

    • Cloud services and large data exchanges (audio and video) increase network throughput needs and security risks

    • Greater reliance on third parties like cloud providers and data custodians, increasing risk and complexity

  • Week 4 focus: malicious actors and APTs

    • Categories of threats and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

    • Introduction to Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)

    • Lexicon lever and instructor-provided resources to build cybersecurity terminology for quizzes and tests

  • Admin corner: course layout and ongoing administration

    • Large on-prem class (~> 120120 students) and large remote/virtual class (~> 120120 students)

    • The course uses a single required reading intended to be accessible and foundational for all levels

  • Key dates and optional activities

    • Friday, September 55, 10:00 AM EST: optional Zoom Q&A session (approximately one hour) – does not affect grade; open to all Cyber ONE ZERO ONE series classes

    • Monday, September 88: no in-person class; reading day and assignment options

    • Primary reading: a short, accessible book by a top cybersecurity author; roughly 22 hours for an average reader

    • Alternative: SIP-1 (Short Individual Paper/Project) as an alternative learning activity

    • Wednesday, September 1010: no in-person class; team kickoff activities

    • Assigned teams are county-named groups; initial kickoff report meeting required to build team rapport, establish mechanics, and set meeting cadence

    • Mechanics: decide whether to meet in person or remotely; scheduling and logistics are team decisions

    • Final assessment structure (Part B): team-based component with a shared grade and a 360-degree evaluation; introduces collaborative and peer-review elements

    • Students may stack Final Part B early if they wish; designed to teach teamwork, interpersonal communication, and project management

    • Quiz on September 1010: first quiz, designed to illustrate quiz mechanics (independent, asynchronous, remote). An instructor-provided resource (GTT: Get The T) will help students prepare; possibly followed by a short lexicon list

    • Quizzes overall: mostly asynchronous remote; occasional quiz-equivalent projects (in-class or outside) to mimic real-world quick assessments

    • Brightspace announcements: two additional items mentioned (quick Learn YouTube links for foundational concepts; short videos like “firewall in seven minutes”)

    • The instructor's teaching team: a General Assistant (GA) and three Peer Educators (PEs) for cyber ONE ZERO ONE series (on-prem, virtual, TIGR variant)

    • Matthew (a PE) will coordinate closely with the instructor and students on hip calendar and real-world engagement (RWE)

    • Group Me engagement: instructor will not personally participate in the Group Me channel to maintain safe, peer-to-peer communication space; governance and FERPA compliance are observed by the teaching team

    • HIP: Honors Innovation Portfolio check-in (HIP check-in) – a short form used to gauge student progress, plan engagement with industry experts, and prepare a portfolio artifact

    • The HIP check-in serves as a resource for personal advising, brainstorming, and connecting with leading experts; participation is optional but encouraged to support the portfolio development

  • SIPs and portfolio emphasis

    • SIPs are short individual papers/projects that contribute to quiz-equivalent grading; additional SIPs may be introduced as workload requires

    • The course emphasizes a real-world engagement (RWE) calendar: selecting topics, forming teams, meeting industry contacts, and delivering a tangible portfolio artifact

    • The instructor presents a hands-on, time-bound approach to project management in cybersecurity: balance ideation with concrete, time-bound actions

  • Metaphors and practical examples used in the session

    • Football play analogy: students may use play-calling language (e.g., Blue 52) to describe tactical shifts during team planning

    • Water-divining rod metaphor: using a future-oriented vision to guide present decisions and actions

    • Emphasis on the present moment as the time to influence the future; project management requires acting now to shape outcomes

  • Practical and ethical considerations highlighted

    • Real-world experiential learning is emphasized; students are encouraged to ask questions and engage deeply

    • FERPA compliance and data governance considerations in student interactions and group communications

    • Building safe, supportive spaces for student inquiry (e.g., Group Me vs. direct instructor channels) to accommodate different learning styles and comfort levels

  • What students should do next (immediate actions for the upcoming days)

    • Read the assigned book by September 8 or engage with SIP-1 as an alternative

    • Prepare to participate in the September 10 quiz; review the GTT resource and anticipate a lexicon list if needed

    • Begin forming teams and scheduling the initial kickoff meeting for the week of September 10; decide on meeting format and cadence

    • Consider exploring HIP check-in options to plan your RWE portfolio and potential industry contacts

    • Use the optional September 5 Zoom session to ask questions and clarify expectations; bring preliminary topic ideas to the table

    • Be prepared for week 3 content (CIA triad, attack surface, and enterprise security scaling) and week 4 content (threats and APTs), and to integrate insights into SIPs and the final project

  • Key concepts to remember and definitions (quick glossary)

    • CIA triad: extConfidentiality,extIntegrity,extAvailabilityext{Confidentiality}, ext{Integrity}, ext{Availability}

    • APT: Advanced Persistent Threats (long-term, targeted cyber-espionage campaigns)

    • TTPs: Techniques, Tactics, and Procedures used by threat actors

    • SIP: Short Individual Papers/Projects (quiz-equivalent assessment components)

    • HIP: Honors Innovation Portfolio (personal portfolio artifact)

    • RWE: Real-World Engagement (field-facing collaboration and applied learning)

    • GTT: Get The T (instructor-provided prep resource for quizzes)

    • Lexicon lever: curated terminology resource to support quizzes and exams

    • PE: Peer Educator (student support role within the teaching team)

    • GA: General Assistant (teaching team member assisting the instructor)

    • Final Part B: Team-based final component with shared grades and a 360 evaluation

    • Group Me: Class-wide peer communication channel with governance and FERPA safeguards

    • FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (data/privacy compliance in student information handling)

    • On-campus vs remote: large in-person class and large remote class formats, each with their own dynamics and engagement models

    • Attack surface: total exposure points for threats within an organization’s technology landscape

    • Form factors: devices and endpoints carrying computing power (cars, dashboards, thin clients, laptops, phones) and their role in security strategy

  • Metaphors, examples, and real-world relevance emphasized throughout

    • Real-world scale example: Fairfax County as a major governance body with substantial budget and influence in technology vendors and security; highlights the scale and complexity of public-sector cyber ecosystems

    • The practical value of project management in cyber contexts: time-bound tasks, resource constraints, and cross-team collaboration mirror real corporate environments

    • The importance of immediate action: the idea that you can influence the future most in the present moment, underscoring the need to start HIP/RWE activities early for tangible portfolio outcomes